I've got about a month before my players take on the final boss...and I don't have stats or mechanics for the BBEG yet. Looking for some ideas.
Background In a city on the verge of becoming a domain of dread, an evil cultist leveraged unholy magic to make people forget life outside the walls. His goal is to become the darklord and make people praise him instead of demonize him. The players have been systematically demolishing his nodes of power to unseal the demiplane, resulting in memories returning and the demiplane able to reincorporate with the Prime Material - if they defeat the BBEG once and for all.
Established Campaign Facts
BBEG has the power to make people forget him or information of his choosing
Artifacts called Possibility Cogs allow people to reshape reality under specific conditions (mechanically, it affects dice rolls, but also has an extremely nerfed Wish function that requires a CHA check to manifest)
BBEG has a pristine Possibility Cog, plus some magic steroid McGuffins on his person that boost his magic
Party has three partially depleted Possibility Cogs
Party is comprised of four level 5s that are very magic-heavy (bard, alchemist, wizard, and monk)
I would like the BBEG to have some mechanic that makes people forget combat abilities - maybe impacting their proficiency bonus or make them confused about who they're targeting, but I'm worried about it 1) being annoying to track, and 2) being really lame on the player side. Thus, I come to you all for aid. Thanks!
To minimize how annoying it is to track, make it be a reaction. This also limits it to 1/round which will make it less frustrating for the players.
i.e. Reaction: Forget Trigger: A creature within 60 ft of the BBEG casts a spell or uses a class feature. Effect: The target cannot cast that spell/use that feature, no resource are expended. The target can substitute a different spell or action they have available to them.
If you find this isn't having as much "impact" on the combat as you would like, then you can have him use his possibility cog to grant himself a second Reaction each round.
I love the idea of making it a reaction! Two reactions seems like a good use of a Possibility Cog, too, or a legendary action. I gave a time golem in a previous combat a legendary action to change its place in the initiative order, so my players have already been exposed to the notion that the bad guys can get a little meta with their reality-bending abilities.
My suggestion: Memory is the key. The boss manifests to each character with traits similar to whatever brought that character closest to their end.
Making the fight a bit cinematic/RP-based is another thing I've been toying with and haven't quite figured out yet.
The party has been getting flashbacks of victims' memories the entire time they've been in this final dungeon, due to proximity to Red Water. I'd like visions of the outside world to play a part in the combat itself. I'm reminded of how Matt Mercer ran the climax of the Mighty Nein campaign and I thought (SPOILERS FOR CR2) roleplay as a mechanic to weaken the boss was a cool addition. My players loooove to RP, so they'd eat something like that up. Kinda stuck on how to implement it in my own game, though. Any creativity would be appreciated!
To minimize how annoying it is to track, make it be a reaction. This also limits it to 1/round which will make it less frustrating for the players.
i.e. Reaction: Forget Trigger: A creature within 60 ft of the BBEG casts a spell or uses a class feature. Effect: The target cannot cast that spell/use that feature, no resource are expended. The target can substitute a different spell or action they have available to them.
If you find this isn't having as much "impact" on the combat as you would like, then you can have him use his possibility cog to grant himself a second Reaction each round.
That would be pretty crazy, as the BBEG could use that on spellcasting, extra attack, rage, sneak attack, martial arts, etc.
I find the mind flayer and the Inquisitors from VGTR to be somewhat close to your ideas if you do some reflavouring. Especially the Inquisitor of Mind Fire, it has modify memory and other mind manipulating spells on its list, can stun multiple players with its attacks and you could re flavour inquisitor's command as manipulating and erasing a person's memory in order to make them fight their own allies.
You might need to nerf his damage though, he’s higher than a medium encounter for them.
To minimize how annoying it is to track, make it be a reaction. This also limits it to 1/round which will make it less frustrating for the players.
i.e. Reaction: Forget Trigger: A creature within 60 ft of the BBEG casts a spell or uses a class feature. Effect: The target cannot cast that spell/use that feature, no resource are expended. The target can substitute a different spell or action they have available to them.
If you find this isn't having as much "impact" on the combat as you would like, then you can have him use his possibility cog to grant himself a second Reaction each round.
