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PCs that are too big for their britches...do they live or die?
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<blockquote data-quote="vecna00" data-source="post: 6357306" data-attributes="member: 23630"><p>Depending on how you roll at your table, one thing that can be done is certain harmless spell effects, like Hold Person, affecting the entire group, that lasts just long enough for your BBEG to get his monologue out, or to set up a later encounter. You can do any number of things really that can just happen, without a save, as long as it's harmless, and as long as the PCs are able to act during the first round of combat, if you want to set the proper "mood" so to speak. Your new BBEG has a one-time use artifact that can render a number of targets mute temporarily, or has a special spell that causes the PCs to immediately kneel as if in reverence or even worship and anything that's said by them sounds like nothing but the highest of praise! For some groups, this may cause hard feelings with some players, even if it's harmless and doesn't do anything other than essentially knock them down a peg or two. Others, will see it as an interesting opportunity for role-playing, either gaining a begrudging respect or fueling their hatred.</p><p></p><p>Another option, hit them where it hurts: Start messing with their friends/relatives/sponsors. The PCs may be powerful, but those they associate with are not, they tend to tread a little more carefully when they know the BBEGs can go after loved ones. For some groups, but not a lot from what I've had exposure to, this could backfire and cause them to become more vitriolic towards them.</p><p></p><p>And a third option is to let the BBEG win. Stage an encounter where the PCs have no chance of winning, but it's not fatal. Either your Big Bad can just mow them down while on his way elsewhere, thus giving the PCs a reason to come after them. Or, maybe the PCs have gained a reputation amongst some of the evil organizations and send a hit squad after them, a group of similarly equipped adventurer-types whose sole purpose is to bring them back alive. Everyone gets knocked out and wakes up in separate cells with maybe one small item that was missed on their person with which to get free, find their equipment, and get out...all while dealing with guards/cultists/what-have-you and quite possibly the one who orchestrated the whole thing.</p><p></p><p>But these are just ideas, some of which I have used, but ideas nonetheless. These won't work for all parties though, no one knows your group like you do. If any of this is at all appealing, use it! If none of it is appropriate, maybe it at least jump-started some of your own ideas.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="vecna00, post: 6357306, member: 23630"] Depending on how you roll at your table, one thing that can be done is certain harmless spell effects, like Hold Person, affecting the entire group, that lasts just long enough for your BBEG to get his monologue out, or to set up a later encounter. You can do any number of things really that can just happen, without a save, as long as it's harmless, and as long as the PCs are able to act during the first round of combat, if you want to set the proper "mood" so to speak. Your new BBEG has a one-time use artifact that can render a number of targets mute temporarily, or has a special spell that causes the PCs to immediately kneel as if in reverence or even worship and anything that's said by them sounds like nothing but the highest of praise! For some groups, this may cause hard feelings with some players, even if it's harmless and doesn't do anything other than essentially knock them down a peg or two. Others, will see it as an interesting opportunity for role-playing, either gaining a begrudging respect or fueling their hatred. Another option, hit them where it hurts: Start messing with their friends/relatives/sponsors. The PCs may be powerful, but those they associate with are not, they tend to tread a little more carefully when they know the BBEGs can go after loved ones. For some groups, but not a lot from what I've had exposure to, this could backfire and cause them to become more vitriolic towards them. And a third option is to let the BBEG win. Stage an encounter where the PCs have no chance of winning, but it's not fatal. Either your Big Bad can just mow them down while on his way elsewhere, thus giving the PCs a reason to come after them. Or, maybe the PCs have gained a reputation amongst some of the evil organizations and send a hit squad after them, a group of similarly equipped adventurer-types whose sole purpose is to bring them back alive. Everyone gets knocked out and wakes up in separate cells with maybe one small item that was missed on their person with which to get free, find their equipment, and get out...all while dealing with guards/cultists/what-have-you and quite possibly the one who orchestrated the whole thing. But these are just ideas, some of which I have used, but ideas nonetheless. These won't work for all parties though, no one knows your group like you do. If any of this is at all appealing, use it! If none of it is appropriate, maybe it at least jump-started some of your own ideas. [/QUOTE]
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PCs that are too big for their britches...do they live or die?
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