Building a Unique Encounter

[Saagael]

1) I would have lots of effects that say "Do this or take X damage". For instance, a coil of barbed wire immobilises you. If you choose to make a save against it, you take 20 damage. Alternatively, "Share the Suffering" You make a basic attack against a friend, or you take 20 damage. This plays into the idea that you can work through the pain and not give into it...for a time.

2) Before leaving the Red Dragon releases a held ritual spell (or rune) that unleashes a "Shared Suffering" effect. This means that in any turn that you don't attack someone you take X damage. While it won't have much effect on PCs, it makes sense that all the minions and the dragon are hell bent on attacking people. You can play up the madness aspect, as the minions attack each other if no PC is available.

3) I would use minions that are very pathetic, but that do significant damage or daze you if you kill them in melee range. You feel their deaths yourself.

P.S. One extra cool thing to play up the horror of it. If a PC falls to zero hit-points, they are not dying (at least not quickly), but they are insane with pain and start lashing out. They have the same issue as the dragon, they are killing themselves from over exertion, while at the same time trying to hurt their team. Now the players have to work out how to neutralize them too. They keep making death saving throws on every turn that they are up and active, failing three means they are irreversibly insane (without a ritual that is the same level, rarity and cost as resurrection.

Genius! This is great, and I'll definitely be using some of these ideas. I love the Shared Suffering idea. Though I probably will make it only affect the PCs. I wasn't intending the minions to really attack; they stand on the edge and activate traps. It does force the players into the conundrum of attacking the gold dragon, or taking damage themselves. I'll also likely make killing minions a bad idea; it dazes/weakens/both the PC who kills one with an attack (so pushing it off a ledge or into a nasty zone would be fine).

I also love the idea of keeping players alive past 0 hit points. They essentially become dominated, and if they don't use that action to attack, they take 15-20 damage.

I'd give you some XP, but it seems I must spread it around before doing so.

 

[Saagael]

I'd advise against the death at 0 without subdue opportunity rule. If you insist on keeping it, however, you really need to make sure the players are aware of it, otherwise it serves no other purpose than to rob them of a satisfying victory.

I'll make sure the players know; it's not going to be a nasty surprise for them. That, and since I play online the players have a general idea of how damaged an enemy is since I use a health bar to display an enemy's health. The goal is to make the players work for this victory; it's a very strong plot point and has the potential to change the entire story depending on how they do, so I want it to be difficult.

That, and I love throwing unusual combats at the players. Mixing up the victory conditions for a fight is one of the best ways, I've found, to keep things fresh.