That would be pretty crazy, as the BBEG could use that on spellcasting, extra attack, rage, sneak attack, martial arts, etc.
Yup, hence why I suggested a reaction that is only available 1/round. That way it is likely it is used in a different way each round which should make it more interesting and not feel so much like you are picking on anyone player. The intention is that it would only last for 1 turn as well. I don't know if that comes through in the wording though. You could really mess with people -> e.g. if the paladin gets a Crit you it can force them to forget how to smite, if the barbarian has to make a dex save against massive damage you can force them to forget danger sense, if the wizard tries to pull out a big spell you can force them to forget that spell etc...
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I've got about a month before my players take on the final boss...and I don't have stats or mechanics for the BBEG yet. Looking for some ideas.
Background
In a city on the verge of becoming a domain of dread, an evil cultist leveraged unholy magic to make people forget life outside the walls. His goal is to become the darklord and make people praise him instead of demonize him. The players have been systematically demolishing his nodes of power to unseal the demiplane, resulting in memories returning and the demiplane able to reincorporate with the Prime Material - if they defeat the BBEG once and for all.
Established Campaign Facts
I would like the BBEG to have some mechanic that makes people forget combat abilities - maybe impacting their proficiency bonus or make them confused about who they're targeting, but I'm worried about it 1) being annoying to track, and 2) being really lame on the player side. Thus, I come to you all for aid. Thanks!
Sounds like a great campaign.
My suggestion: Memory is the key. The boss manifests to each character with traits similar to whatever brought that character closest to their end.
Maybe some elements, like hp, remain constant.
Disadvantage on fear saves vs the specific thing they recall nearly ending them. Stuff like that.
There's a mmotm creature called, I think, an oblex that is in that zone. Might be a starting point.
All the best with it!
Suggestions:
To minimize how annoying it is to track, make it be a reaction. This also limits it to 1/round which will make it less frustrating for the players.
i.e. Reaction: Forget Trigger: A creature within 60 ft of the BBEG casts a spell or uses a class feature. Effect: The target cannot cast that spell/use that feature, no resource are expended. The target can substitute a different spell or action they have available to them.
If you find this isn't having as much "impact" on the combat as you would like, then you can have him use his possibility cog to grant himself a second Reaction each round.
I love the idea of making it a reaction! Two reactions seems like a good use of a Possibility Cog, too, or a legendary action. I gave a time golem in a previous combat a legendary action to change its place in the initiative order, so my players have already been exposed to the notion that the bad guys can get a little meta with their reality-bending abilities.
Making the fight a bit cinematic/RP-based is another thing I've been toying with and haven't quite figured out yet.
The party has been getting flashbacks of victims' memories the entire time they've been in this final dungeon, due to proximity to Red Water. I'd like visions of the outside world to play a part in the combat itself. I'm reminded of how Matt Mercer ran the climax of the Mighty Nein campaign and I thought (SPOILERS FOR CR2) roleplay as a mechanic to weaken the boss was a cool addition. My players loooove to RP, so they'd eat something like that up. Kinda stuck on how to implement it in my own game, though. Any creativity would be appreciated!
That would be pretty crazy, as the BBEG could use that on spellcasting, extra attack, rage, sneak attack, martial arts, etc.
I find the mind flayer and the Inquisitors from VGTR to be somewhat close to your ideas if you do some reflavouring. Especially the Inquisitor of Mind Fire, it has modify memory and other mind manipulating spells on its list, can stun multiple players with its attacks and you could re flavour inquisitor's command as manipulating and erasing a person's memory in order to make them fight their own allies.
You might need to nerf his damage though, he’s higher than a medium encounter for them.
Yup, hence why I suggested a reaction that is only available 1/round. That way it is likely it is used in a different way each round which should make it more interesting and not feel so much like you are picking on anyone player. The intention is that it would only last for 1 turn as well. I don't know if that comes through in the wording though. You could really mess with people -> e.g. if the paladin gets a Crit you it can force them to forget how to smite, if the barbarian has to make a dex save against massive damage you can force them to forget danger sense, if the wizard tries to pull out a big spell you can force them to forget that spell etc...