So we can adjust encounters on the fly by adding 'waves' of monsters or minions. But has anyone tried instead of letting the BBEG die on their terms, you let him mess up the party before letting them all roll their turns then describe all at once how they converge and just **** him up?
Example: BBEG is brought to like -15hp officially, but instead of letting him die, you let him have another round of combat, really hurting the party somehow, then for the final round of combat, you let all the players roll their turn, but not narrating anything yet, then describe all their actions at once in a final cinematic.
Not be be cheeky, but you can do whatever you want if you’re the DM. Players might get confused though with you not narrating what they’re doing, since one person’s actions can depend on the results of the other person’s turn. And personally I’d be a bit annoyed if I used some single use resources like a potion of a charge from a wand only to find the fight was over.
Not be be cheeky, but you can do whatever you want if you’re the DM. Players might get confused though with you not narrating what they’re doing, since one person’s actions can depend on the results of the other person’s turn. And personally I’d be a bit annoyed if I used some single use resources like a potion of a charge from a wand only to find the fight was over.
......the BBEG is gone... what are you saving the charge for? To turn on your own party?
thats like not using your megaelixers in an RPG during the final boss fight because “they’re too good to use”
Not be be cheeky, but you can do whatever you want if you’re the DM. Players might get confused though with you not narrating what they’re doing, since one person’s actions can depend on the results of the other person’s turn. And personally I’d be a bit annoyed if I used some single use resources like a potion of a charge from a wand only to find the fight was over.
The intent is to illustrate how it's not just one character that delivered the final blow, but the entire party delivered the final blow.
would go something like this: ranger shoots his bow; "ranger fire's his arrow at BBEG's chest" warlock uses eldritch blast; "Eldrich energy builds up and is released at the BBEG" barbarian uses his greatsword; "barbarian swings his greatsword to the BBEG's belly" rogue backstabs; "The rogue drives his dagger deep into the back of BBEG as an arrow punches through his chest, Eldritch energy exploding in his face. The greatsword cleaves through his abdomen spilling his intestines on the floor. BBEG falls to his knees, struggling to pull his intestines back, you watch as the life leaves his eyes and he falls dead."
Who killed BBEG? Answer; the party killed BBEG.
You say "since one person’s actions can depend on the results of the other person’s turn." that also includes someone getting excited to wind up for a killing blow, only for a single arrow and a mediocre roll to deal the killing blow...
but would the body hit the ground before the barbarian had a chance to slice through his abdomen?
would the arrow of hit his chest before the warlock charged to release his eldritch blast?
and would the warlock stop because the arrow 'might' have dealt the killing blow?
would the rogue of even noticed the arrow hit the chest as he was going in for the backstab?
It's a cool idea that could be used to put the end cap on a good story bad guy. Sometimes the dice gods decide to go against the BBEG, and it feels anticlimactic. In your idea it helps to add a possible climax to the end of your story.
I would say that if the fight has gone on well, and been climatic I would just go with the rolls as they play out.
would go something like this: ranger shoots his bow; "ranger fire's his arrow at BBEG's chest" warlock uses eldritch blast; "Eldrich energy builds up and is released at the BBEG" barbarian uses his greatsword; "barbarian swings his greatsword to the BBEG's belly" rogue backstabs; "The rogue drives his dagger deep into the back of BBEG as an arrow punches through his chest, Eldritch energy exploding in his face. The greatsword cleaves through his abdomen spilling his intestines on the floor. BBEG falls to his knees, struggling to pull his intestines back, you watch as the life leaves his eyes and he falls dead."
That's how the final round of combat would play normally anyway.
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"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
Not be be cheeky, but you can do whatever you want if you’re the DM. Players might get confused though with you not narrating what they’re doing, since one person’s actions can depend on the results of the other person’s turn. And personally I’d be a bit annoyed if I used some single use resources like a potion of a charge from a wand only to find the fight was over.
......the BBEG is gone... what are you saving the charge for? To turn on your own party?
thats like not using your megaelixers in an RPG during the final boss fight because “they’re too good to use”
would go something like this: ranger shoots his bow; "ranger fire's his arrow at BBEG's chest" warlock uses eldritch blast; "Eldrich energy builds up and is released at the BBEG" barbarian uses his greatsword; "barbarian swings his greatsword to the BBEG's belly" rogue backstabs; "The rogue drives his dagger deep into the back of BBEG as an arrow punches through his chest, Eldritch energy exploding in his face. The greatsword cleaves through his abdomen spilling his intestines on the floor. BBEG falls to his knees, struggling to pull his intestines back, you watch as the life leaves his eyes and he falls dead."
That's how the final round of combat would play normally anyway.
Right, but it is not narrated that way. It is usually narrated turn by turn.
I think it could work like you’re describing. Depending on the group, it will either feel like everyone is working together, or a little like everyone is getting a participation ribbon while no one is the MVP. Personally I don’t see anything wrong with one person getting the final blow; that’s how the game is structured. But I also don’t see any problem with your way. I think it could work.
