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<blockquote data-quote="drnuncheon" data-source="post: 423624" data-attributes="member: 96">Really, the best idea is not to let the PCs meet the master villain unless you're ready for him to die.&quot;What do you mean, he melted?&quot;At high levels - or with wealthy villains - there's always the possibility of the simulacrum spell, or other 'cloning'-type spells.&nbsp; Power Behind the ThroneThe big bad guy wasn't who you thought it was - he was under the influence (as a willing servitor or unwilling dupe) of the real villain.&quot;I'm Spartacus!Using disguise skills and/or magic, the villain's fanatically loyal henchman has taken his place - he's the one that the PCs are fighting!&quot;Have you ever considered piracy? You'd make a wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts.&quot;The villain isn't so much a person as it is a title or position - and if you strike one down another will come forth to take his place.&nbsp; If you do it right, this will give the players fits as they try to figure out how their old nemesis could have survived, and how he managed to get all of these new abilities...&quot;If you strike me down, I shall return - more powerful than you can possibly imagine.&quot;Make the death part of the villain's Master Plan.&nbsp; Maybe he's got a trick up his sleeve that will let him get ressurrected far away.&nbsp; Maybe the death will give him more power. (&quot;The red dragon we slew turned into a dracowhat?&quot;)Revenge or Rescue?Give the PCs something else to worry about than chasing the villain down.&nbsp; Maybe there's a time limit and they've got to rescue a friend, companion, lover, schoolbus full of nuns and orphans, whatever.&nbsp; Maybe he opened the floodgates when he realized he was losing and the water is rushing in.J</blockquote>

[QUOTE="drnuncheon, post: 423624, member: 96"] Really, the best idea is not to let the PCs meet the master villain unless you're ready for him to die. [b]"What do you [u]mean[/u], he melted?"[/b] At high levels - or with wealthy villains - there's always the possibility of the [i]simulacrum[/i] spell, or other 'cloning'-type spells. [b]Power Behind the Throne[/b] The big bad guy wasn't who you thought it was - he was under the influence (as a willing servitor or unwilling dupe) of the [i]real[/i] villain. [b]"I'm Spartacus![/b] Using disguise skills and/or magic, the villain's fanatically loyal henchman has taken his place - he's the one that the PCs are fighting! [b]"Have you ever considered piracy? You'd make a wonderful Dread Pirate Roberts."[/b] The villain isn't so much a person as it is a title or position - and if you strike one down another will come forth to take his place. If you do it right, this will give the players [i]fits[/i] as they try to figure out how their old nemesis could have survived, and how he managed to get all of these new abilities... [b]"If you strike me down, I shall return - more powerful than you can possibly imagine."[/b] Make the death part of the villain's Master Plan. Maybe he's got a trick up his sleeve that will let him get ressurrected far away. Maybe the death will give him more power. ("The red dragon we slew turned into a draco[i]what[/i]?") [b]Revenge or Rescue?[/b] Give the PCs something else to worry about than chasing the villain down. Maybe there's a time limit and they've got to rescue a friend, companion, lover, schoolbus full of nuns and orphans, whatever. Maybe he opened the floodgates when he realized he was losing and the water is rushing in. J [/QUOTE]

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