Creating a Great Final Boss Fight - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Creating a Great Final Boss Fight

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
rezl
Jul 10, 2009 12:49:56 This weekend will be my last session DMing for a low level group using the Keep of the Shadowfell prefab. I've never crafted a final fight before, and I'd like to make it as exciting as challenging for my players as I possibly can.

In case you haven't played it, the last encounter is setup in an ancient keep, where a dark wizard is at the end of a ritual to open a portal to the Shadowfell. He plans to bring an army of evil into the world and wreak chaos and general destruction. The players arrive just in time to have the chance to stop him.

Although, the players haven't even met the dark wizard yet, which makes me feel there isn't much time or point in trying to emphasize the depth of his personality or relationship with the characters. What if something even more evil came out of the portal as he opened it and gobbled him up? And what would it be exactly?

I'd also like to leave enough room in the campaign if we're able to pick the game up again later this summer. With a lot riding on this session and in the story, I'm worried about balancing resolution in the story, my unending desire to kill my players, and loose ends for future possibilities.

If you've played with Keep of the Shadowfell, how was your last session with it?
If not, how do you handle closing sessions?
Or what's something really scary and evil to freak out my players?
#2
gargs454
Jul 10, 2009 13:57:52 To be honest, just go with the final encounter as its written (at least in the free version available for download, I don't have the published copy). The "Thing in the Portal" I think pulls off precisely what you are looking for with regard to the scary monster effect. Additionally, at the end of the encounter, when the party finally (hopefully) knocks of Kal, the Thing in the Portal grabs him and pulls him through the portal and into the Shadowfell. This certainly leaves room for Kal to come back later on (probably in a somewhat altered form after Orcus has exacted his vengeance on Kal for his failure).

Add to this the creature that reanimates fallen allies plus the circle that allows Kal to heal and you have the makings for a pretty good end fight. Have Kal taunt the party as he starts out, perhaps dissing them every time they miss or he hits. Then, when he's starting to get low on HP he teleports to the circle. This not only heals him, it also brings the Thing in the Portal back into play. Of course, when he teleports, Kal should be openly laughing at the party and mocking them. Now the party has to contend with at least 2 dangerous foes in Kal and the Thing in the Portal (and possibly some of the henchmen if they are still around). All in all, it should make for a pretty exciting encounter. Just make Kal a real jerk as he fights and you'll definitely get the players' blood boiling. The only thing they like less than losing is losing to a jerk.
#3
Xeadin
Jul 10, 2009 17:16:45 Maybe add some dialogue to the dark wizard, and add a few more monsters in it just to add some spice. :D
#4
garner_adam
Jul 15, 2009 12:15:31 My players got to the last room. Thought hey let's go back up to rest and get all out daily powers and surges...

Then I had Kalarel open the portal and they had to get the hell out of there.

Now instead of an adventure I have a campaign. How to stop Kalarel when he has a seemingly endless army of undead?
#5
gregt_314
Jul 15, 2009 21:42:34
This weekend will be my last session DMing for a low level group using the Keep of the Shadowfell prefab. I've never crafted a final fight before, and I'd like to make it as exciting as challenging for my players as I possibly can.

Check out my article on Chekhov's Gun as it applies to the KotS finale. It might be what you're looking for. (It's based on the retail version, not the PDF, but the premise still holds true.)

In short, the key to a satisfying ending is to have it summarise everything the players have done up to that point. If they saved Splug and brought him along, he has to do something useful in the last battle. If they got Aecris, the person who's wielding it has to get a chance to hit some undead with it. If they rescued Douven Staul, he has to have some useful advice for them. If they killed Ninaran, Kalarel should be furious at them, and if they didn't she should be waiting here to help out her boss.

