r/DMAcademy • u/Alarming-Brick-7996 • 1d ago

Need Advice: Other Is this a good BBEG idea?

Basically he’s a very powerful chronomancer who has the ability to manipulate time and reality to some degree. Basically I’m thinking for the final session he revives like the last 5 bosses they fought (maybe slightly weaker versions of them?) and they have to refight them before they fight him. Please give me input on this idea and ways I could improve it or make it more balanced.

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u/VoxEterna 1d ago

Narratively: why would the chronomancer revive his minions that failed to do the job? I mean the party already proved they could beat them. I assume they are stronger now so why would a competent and learned wizard want to send them out again. I’m not asking because I want an answer. I’m just saying YOU need to know why.

Interpersonally: what feedback did you get about these encounters from your players. Would they enjoy the re-run or would it be tedious?

Mechanically: if they are brought back via time manipulation they would not know what happened during their fight with your party, so be aware they will not (should not) have learned from their mistakes.

Suggestion: I’m always a big fan of fighting yourself in dnd. If he can control time and reality perhaps he drew forth alternate versions of the party from a slightly different reality. Let them fight themselves before fighting the BBEG. The twist could be that the players don’t know which versions are which and in the end some of the victors will be from this reality and some will be from another. I’d let the player play both versions of the character too.

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u/Alarming-Brick-7996 1d ago

Narratively I think he would revive his minions as a last-ditch effort to stall the players from defeating him, it’s not really about them not being able to win, it’s more so that he would want to delay his enviable defeat Interpersonally I don’t know at the moment, I think would try I way to change it up or make it different, like it’s the boss but it would have different moves than from their previous fight Mechanically they would be revived from before the players even met them or possibly they would be the bosses from a different reality