DM saving his Doomed PCs!!

[RiTz21]

Your PC's are about to loose the Epic battle ?
Here is an Idea to save their butts!

When you feel your PCs are about to get it, are low on HPs and Spells, you make they Answer the call of a SUMMON from an extraplanar Wizard, that summons them to fight for him: The Thing is when they are summoned like that, they get Full HP, Spells etc as if they had healed & rested - For Wizards, they use the same spelllist they had initially.

Once on that other plane, they will face a challenge from the sumonner's foe (you decide who or what it is) - It actually does NOT matter if the PCs die here - as they will (at the end of combat) all return to their starting point, PLUS the experience for that fight !! (wand and such were NOT used! And the PCs are completly compelled to fight for the Sumonner)

So once that fight is over, they are drawn BACK to their homeworld at exactly the SAME moment (OR your choice, a few seconds later {like to avoid that Fireball}) and continue the Fight as if they had NEVER left... Except that once again, they are FULLY HEALED, and restored as a "thank you" from the spell that initially summoned them !!!

Of course, you can modify this scenario to suit your needs/situation (AND it can't be used more than once) - but it's a GREAT way to have an "escape plan" for preventing your PCs to all die... You can ALSO let the PC meet (later on) that same extradimentional being that summoned them and do some more adventures in relation to him...

So what's your way to save your doomed PCs, assuming you're not one of those "kill them off" DM !!

RiTz21

 

[Elephant]

I don't like the timewarp aspects ... if the party is gone for 14 rounds fighting on the other plane, they are gone for 14 rounds from the epic battle. This could be good or bad, depending on what the BBEG's forces do with *their* reprieve.

If it's a grim, dire situation, I'd say they return to find that the enemy has `stood down' and is caught in a position that makes the PC's escape/victory much easier.

Regardless of when it comes up, I really like the idea of the party being summoned by a Planar Binding or Summon Monster-like spell and compelled to serve someone else's interests for a while...it can make the PCs think about what they're doing to the targets of THEIR summoning spells!

 

[sukael]

Looks like it could be used for some very handy plot threads later on, too.

 

[pokedigimaniac]

My problem with things like that is that I don't like saving the PCs by deus ex machina, if that's how it's being used. :\

 

[Endur]

The other aspect of the summon spells, is that probably only one PC is summoned away. Leaving the party to fight the bad guys when they are down one pc.

 

[sukael]

My problem with things like that is that I don't like saving the PCs by deus ex machina, if that's how it's being used. :\

Admittedly, that's something of a downer to the idea, though it is a much better planned out one than most deus ex machina situations.

 

[pokedigimaniac]

Admittedly, that's something of a downer to the idea, though it is a much better planned out one than most deus ex machina situations.

It is better planned out, agreed, and could be useful for plot purposes. I will give it that. But still... whisking the PCs away when they're about to die, unless there's a perfectly valid reason (plot, again), just smacks of GM trickery to me - my players would murder me if I tried something like that.

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

It is pretty cinematic for the heroes to get beaten up the first time they fight the baddies. I'd do a Conan & just take the pc's prisoner, taunt them & leave them to rot on the figurative 'tree-of-woe.' From there some annoying guy can free them only after they've agreed to help out his cause.

In other words, if you make defeat lead to hated recurring villains & alternate adventure, you can make it fun.

 

[Crothian]

My problem with things like that is that I don't like saving the PCs by deus ex machina, if that's how it's being used. :\

THen don't make it one. Explain the wizard, set him up before hand and have him joke that he may summon them without their knowledge ahead of tim. And after its over continue the plot with the wizard.

 

[RiTz21]

It is pretty cinematic for the heroes to get beaten up the first time they fight the baddies. I'd do a Conan & just take the pc's prisoner, taunt them & leave them to rot on the figurative 'tree-of-woe.' From there some annoying guy can free them only after they've agreed to help out his cause.

In other words, if you make defeat lead to hated recurring villains & alternate adventure, you can make it fun.

hehe indeed that would be "cinamatic Evil" ... THe Kind of Evil that will give the PCs plenty of time to escape....

Another Option is to use the Realistic Evil - the ones that would simply use the 'Coup de Grace' without a second though... Ya know, I DMed a game once where the PCs Knew I played my evils like that .. EVILLY... no leading the PCs in Chains and Prison.. hhehehe they were a nervous bunch at all times !! MOUAHHAAH

To get back to the subject, I think it's better (as a DM) to think outside the Box... It's NOT because there is no 'summon the party of PCs' spells that this can't be done!! It all depends on what the DM wants to do and try (and many other factors I'm sure)

I *really* love th idea of whisking away the PCs and treat THEM like they treat the poor animals that the sumon to fight for them (heck, they might not even be able to cummunicate with the Sumonner!!! hehe But only feel compelled to protect HIM (IT ??) at all cost! (even at the cost of their lives) - That would be a GREAT test to see WHO of your players are REAL Role Players... from those wou would hold back... (I smell XP bonuses here...)

RiTz21