The other half of a satisfying ending is that the battle's going to go for about five rounds and you've got five players - that means each player gets one round to be awesome. You need to make sure that everyone at your table gets to do one memorable, useful thing in this fight, even if you have to fudge some rolls to make it happen. This isn't just the climax for your group, it's the climax for each of the players in that group, and you need to be certain they all get individual closure.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 rezl Jul 10, 2009 12:49:56	This weekend will be my last session DMing for a low level group using the Keep of the Shadowfell prefab. I've never crafted a final fight before, and I'd like to make it as exciting as challenging for my players as I possibly can. In case you haven't played it, the last encounter is setup in an ancient keep, where a dark wizard is at the end of a ritual to open a portal to the Shadowfell. He plans to bring an army of evil into the world and wreak chaos and general destruction. The players arrive just in time to have the chance to stop him. Although, the players haven't even met the dark wizard yet, which makes me feel there isn't much time or point in trying to emphasize the depth of his personality or relationship with the characters. What if something even more evil came out of the portal as he opened it and gobbled him up? And what would it be exactly? I'd also like to leave enough room in the campaign if we're able to pick the game up again later this summer. With a lot riding on this session and in the story, I'm worried about balancing resolution in the story, my unending desire to kill my players, and loose ends for future possibilities. If you've played with Keep of the Shadowfell, how was your last session with it? If not, how do you handle closing sessions? Or what's something really scary and evil to freak out my players?
#2 gargs454 Jul 10, 2009 13:57:52	To be honest, just go with the final encounter as its written (at least in the free version available for download, I don't have the published copy). The "Thing in the Portal" I think pulls off precisely what you are looking for with regard to the scary monster effect. Additionally, at the end of the encounter, when the party finally (hopefully) knocks of Kal, the Thing in the Portal grabs him and pulls him through the portal and into the Shadowfell. This certainly leaves room for Kal to come back later on (probably in a somewhat altered form after Orcus has exacted his vengeance on Kal for his failure). Add to this the creature that reanimates fallen allies plus the circle that allows Kal to heal and you have the makings for a pretty good end fight. Have Kal taunt the party as he starts out, perhaps dissing them every time they miss or he hits. Then, when he's starting to get low on HP he teleports to the circle. This not only heals him, it also brings the Thing in the Portal back into play. Of course, when he teleports, Kal should be openly laughing at the party and mocking them. Now the party has to contend with at least 2 dangerous foes in Kal and the Thing in the Portal (and possibly some of the henchmen if they are still around). All in all, it should make for a pretty exciting encounter. Just make Kal a real jerk as he fights and you'll definitely get the players' blood boiling. The only thing they like less than losing is losing to a jerk.
#3 Xeadin Jul 10, 2009 17:16:45	Maybe add some dialogue to the dark wizard, and add a few more monsters in it just to add some spice. :D
#4 garner_adam Jul 15, 2009 12:15:31	My players got to the last room. Thought hey let's go back up to rest and get all out daily powers and surges... Then I had Kalarel open the portal and they had to get the hell out of there. Now instead of an adventure I have a campaign. How to stop Kalarel when he has a seemingly endless army of undead?
#5 gregt_314 Jul 15, 2009 21:42:34	This weekend will be my last session DMing for a low level group using the Keep of the Shadowfell prefab. I've never crafted a final fight before, and I'd like to make it as exciting as challenging for my players as I possibly can. Check out my article on Chekhov's Gun as it applies to the KotS finale. It might be what you're looking for. (It's based on the retail version, not the PDF, but the premise still holds true.) In short, the key to a satisfying ending is to have it summarise everything the players have done up to that point. If they saved Splug and brought him along, he has to do something useful in the last battle. If they got Aecris, the person who's wielding it has to get a chance to hit some undead with it. If they rescued Douven Staul, he has to have some useful advice for them. If they killed Ninaran, Kalarel should be furious at them, and if they didn't she should be waiting here to help out her boss. The other half of a satisfying ending is that the battle's going to go for about five rounds and you've got five players - that means each player gets one round to be awesome. You need to make sure that everyone at your table gets to do one memorable, useful thing in this fight, even if you have to fudge some rolls to make it happen. This isn't just the climax for your group, it's the climax for each of the players in that group, and you need to be certain they all get individual closure.