D&D 4E 4E: BBEG's Redemption?

[Knightlord]

I'm not sure about everyone else, but one of the features I'm most looking forward to is the addition of Solo Monsters. I cant count the number of times my BBEG have gotten the stuffing beat out of them by the PC's after he/she delivers a monologue promising impending doom. This, as many of you may know, is quite possibly the most anti-climatic ending to any adventure. My Star Wars campaign was recently the site of such an occurance. Very disappointing, to me anyway. It's not that i'm trying to kill my players, but come on, the BBEG should be just that: BIG, BAD, and EVIL (tho not always a guy ).

Anyway, who else is looking forward to this feature? Has one of your BBEG suffered from this form of humiliation, and how do you think the Solo Monster feature will fix this.

 

[entrerix]

for me, if my pc's are beating the stuffing out of my BBEG, i just have him transform into something much worse when they finish him off, and make up some stats on the spot based on how badly they beat him/her.... gets em every time (has happened 3 times in ten years)

 

[OchreJelly]

I can think of three things in 3.5 games that turn a boss fight anticlimactic:

dimensional anchor
grapple
maximized ray of enfeeblement

Here's to hoping exception based rules in 4E let the villains shine a bit more.

 

[Cyronax]

I can think of three things in 3.5 games that turn a boss fight anticlimactic:

dimensional anchor
grapple
maximized ray of enfeeblement

Here's to hoping exception based rules in 4E let the villains shine a bit more.

Throw in tanglefoot bags.

 

[Kwalish Kid]

Throw in tanglefoot bags.

You know, until this Sunday, I had never seen anyone hit and successfully use a tanglefoot bag. But when they work, those things are gross!

 

[WhatGravitas]

Anyway, who else is looking forward to this feature? Has one of your BBEG suffered from this form of humiliation, and how do you think the Solo Monster feature will fix this.

Only my early BBEGs. I've learned the value of minions. But I'm sure looking forward to get some bigger BBEGs! I'm even happy with Elites, so I can still keep *some* minions!

Cheers, LT.

 

[Knightlord]

Only my early BBEGs. I've learned the value of minions. But I'm sure looking forward to get some bigger BBEGs! I'm even happy with Elites, so I can still keep *some* minions!

Cheers, LT.

Not a bad idea, just wish it didn't have to come down to adding extra monsters to simply even the fight.

 

[kennew142]

I dislike solo villains (monster are okay). I almost never use them. I am looking forward to elite NPCs so that they can last longer.

My first climactic scene will likely feature 1 elite, 3 standard and 4 minions. Since I have a table of six players, I could theoretically use 1 solo and 2 standard. I'll probably try both to see what feels right for us.

 

[Chibbot]

I'm very much looking forwards to the extended survivability of villains in 4e. Also looking forward to their having neat things to do throughout combat.

I recently ran the last encounter in a game I started a while back, culminating in Geryon (deposed lord of the 5th layer of the abyssBaator) being summoned to the material plane by various loyal servants, and the PCs taking him down. They were pretty low level and substantially over-treasured, but I didn't want to kill them in a single round of combat (Blasphemy at will at caster-level 25 against 10th level PCs will do that), so I swapped his stats around a bit. Doubled his HP and dropped his AC by 10, lowered his saves significantly, and used less of the 3.x monster design style of "guy with feats and spells" and played it more in the 4e monster design style of "monster with cool monster-specific powers". In the end the PCs actually managed to kill him, but it was pretty close.

 

[Lacyon]

I can think of three things in 3.5 games that turn a boss fight anticlimactic:

dimensional anchor
grapple
maximized ray of enfeeblement

Here's to hoping exception based rules in 4E let the villains shine a bit more.

Quickened [via metamagic rod] Maximized Empowered Enervation, followed up with Maximized Empowered Enervation.