You could just resolve damage at the end of each round, keeping a tally as you go, then narrate the whole round. That's basically what you're suggesting anyway. But this way, you can finish a round with something like "the bbeg is staggering, barely able to hold himself upright. Blood is pouring from an open wound in his side, and his axe is limp in his hand." That way, the group knows he's on the edge, and they won't burn a single use item to finish him off (unless they want to go for the glory kill) in the next round. I get the "what are you saving it for" argument, and if it's a one shot, sure, use it. But my campaign has been running for over 2 years and is full of peaks and troughs, so to speak, so there's ALWAYS going to be another BBEG to use a scroll against.
Every once in a while during normal rounds you could mention how everything is happening all at once. For example: The party has a Ranger, a Sorcerer, a Barbarian, and a Cleric. They roll initiative in that order. After the Ranger does their thing and the Sorcerer does their thing when it comes to the Barbarian mention the things that the Ranger and Sorcerer already did, but mention them just starting to happen. Then at the end of the Barbarians turn you can narrate their axe blows hitting just after the arrows and fire hit it. That reinforces the frenzied pace of the combat.
That way when you tie it all in together at the end it feels like a MCU style crescendo.
So we can adjust encounters on the fly by adding 'waves' of monsters or minions. But has anyone tried instead of letting the BBEG die on their terms, you let him mess up the party before letting them all roll their turns then describe all at once how they converge and just **** him up?
Example: BBEG is brought to like -15hp officially, but instead of letting him die, you let him have another round of combat, really hurting the party somehow, then for the final round of combat, you let all the players roll their turn, but not narrating anything yet, then describe all their actions at once in a final cinematic.
Not be be cheeky, but you can do whatever you want if you’re the DM. Players might get confused though with you not narrating what they’re doing, since one person’s actions can depend on the results of the other person’s turn. And personally I’d be a bit annoyed if I used some single use resources like a potion of a charge from a wand only to find the fight was over.
......the BBEG is gone... what are you saving the charge for? To turn on your own party?
thats like not using your megaelixers in an RPG during the final boss fight because “they’re too good to use”
The intent is to illustrate how it's not just one character that delivered the final blow, but the entire party delivered the final blow.
would go something like this: ranger shoots his bow; "ranger fire's his arrow at BBEG's chest" warlock uses eldritch blast; "Eldrich energy builds up and is released at the BBEG" barbarian uses his greatsword; "barbarian swings his greatsword to the BBEG's belly" rogue backstabs; "The rogue drives his dagger deep into the back of BBEG as an arrow punches through his chest, Eldritch energy exploding in his face. The greatsword cleaves through his abdomen spilling his intestines on the floor. BBEG falls to his knees, struggling to pull his intestines back, you watch as the life leaves his eyes and he falls dead."
Who killed BBEG? Answer; the party killed BBEG.
You say "since one person’s actions can depend on the results of the other person’s turn." that also includes someone getting excited to wind up for a killing blow, only for a single arrow and a mediocre roll to deal the killing blow...
but would the body hit the ground before the barbarian had a chance to slice through his abdomen?
would the arrow of hit his chest before the warlock charged to release his eldritch blast?
and would the warlock stop because the arrow 'might' have dealt the killing blow?
would the rogue of even noticed the arrow hit the chest as he was going in for the backstab?
It's a cool idea that could be used to put the end cap on a good story bad guy. Sometimes the dice gods decide to go against the BBEG, and it feels anticlimactic. In your idea it helps to add a possible climax to the end of your story.
I would say that if the fight has gone on well, and been climatic I would just go with the rolls as they play out.
That's how the final round of combat would play normally anyway.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Good point
Right, but it is not narrated that way. It is usually narrated turn by turn.
I think it could work like you’re describing. Depending on the group, it will either feel like everyone is working together, or a little like everyone is getting a participation ribbon while no one is the MVP. Personally I don’t see anything wrong with one person getting the final blow; that’s how the game is structured. But I also don’t see any problem with your way. I think it could work.
You could just resolve damage at the end of each round, keeping a tally as you go, then narrate the whole round. That's basically what you're suggesting anyway. But this way, you can finish a round with something like "the bbeg is staggering, barely able to hold himself upright. Blood is pouring from an open wound in his side, and his axe is limp in his hand."
That way, the group knows he's on the edge, and they won't burn a single use item to finish him off (unless they want to go for the glory kill) in the next round. I get the "what are you saving it for" argument, and if it's a one shot, sure, use it. But my campaign has been running for over 2 years and is full of peaks and troughs, so to speak, so there's ALWAYS going to be another BBEG to use a scroll against.
Every once in a while during normal rounds you could mention how everything is happening all at once. For example: The party has a Ranger, a Sorcerer, a Barbarian, and a Cleric. They roll initiative in that order. After the Ranger does their thing and the Sorcerer does their thing when it comes to the Barbarian mention the things that the Ranger and Sorcerer already did, but mention them just starting to happen. Then at the end of the Barbarians turn you can narrate their axe blows hitting just after the arrows and fire hit it. That reinforces the frenzied pace of the combat.
That way when you tie it all in together at the end it feels like a MCU style crescendo.
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