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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kigmatzomat" data-source="post: 9744096" data-attributes="member: 9254">How much time do you spend designing the "boss" encounter of your game arcs?  Especially for a boss encounter where you want the boss to escape and show up later?  I often spend more than an hour on that, regardless of game system.  NPC design and encounter design are the same thing when the NPC is the encounter.  Spending an hour on one tier 4 NPC caster is justified when that tier 4 npc caster is the encounter.    I spent far more than an hour on the BBEGs who showed up multiple times because there was payoff for the effort.  I have no idea how much time I spent on the "Once Elven", who was the BBEG at levels 4, 9-13 and 20.  (Though tbh, at level 4 I didn't spend much time at all b/c he started out as a CR6 npc and those shouldn't need much time)The tier4 NPC wizard who was an ally for 12-character levels but couldn't leave his heavily warded secret lair because a demigod was hunting him? Most of the effort was spent on plotting. I spent maybe 10 minutes on game mechanics for his first appearance and I'd flesh details to fit the story better.  I hand-waived most of his spell power away as spent restoring wards daily and necessities of life.  Only as PCs got him spell components and geegaws of nondetection could he spare much more than a scry or teleport spell.The tier3 NPC acolyte of the skin that was a kind of "social trap" encounter in a city?  I spent maybe 15 minutes because again, most casters are only going to get to cast 6-8 spells if it turns into a fight.  Even after a PC sort of befriended them, I'm not sure I ever invested much time in their stats.   They were more of a rationale for bringing the Once Elven back to the story at 9th level.</blockquote>

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