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<blockquote data-quote="Caliban" data-source="post: 7158356" data-attributes="member: 284">Don't have the &quot;big boss&quot; be there in the first round.&nbsp;&nbsp; Either have it be an illusory projection, or an underling, or simply that they are in a different room and enter the fight until their turn.&nbsp;&nbsp; Bad guys don't all hang out in the same room, and aren't all deaf - sounds of combat will attract enemies from nearby areas. Have enemies show up in waves, not all at once.&nbsp; Stop having them show up when you feel the fight is starting to drag.&nbsp;&nbsp; It doesn't have to be waves of little guys, it can be one or two medium to big opponents every round or so.&nbsp; Have the big guy be visible, but behind a Wall of Force or a Wind Wall spell.&nbsp; Or have a bodyguard next them equipped with a Shield of Missile Attraction.&nbsp; (This works best if they are aware of the capabilities of the group and have a reason to prepare for them.)If you want to be evil about it, have the Shield of Missile Attraction on an innocent bystander, preferably one the PC's know and care about.&nbsp; The person with the shield is tied to a post or otherwise bound, but the shield will still attract any ranged attacks.&nbsp; So the rogue may accidentally kill someone they like. You can also get tricky with mirrors - have the big bad appear to be sitting in an alcove, but what they are actually looking at is a mirror reflecting the image of the big bad on his throne or whatever, and the big bad is actually around the corner.&nbsp;&nbsp; So the rogue shatters the mirror with their first attack.&nbsp;&nbsp; This could just be a really paranoid big bad.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Caliban, post: 7158356, member: 284"] Don't have the "big boss" be there in the first round. Either have it be an illusory projection, or an underling, or simply that they are in a different room and enter the fight until their turn. Bad guys don't all hang out in the same room, and aren't all deaf - sounds of combat will attract enemies from nearby areas. Have enemies show up in waves, not all at once. Stop having them show up when you feel the fight is starting to drag. It doesn't have to be waves of little guys, it can be one or two medium to big opponents every round or so. Have the big guy be visible, but behind a Wall of Force or a Wind Wall spell. Or have a bodyguard next them equipped with a Shield of Missile Attraction. (This works best if they are aware of the capabilities of the group and have a reason to prepare for them.) If you want to be evil about it, have the Shield of Missile Attraction on an innocent bystander, preferably one the PC's know and care about. The person with the shield is tied to a post or otherwise bound, but the shield will still attract any ranged attacks. So the rogue may accidentally kill someone they like. You can also get tricky with mirrors - have the big bad appear to be sitting in an alcove, but what they are actually looking at is a mirror reflecting the image of the big bad on his throne or whatever, and the big bad is actually around the corner. So the rogue shatters the mirror with their first attack. This could just be a really paranoid big bad. [/QUOTE]

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