About to Become a Killer DM......

[Nail]

Needless to say, if you are a player of mine (in the Brightstone Campaign), please avoid this thread.


Thanks!



I'm currently DMing a group of high level PCs (APL 19). We've been at this campaign for a while, trading the DM role as the whim takes us. I've been DMing the last 5 sessions, and after this wednesday, the DM chair reverts back to another.

Here's the problem: In this coming session, the PCs finally confront the BBEG and his minions in their final lair, and I'm predicting an absolute slaughter ...of the PCs. The EL is 22, which means "very challenging"; but it's do-able, given prep. My concern: most PCs won't be sufficiently preped, and their plan will likely consist of "charge and hope for the best!" So my question is: How might I hint that now would be the time to become a "well-oiled machine"?

All but one of the players have extensive gaming experience....and we've been playing these PCs since 4th level. Deaths have happened too, so they're no strangers to the lethality of the game. Several players are more than just a little clever - these guys can surprise me.

Still: How to hint that a TPK is quite likely without care and a change in their normal M.O. ?

 

[Cheiromancer]

Hmmm. If I were a player in your campaign and noticed that you had posted a thread entitled "About to become a Killer DM"... well, that would be MY hint!

Worse comes to worse, make sure the encounter is escapable. Don't dimension lock or antimagic them so they can't get out if things go wrong. At the beginning of the session you might hint that they should have a backup plan.

But really, at that level they should be as slippery as eels.

 

[cnath.rm]

I'd suggest flat out telling them

I think myself I'd just come out and say "Hey, I'm not going to be pulling any punches on this, because I want it to be a battle you will remember for years, and if you aren't careful and playing smart your pc's could very well die. Now I'm going to go out and pick up the pizza for tonight and let you all come up with a plan. So what kind of pizza do we want, and everybody toss some bills into the pot )

 

[Psion]

How might I hint that now would be the time to become a "well-oiled machine"?

Use "the Worf technique", which is really just an advanced variation of the "Redshirt technique."

Get somebody or something that the players know is tough/respectable.

Then have your new antagonist beat the stuffing out of the aforementioned.

You do this right, you should have them quaking in their boots. Sort of like (sorry, only old LSH fans will get this reference) when the Legion of Superheroes found their old for Modru a drained husk at the hands of Darkseid.

 

[Phoenix8008]

Well, I was going to suggest something that ends up being a variation of what Psion said above. Somewhere near the final encounter (but far enough away to allow resting and prep) have the remains of some other recognizable NPC's or very fierce identifiable creatures. The PC's should see this and hopefully pay attention that whatever lies beyond here is a Big Bad Mutha! If this doesn't inspire them to prepare better, then so be it. You can always TPK them then have them wake up imprisoned in the dungeon of the head villian to be tortured and stuff until they can plan and execute an escape.

Good luck to you!

 

[Nail]

Worse comes to worse, make sure the encounter is escapable. Don't dimension lock or antimagic them so they can't get out if things go wrong. ...

Err, right.

See, the encounter is on a plane called "the Quietude", within a confined, underground mechanical maze called the Clockwork Caves. (This is from "Countless Doorways", BTW.) The PCs have been in the caves for a while now, and have had several encounters, including one combat with 9 advanced Clockwork Horrors, and another with a massive, advanced Shredstorm. They've learned the plane they are currently on has the following limitations:

• No Divination magic works, of any kind.
• No Conjuration magic works, except those of the Conjuration (healing) subschool.
• All abjuration magic is cast at +4 caster level.

So quick escapes, should things turn out badly? Not easy, I'm afraid.

Did I mention this was a high level campaign?

 

[TheBadElf]

Err, right.

See, the encounter is on a plane called "the Quietude", within a confined, underground mechanical maze called the Clockwork Caves. (This is from "Countless Doorways", BTW.) The PCs have been in the caves for a while now, and have had several encounters, including one combat with 9 advanced Clockwork Horrors, and another with a massive, advanced Shredstorm. They've learned the plane they are currently on has the following limitations:

• No Divination magic works, of any kind.
• No Conjuration magic works, except those of the Conjuration (healing) subschool.
• All abjuration magic is cast at +4 caster level.

So quick escapes, should things turn out badly? Not easy, I'm afraid.

Did I mention this was a high level campaign?

Be ready for the unexpected. If I was one of your players and I knew a Big Bad fight was coming up in an environment like that, we (the party) would be doing some very serious brainstorming trying to work out a plan to get the bad guy out of the Quietude and onto more favorable ground. Not sure how I'd work it - that's what the brainstorming part is for - but that's more of an advantage than I'd ever want an enemy to have. Players are a creative, crafty lot; they WILL surprise you at timess like this.

 

[Stormborn]

Given that no Divination magic works on the plane I imagine that someone at sometime tried to get around that. So let's say that they built a strange clock that projects possibly futures into the mind of anyone in a designated space. This clock was captured by the big bad, or was in the lair he appropriated (whatever works for your BBEG), and the PCs stumble across it. They see visions of themselves in battle. In about half a dozen different outcomes, hinting at the idea that they will have the greatest chance of success if they use good tactics. The vision doesn't have to go in great detail, in fact you can say "There was whir of images but you got the following out of it: X, Y, Z."

Even a few hints about the kinds of tactics the BBEG will employ could be enough.

 

[Nail]

Hmm. That sounds like a fun idea!

 

[ForceUser]

Still: How to hint that a TPK is quite likely without care and a change in their normal M.O. ?

I would have one of the PCs have a very detailed, ominous dream--a premonition of disaster. If you're a decent writer, write it up and give it to him in a handout. Play up how frightened and distressed the dream made him feel upon awakening. Hopefully that will instill some caution.