D&D 5E Campaign Idea: Very Rare Magic Items at Lv. 1

[Andvari]

What you could do is pitch a campaign the premise of which is that the characters' all had magic items that, as part of their background story have already been taken by the BBEG. This way, the players already have a partial background story and motivation to go on the adventure. They also won't be annoyed by you suddenly removing the items they spent time picking because they thought they were going to use them.

And make them pick weaker items, so that if they defeat the BBEG, they can actually recover them as a reward for completing the story arc without destroying the balance of the game. And look over the items to ensure one of them isn't an item that in retrospect could have been used to easily escape the BBEG and thus undermine the background story.

 

[doppelgangerstudios]

What sort of a goal is that? Who is this guy supposed to be, that his big ambition in life is to destroy a couple of magic items? He needs more personality than that. Right now he only exists to be a deus ex machina, and then get killed in revenge, assuming your players don’t just flip the table and leave after the ‘big plot twist’ stuffs up their character backgrounds.

That’s a great area for development! One idea is that the BBEG was an adventurer once, a BBGG. But then, his family was murdered by a Very Rare Magic Item. When he finds out there’s a whole party of people with items like that ironically pursuing the adventuring life that killed those he loved, he destroys them out of a misplaced sense of cosmic justice

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Maybe you have different players than I'm used to, but this seems to me like a recipe to frustrate and anger your group. Sorry.

Yup... don't give them the items. make the destruction back story and you have MAYBE a good idea... giving something just to take it a way is a jerk DM move

 

[Mort]

That’s a great area for development! One idea is that the BBEG was an adventurer once, a BBGG. But then, his family was murdered by a Very Rare Magic Item. When he finds out there’s a whole party of people with items like that ironically pursuing the adventuring life that killed those he loved, he destroys them out of a misplaced sense of cosmic justice

My 2 cents:

BBEG who's schtick is that he finds and destroys magic items (the rarer the better) - awesome idea with lots of potential. Lots of possible interaction points with the PCs and the PCs will HATE him because players, as a whole, really like their stuff.

but:

BBEG who immediately sees out the party and destroys their items before they can so much as take them out for a test drive (after the players have been promised the premise of cool items frm the beginning)? very problematic idea that will likely sour the players from the getgo and make it nearly impossible to engage them in anything going forward.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Welcome to ENWorld, @doppelgangerstudios!

I strongly recommend against giving them something that you are just going to take away in the first gaming session. That is always going to feel like a sucker-punch, and you are always going to look like a jerk. You can keep calling it a "plot twist," but your players are not going to call it that (they're gonna call it something else entirely.)

One of the most annoying things a DM can do is make me choose something (especially if I put time and effort into the choice) just to lose it

 

[GMforPowergamers]

That’s an interesting idea but I’m not sure it works with the BBEG concept, which is “this enemy is here to destroy the items”. His big speech in the 1st adventure “Good! You’re here. Now hand me your magic or be blasted to dust. I will permanently destroy them all” barely makes sense. If he doesn’t target the items, it’s confusing. If he fails, he’s hardly big bad and evil now is he?

and if they just say "f it" and don't give it to him then what?!? the players are pretty conditioned by the game to expect to at least have a chance to win

 

[GMforPowergamers]

The BBEG is invulnerable during the first combat, as his hand is on the disintegration wand and he makes it clear that not only is he protected by powerful magic, he’ll reduce everyone to ashes if they attack outright.
This is later remedied when the find him around lv 4, fat and happy, no longer interested in adventuring or defense since he’s already accomplished his goal (irreconcilably destroying the objects the party most loved)

Invunrable bad guys are BS... plane and simple and BAD DMing.

 

[Maxperson]

That’s an interesting idea but I’m not sure it works with the BBEG concept, which is “this enemy is here to destroy the items”. His big speech in the 1st adventure “Good! You’re here. Now hand me your magic or be blasted to dust. I will permanently destroy them all” barely makes sense. If he doesn’t target the items, it’s confusing. If he fails, he’s hardly big bad and evil now is he?

Tweak it.

"the BBEG concept, which is “this enemy is here to capture you”. His big speech in the 1st adventure “Good! You’re here. Now you can spend eternity in my dungeon cells.”

Now their job is to escape and get their items on the way out. Then they can do the rest. You don't have to be married to the first idea that you have. You can date other ideas.

 

[doppelgangerstudios]

and if they just say "f it" and don't give it to him then what?!? the players are pretty conditioned by the game to expect to at least have a chance to win

This was covered in the OP, the characters who refuse are instantly disintegrated

 

[DEFCON 1]

Basically @doppelgangerstudios ... most of us suspect this is not going to go well and your players aren't going to appreciate the twist, no matter how "cool" you try and frame it. Most of the time players couldn't give a hoot about "twists" in gameplay anyway... they just want to play D&D.

But if you want to go ahead with your idea... that's your call. You know your table better than we do and if you think you can make it work, all the best to you. The rest of us probably wouldn't go through with it... so just take that for what it's worth, if anything.