Unsatisfactory BBEG Fight?

[werk]

I would feel very satisfied.

This sounds a lot like the last BBEG my archer encountered...poor guy didn't even get to go into his monologue. We were fighting, fighting, fighting, then there was a clearing so I decided to bolt into the next room, if for nothing else than to give us an idea what we were in for. In the room was the BBEG sitting on the floor chanting, 20, 20, failed save...

I really liked it, the rest of the party may have different opinions tho...

 

[Odhanan]

I would feel satisfied and there would be much laughing around the table and congratulations to the player whose PC got the lucky shot off.

I think so too, for myself. I've had similar circumstances happen when playing, and this ends up laughing, hitting/clapping each other's hands and making jokes about how the BBEG taunted us for nothing because well, the overpretentious bastard SUCKED.

 

[Jolly Giant]

I'd be satified any way the fight turned out. Even if it was a TPK. I let the dice fall as they will. They random element they bring to the game helps keep it interesting.

 

[Fishbone]

See boys and girls? This is why Leadership and mooks were invented.
Arrgh, this single monster or PC 2 or 3 levels about the group has led to one thing consistently. Not climactic seat-of-the-pants heavyweight slugfests...
but Gangbangs.
The solitary enemy rolls a lousy initiative even with buffs like Skitterish Nerves, the Quick Flaw, Improved Initiative, and high dexterity. He gets gangbanged by the other 4 or 5 characters. Or he gets lucky, manages to score a needed crit with his exotic weapon or one shots a foe with magic. Then...He gets gangbanged. The amount of actions and tactical superiority that a group has over a single foe makes me wonder what the Hell runners are thinking when they stage these encounters.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

The BBEG already was an overkill encounter (+5 -- +8 ELs). It would've been very difficult and unlikely to win without the lucky shot. Adding his cabinet into the mix .. EL +7 -- +10? How?

With a lower level BBEG.

I don't believe it. I've had excellent and longish BBEG fights with a single opponent (Imix in RttToEE, Ashardalon in Bastion of Broken Souls, Iglathnagor the white dragon in my own adventure, Rathnar the Troll-Sorcerer in my own, etc..).

It's been known to happen, but the risk that'll end suddenly is still there.

And the set-up is what it is - the BBEGs minions are already dead, or whatnot, and the minions temp agency was out of fresh meat in such short order.

So how come his bodyguards weren't there? You don't normally send your bodyguards on special missions. You keep them next to you.

 

[Numion]

It's been known to happen, but the risk that'll end suddenly is still there.

I've DMed and played in numerous fights against BBEGs. Only once has there been a 1st round smackdown (Heart of Nightfang Spire). Sounds good to me. If it happened more often it wouldn't require incredible luck - just moderate luck.

So how come his bodyguards weren't there? You don't normally send your bodyguards on special missions. You keep them next to you.

Well, even if they were with him consider that the PCs enormous luck would've allowed them to still kill the BBEG (or even the whole group of baddies) + bodyguards really easily.

 

[Gundark]

Hmmm well since it's my thread that spawned this poll I gueess I should reply. I would feel cheated as either the player or the DM. I don't think the BBEG fight needs to go 20 rounds with the PCs hanging on with a few hit points remaining either. I don't think there is a magic number of rounds that it would have to go before I'd feel satisfied. My point of view is a storyline one, a hated enemy such as that deserves a good conclusion.

I mean in Star Wars episode 3 we're expecting a climatic fight between Obi-Wan and Anakin and that is what we got. It would be pretty lame if Obi rolled high on initiative and sliced Anakin in half before he even got a chance to react (maybe as a finishing move but not in the begining).

For me this isn't a case of "the DM's got a pet NPC" syndrome, it's "a good story desrves a good finish" and IMHO a fight that lasted 1-2 rounds doesn't do that.

 

[Abraxas]

I mean in Star Wars episode 3 we're expecting a climatic fight between Obi-Wan and Anakin and that is what we got. It would be pretty lame if Obi rolled high on initiative and sliced Anakin in half before he even got a chance to react (maybe as a finishing move but not in the begining).

But Star Wars ep3 isn't the end of the story arc - its the middle.

A lot of books and movies have a lot of action leading up to the BBEG but the BBEG dies pretty darn quickly. Star Wars ep 6 - the fight between Luke and Vader is long and drawn out - once the emperor steps in though, its over pretty quickly - bad guy soliloquy, initiative, force lightning, force lightning, grapple, fling, one dead BBEG and one dying redeemed villain in 3 rounds.

 

[Hussar]

I strongly disagree. Never being able to fight the main villain would make for a suck-ass story. I can't recall a novel or even movie where the BBEG was never confronted, if not beaten. There's a reason for that. It would suck for the actors (players) never to confront him.

Four words. Lord of the Rings.

 

[Illirion]

I think it would suck.

The BBEG confrontation should be barely managable for the party. I don't mind the party getting lucky, but only when it matters most (like when we've already got one dead member and the rest is in single digits and the paladin is about to smite evil for one last time).

Rolls like initiative shouldn't be botched in a critical fight. IMO the DM should fudge saves and initiative rolls in those cases.

Four words. Lord of the Rings.

QFT