D&D 5E The Final Battle - 2 Rounds and 1 Action!

[Greg Benage]

A creature that is surprised can't use a lair action until after it's first turn in combat. That said, I'd also be interested in hearing the tale of how multiple party members surprised Strahd in his castle...

(It's also a little sad that fireball was the best thing he could think of to try to break concentration or defeat the telekinesis. His spell list isn't extensive, but it does include polymorph and animate objects.)

That said, sounds like everyone had fun, so that's a win.

ETA: My nearly two-year-long DotMM campaign ended with the PCs grappling Halaster in an antimagic field and basically curb-stomping him, so you know...it happens.

 

[toucanbuzz]

Are you saying it should be a contest or it should not be a contest?

I think the latter, but then I managed to get confused.

Cheers!

Shouldn't have been a contest is what I meant! I added a 4th card to the Tarot reading (split the sword into a hilt and blade) to diversify where things would be hidden, and after they braved the Amber Temple and delved into Strahd's castle for stuff, I think it was a great feeling when that stuff paid off.

 

[billd91]

I don't have a problem with PCs having a relatively short boss fight when they've taken the effort to prepare for it.

But this story does underscore one pet peeve of mine. The telekinesis spell effect shouldn't be based on an opposed strength check vs spellcaster stat check. It should be a strength saving throw. Making it a check undermines the value of the strength saving throw with respect to spells. Spells don't spread the saves around enough.

 

[el-remmen]

I do feel that occasionally we put too much emphasis on the final fight.

I think this is true of a lot of media as well. Endings are over-valued as something that potentially retroactively "ruins" the whole experience and I just don't get how/why that should be.

 

[MerricB]

I think this is true of a lot of media as well. Endings are over-valued as something that potentially retroactively "ruins" the whole experience and I just don't get how/why that should be.

Especially with the longer-form media.

(Is this why the book series of A Song of Ice and Fire will never get an ending? Is not having an ending worse than having a bad ending?)

I like having endings. But I don't always need them to be epic. I mean, it's great when they are. Watching the final battle against Thanos in Endgame is one of the great experiences of my life. But smaller endings can work as well.

Cheers!

 

[el-remmen]

Watching the final battle against Thanos in Endgame is one of the great experiences of my life. But smaller endings can work as well.

Cheers!

Right and I found that ending muddled and confusing and a let-down - but I do love Infinity War. It should have just ended there.

 

[jasper]

What is better is when a group things a minor battle will be a speed bump and it is. For the monsters. I talking about when every rolled below 10 init and can't hit AC 12 for 3 rounds against common weak encounters.