A villian at a whole other level

question

#1

Shield Wall!! AHOU!!

So… I’m going to introduce the villain of my current campaign of Final Fantasy in a world of my own device.
My players have been out adventuring for about 8-9 session adding up in a total of 10 just for the INTRO.
5 Milestones/Feats, 13+ statspoints and great loot (no Epic).
They are playing teenagers on the verge to adulthood where they have been sent out into the wild untamed world and come back stronger and wiser (or not at all because dead…).
Now they’ve come home and things are acting up between the clans and they are getting a grasp on the politics that the grown ups have kept from them.

Thing is. They are a bunch of badasses now, so I’m a tad perplexed on how to show to them that the villain is on a completely different league.

Anyone with some simple tips on how to show them there a levels beyond theirs? They are quite confident in their abilities.


#2

A 5 phases God of Destruction who can warp reality, rewind time (1 round) help by an army of 1HP minions. The battleground could be the other side of a portal like in Big Hero 6.

And his is John Cena!!


#3

They are big fish in a small pond. They feel like badasses compared to the provincial rubes with which they’ve grown up, but as you indicated there’s a level of politics at play about which they know little.

All that fancy loot won’t help them deal with the drudgery of bureaucratic civil service, or the balancing act of social justice in non-ideal situations. Help the Hatfields and make enemies of the McCoy’s for life.

Your Big Bad likely has even more loot than the characters, and knows how to use it better. Knows how to dole out loot to enrich people for helping them. Knows how to work behind the scenes, and always has a scapegoat lined up to take the fall.


#4

Make a map with subtle “bands,” think like a bullseye. As the players get closer to the BBEG, the target goes up by one for each band. Depending on where your players are in terms of bonuses to key stats, I’d start at like a 17 target and have right beside the BBEG be a 21 or something. Every time a player crosses a band, that player makes a Con save. On a failure, the player staggers to his or her knees, forfeits his movement, and must remove a piece of gear as their action (it burns or something). On a save, the player can take their action as normal.

The BBEG has several key moves. He never rolls to hit when casting. Players always make saving throws. All players roll every round.

Spell one is an Int save. Players who fail must engage in an act of self-harm — stab themselves, etc., and roll their effort with bonuses against themselves.

Spell two is a Str save. Players who fail are blown back to the starting band. It’s a “get away from me” spell.

Spell three is an acid wave. It spews out from our boy in all directions. A Dex save will avoid D10 magic damage. Yeah, I said D10. More importantly, all accumulated gear on the ground is destroyed.

BBEG takes half damage from all magic spells and ranged attacks.

He has a melee attack that does double ultimate and sets players on fire for 1d4 each round, should anyone get close enough to try to hit him.

Five hearts. +10 to all attacks.

That should knock them down a peg. If he is to become a recurring villain, the main goal is to take them down a peg (maybe drop two to three and destroy their gear), mock them, and flee.


#5

Well, you’re in a pickle. Characters are built up. Your party is level 10, and you need to avoid an arms race or probable TPKs that still challenge the players.

I would slow/stop advancement. Advance through flexibility. Not Have things that are much more powerful.

Have an army of some terrible power take control of their region, but the players keep their town protected. But it is only a matter of time.

Create a boss that is a herald of the new regional leader. A boss that has the damage output to kill any of the PCs in 2 rounds. And the ability to take their top damage for two rounds. Add some normal minions for it. And this guy is just 1 of 20+ who will be managing his new slaves.

Your PCs beat him. Probably in 4~5 rounds. But the conclusion is important.

  1. They know there is a new baddie in town.
  2. They know the might of this baddie is over their level.
  3. They do not know how the baddie is so powerful
  4. Their people are in danger.
  5. Tough fight and minimal reward?

Do they lead a rebellion?
Do the escape with their people?
Do they fortify their position?
Do they try to fight through the invaders, and kill the Big Bad Leader?
Do they just run, and leave their people to their fate?

Leave the players with options, new characters to act as agents of their main characters?
Play on as themselves?
Play as lords? With 3 agents each, all starting characters? Occasionally recruiting more.

Let the players determine the future, but if they continue on, advancement is slow, and the potential for death increases. Traps and ambushes get more common as they are more well known.
A great force is arrayed against them. Will they charge into certain doom, will they protect their people?

Will you start a Warpshell game?

This is the most basic way I would deal with your situation, for the future, I’d be slower with advancement.

This will give you at least 5 sessions to get your ducks in a row, as they attack other similar lieutenants, before the number of lieutenants and target numbers start to creep up and you eventually kill a couple of characters.


#6

As in Final Fantasy tradition,

The villain must have silver hair, cast Ultima, and defeat the party upon first reveal and typically destroy a town or favorite NPC ally (motivation for revenge and grow stronger)

rock on!


#7

One word…“DURATHRAX”


#8

Well ACTUALLY

Loch%20Valorian

Solid advice there guys thank you!
I’ve realized my lack of inspiration is due to a small exsaustion and I just need some time off.
Binge-watching anime and hanging out with the mini-me’s will do the trick.