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Message: <blockquote data-quote="J.Quondam" data-source="post: 9657967" data-attributes="member: 7030100">This is some good stuff, thanks! I think I'm finally getting a handle on how to structure this.The cardboard BBEGs' motivations aren't terribly important, imo, but helpful to frame things. They are obsessive and straight-up evil; that's why they've been cursed, after all. Their main concern, then, is probably just to "win" out of spite, rather than escape or reconcile. They are solidly in the "throwing dishes at each other" phase of their relationship.Just to use specifics, lets say one is a king and the other his queen consort. They are fighting over control of their ancient nation and their legacy, including control of this monumental tomb (or a macuffin crown or something), which is why neither wants to leave it. Of course, each also wants to keep the loser around so the they can gloat. So... what does it mean for one to "win" over the other?* (Still working on that. Perhaps find and gain control of the other's phylactery or something?)In life, assume Queen and King each murdered the other's favored sons, trusted advisors, secret lovers, or whatever, who now serve as lieutenants for them.  Each BBEG and faction should also have some thematic distinction, e.g. the King has infernal powers (providing access to demonic minions) while Queen has necromantic connections (giving her undead minions), or something.**Broad types of PC encounters could be:  - "The Usual"  There probably some instances of random vermin, traps, and alarms, just because it's a tomb.***  - "Crossfire"  This is meteor swarm type stuff, whereby each side attempts to destroy the other's minions and belongings. PCs find themselves just trying not to become collateral damage. This could include mean navigating through an ongoing skirmish, or stumbling into ambush or trap meant for one faction or the other.  - "Recruitment"  A faction wants to convince the party (or even individual PCs) to work for them. A lot of this is probably involves social interaction. This could involve temptations (bribes, etc); appeals to mercy or reason; threats; and so forth.  - "Deceptions"  A faction could try to trick the PCs into unintentionally doing something to harm the other side. This might or might not be social stuff involving staright up lies, but also could be illusions, etc.  Aim could be to trip a trigger, acquire a key, divulge intel, etc.  - "The Big Score"  This is the thing both BBEGs want, but can't have because of the curse. Perhaps BBEGs literally can't touch it until the other is defeated... but at the same time there's nothing preventing the PCs from taking it, aside from the fact that it's right between the two jealous BBEGs. Do the PCs sign on with one side or the other? Do they try to steal it while no one's looking? Or do they call it day and get away while the getting is still good?Okay, I think that's enough conceptual stuff to start a little adventure outline.Thank you for the input!* And what if one wins,  breaking the curse (or at least the obsession) only to realize that the kingdom they've been fighting over sank under the sands a thousand years ago? (Probably that works better if the BBEGs aren't aware during their decades between re-animations, so only a few months have passed from their perspective.)** Or they could just wear different colored jerseys.*** Heck, maybe it doesn't even have to be a tomb? It could just be a ghost castle destroyed in the fight. Now, a thousand years on, it just comes and goes with every sixth blood moon, like a phantom Brigadoon.</blockquote>

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