6 Tips To Make Your RPG Boss Fights Memorable

[Rhykker]

6 Tips To Make Your RPG Boss Fights Memorable

Nothing caps off an adventure or a campaign like a boss battle that your players will remember for years to come. Here are six ways to ensure that the end of your next scenario is a memorable one.

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[The Almighty Aardvark]

I'd actually like to see some lowering of stakes, even in higher scope stories. I've seen villains threatening the end of the world so many times that it's lost all impact. I'd like to see more stories dealing with a more personal, grounded threat. As an added benefit it makes the villain seem more believable. You still need stakes, but there's only so far that they should be raised before it becomes trite.

 

[Cerebrawl]

I'd actually like to see some lowering of stakes, even in higher scope stories. I've seen villains threatening the end of the world so many times that it's lost all impact. I'd like to see more stories dealing with a more personal, grounded threat. As an added benefit it makes the villain seem more believable. You still need stakes, but there's only so far that they should be raised before it becomes trite.

Well the article also mentioned being framed for murder as a possible raised stake, as an example. That's more personal and grounded.

But yeah, making it personal is almost always preferable to end of the world type stuff, mind you there's a place for that too, but only in the big picture plot, and shouldn't be invoked unless it's the endboss, the finale. A boss that might kill the protagonists love interest(especially if it's someone the player knows, maybe even a party member), frame them for crimes, or ruin their reputation is substantially more interesting than yet another "I'm gonna blow the city up with my death ray" boss.

 

[Mason Callaway]

I liked the article. I'd love to see more tabletop stuff on the Escapist.

 

[Vegosiux]

I'm...not sure. I mean, I can understand where the article's coming from. But when all is said and done, when that boss has been thoroughly pulverized, life goes on. I don't know, I like to keep even my escapism a little grounded. Yes, in life, some trials are greater than others, but there's no one penultimate, end all be all trial, no golden snitch. Building up one event too much diminishes the importance of everything that's lead up to it. Also, sometimes I like surprises. I prefer subverted foreshadowing.