Tyler Dunn
Explorer
I don't how casting resurrection on an elder evil weakens it, she's not actually dead. Also I think discovering the true name thing only works for devils.
Weakening an elder evil
I don't how casting resurrection on an elder evil weakens it, she's not actually dead. Also I think discovering the true name thing only works for devils.
The true-name thing is common in a lot of folklore and fantasy (see: Earthsea; the Black Company). I'm guessing it doesn't say "Frostfell Queen" on her birth certificate, and finding her name will require the players to investigate her backstory, which is always fun. A related angle could be: back when she was mortal, she made a pact or contract of some kind, and if the PCs find it, they can invoke it to their advantage, somehow (see: the geas of Cúchulainn). For example, maybe she was once a cleric of undeath, and the party tricks her into violating one of the tenets of her faith, causing her to temporarily lose all her spellcasting ability. But she keeps her divine power so it's still a tough fight for a campaign finale.
I can think of a few things, best set as adventures for the endgame of the campaign. The party has to go to several locations, each with a specific point. One leads them to a powerful item that will boost the character's power (only usable once), from a god or other great power that opposes her (both Pelor and an Elder Fire elemental would be good choices). Another leads them to faint remnants of the god she stole the power from, who will assist them in order to take his power back. The next is the search for her True Name, which will weaken her considerably if invoked during the final conflict. Finally, they must find her last remaining blood-kin, whose presence will remind her of her mortal life, causing hesitation and doubt during the final battle.
This brings every aspect of the BBEG into consideration: how she got her powers, the powers that would oppose her, who she was, and what she left behind. Bonus points to have the remnant god try to use the blood-kin as a hostage during the final battle, leading to a likely three-way conflict.
This brings every aspect of the BBEG into consideration: how she got her powers, the powers that would oppose her, who she was, and what she left behind. Bonus points to have the remnant god try to use the blood-kin as a hostage during the final battle, leading to a likely three-way conflict.
Tyler Dunn
Explorer
I think I know what I'm going to do.
The players will go to get a powerful ring from Pelor that will channel his holy light to weaken the frostfell queen. They will also go to where she drained the god's power to claim an amulet she created to defend herself from the god's wrath, which in turn they can use to defend againt her attacks. They can also contact the vestige of the god she stole power from, who will give them his blessing, which will help protect them from her necrotic spells and abilities. If the party has learned her true name, which they can do if they perform some side objectives throughout the campaign, they can use it to remind her of the time she was a powerless orphan, which would weaken her further. If the PCs think of it, they can also lure her to a location like a holy site for Pelor to weaken her further as well.
How does that sound?
The players will go to get a powerful ring from Pelor that will channel his holy light to weaken the frostfell queen. They will also go to where she drained the god's power to claim an amulet she created to defend herself from the god's wrath, which in turn they can use to defend againt her attacks. They can also contact the vestige of the god she stole power from, who will give them his blessing, which will help protect them from her necrotic spells and abilities. If the party has learned her true name, which they can do if they perform some side objectives throughout the campaign, they can use it to remind her of the time she was a powerless orphan, which would weaken her further. If the PCs think of it, they can also lure her to a location like a holy site for Pelor to weaken her further as well.
How does that sound?
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I think I can see the line of thought: think of resurrection as a "reset button," potentially returning her to her former, mortal self.
She's your creation, so she can have that as a vulnerability if you think it will make the game fun. Anyway, what are devils but lawful servants of an evil-aligned deity? Maybe the Frostfell Queen technically became a devil when she officially swore herself into the service of the god she replaced.
I think your plan sounds great! I like the fact that you have thought of multiple ways the players could approach the situation. They probably won't do all of them, so decide how many things they need to do to get her to a level where they can beat her.
MNblockhead
A Title Much Cooler Than Anything on the Old Site
Most of what I would recommend have already been covered by others. I like to mix the tropes. Rappan Athuk is a good example. Another is Curse of Strahd. What I would do I were creating a campaign from scratch that was centered around this is first not let the party know that this is the end game.
At low levels:
The party starts learning about and being ask to infiltrate, destroy, twart cults. It should feel like sundry beat-a-cult missions/adventures. But as they rise through tier one of play they start finding connections between cults, start discovering deeper corruption and conspiracy. By the end of the Tier one they should be approached by some group, a faction, that gives the players more information and will be giving them missions.
Tier Two: the party has to seek out places of power, such as temples and destroy them. Each one should be a very different style of mission. Maybe one is straight up go in and kill everyone and blow the place up. Another, is a stealth or undercover operation. There are simply too many enemies and you need to go in a sabotage the place. During this mission they discover the BBEG's true natures. The final location could involve bringing enemy kingdoms together to provide forces to siege and destroy a well-defended stronghold of a corrupted city or small kingdom that fell into the hands of the BBEG's forces.
Tier Three: gather the macguffins. The party must seek out and acquire powerful artifacts. Best would be one for each character. On their own, each is a powerful magic item. But when a group has all of them together, perhaps they give the party three legendary actions they can use.
Their Four - travelling to the BBEG. Planar travel, baby! Lots of high-level dangerous travel and encounters. Getting bast the BBEG's allies. Ending with the final battle.
The BBEG should still be incredibly challenging for the party. My thinking is that without having destroyed the centers of power and gaining the artifacts, the BBEG would be a god and untouchable. Simply impossible for the party to harm. All the work to this point it just to make this final battle even possible.
At low levels:
The party starts learning about and being ask to infiltrate, destroy, twart cults. It should feel like sundry beat-a-cult missions/adventures. But as they rise through tier one of play they start finding connections between cults, start discovering deeper corruption and conspiracy. By the end of the Tier one they should be approached by some group, a faction, that gives the players more information and will be giving them missions.
Tier Two: the party has to seek out places of power, such as temples and destroy them. Each one should be a very different style of mission. Maybe one is straight up go in and kill everyone and blow the place up. Another, is a stealth or undercover operation. There are simply too many enemies and you need to go in a sabotage the place. During this mission they discover the BBEG's true natures. The final location could involve bringing enemy kingdoms together to provide forces to siege and destroy a well-defended stronghold of a corrupted city or small kingdom that fell into the hands of the BBEG's forces.
Tier Three: gather the macguffins. The party must seek out and acquire powerful artifacts. Best would be one for each character. On their own, each is a powerful magic item. But when a group has all of them together, perhaps they give the party three legendary actions they can use.
Their Four - travelling to the BBEG. Planar travel, baby! Lots of high-level dangerous travel and encounters. Getting bast the BBEG's allies. Ending with the final battle.
The BBEG should still be incredibly challenging for the party. My thinking is that without having destroyed the centers of power and gaining the artifacts, the BBEG would be a god and untouchable. Simply impossible for the party to harm. All the work to this point it just to make this final battle even possible.
Quickleaf
Legend
Borrowing from Planescape Torment...a sculpture made of black ice from the river Styx known as the "Dark Birds of Ocanthus" can be used to mess with her memory, making her momentarily forget that she has the power of an Elder Evil & believe that she's still a mortal mage.
