How to handle a Five Bad Band?

[NineThePuma]

These figures are overarching individuals, and I'm wanting to have them appear early, but not be rendered completely obsolete before the 'Final Battle' when the players will hopefully be able to handle them.

The Big Bad (A Dark Vampire (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58213) Binder/Ur-Priest; known in 'verse as The Shadow King) starts the story dead, and is basically the Big Bad and counterpart to the Big Good. He shows up as a final boss if certain conditions aren't met. I don't expect those conditions to be met.

The Dragon (An Aasimar Elf Blackguard (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10722359&postcount=4) with an ACF I'm brewing up for some ToB-ness) is fluffed as a Fallen Paladin with a Tragic Backstory. I want him to be fought once in a Pseudo-curb stomp and a second time at the end, when he'll be taken down properly.

The Evil Genius (a Lich Illithid Archivist/Wizard/Mystic Theurge (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133933)) is an ancient Lore Seeker for his race, a keeper of knowledge both dark and forgotten. He needs to be encountered at least three times, though if he gets his ass kicked enough then he'll actually never come back.

The Brute (a Max HD Sahuagin Mutant with levels in a variant Ranger that emphasizes Crit Fishing with Aptitude Kukri and Lightning Maces on top of Blood in the Water Stance) is the most out of place in the story, but the basis is that he was here first and the Dragon subjugated him rather well in single combat, and he swore allegiance. Barring the Undead/Lycans, the Sahuagin are actually the most common troops that the group has. As the first member of the Five Bad Band who will be encountered in an actual battle that doesn't have any ability to just plain come back, he's gotta be survivable (he is) and he's gonna be a Flunky Boss of sorts, with plenty of minions assisting him.

The Dark Chick (a WereHellcat Human Ninja) is involved because she owes it to the Big Bad, but doesn't exactly like the Dragon and his minions; ESPECIALLY not the Dragon, as before he Fell the Dragon was responsible for killing her lover. Evil though she might be, she doesn't have the power to kill him outright. I have one for sure encounter that is actually more of a puzzle than a straight up beat down. (When it's light out, she's invisible. What do you do? Turn out the lights. After a few rounds, she'll go all "D=" and flee, unless they take her down, at which point she might prove an ally..)

Barring any redemption or "I keep you from respawning!" things, there should be a Bonus Boss Fight with all five of them up against the PCs. =3

There's a potential Sixth Ranger, a Half-Fiend Solar with Krimm's Fallen template. But he's a Bonus Boss in the Bonus Dungeon. So I'm not considering him yet.

EDIT: oh. Yeah. How should I have them pop up? Should they be talked about before? or what? I don't want to have them all appear at the beginning, taunt the heroes, and vanish, since that strains my suspension of disbelief but I do want them to be more than just "random bosses" to the party.

[Redshirt Army]

Assuming that there will be minions following these people, you can use that to show that the villains have plans beyond thwarting the PCs. They should find notes containing directions from higher ups, have the possibility of overhearing enemies complaining about conflicting orders, and so on. Figure out how the antagonists set up their organization for maximum efficiency, then think of some spanners to throw in the works that aren't related to the PC's, to explain why they might be camped in some of the more exotic locales. Then have the PCs be able to find evidence of all this. Describe a hierarchy amongst the minions, and have some of the minions be incompetent at combat, but needed for other parts of the plan (acquiring rare regents, manipulating rulers, you know the drill).

[NineThePuma]

Whoops. Forgot to mention.

This collective Five Bad Band are going to be in their Giant Castle of Indefensibility, which the PCs are in the process of raiding like pros. Nondetection is a wonderful spell.

Which means that there ARE going to be Random Bosses (including the fabled That Damn Crab) but I also need plot relevant bosses in the mix. Hence, the Five Bad Band.

Edit: Not that it isn't bad advice, and I'll look into making sure that things balance out some. x3

[Treblain]

Following tropes closely: the Dragon should be the one who shows up first and has the most significant and personal relationship with the party. He should be a strong, looming presence in the campaign.

The Evil Genius shows up a few times, and always acts like the party isn't worth his time. Whether they beat him or not, he's ambivalent and emotionally detached from the fight. Try to piss the players off with how little he cares about them. His plans are meant to accomplish his goals, not necessarily to defeat the players.

The Brute can be one that the party goes after, rather than him going after them. Maybe it's a quest to defeat him in order to demoralize the enemy sahuagin troops.

The Dark Chick: have one encounter against her, then drop some of her backstory to connect to her, and then contrive a reason for her interests to align with the party temporarily for a team-up (maybe versus the Dragon?). After that, she goes back to being an enemy until an appropriate turning point where their interactions determine what path she takes.

The Big Bad: first allude to him with scattered prophecies of doom and his spirit haunting the PCs' nightmares. Make him a threat to more than just the party; have him wreck the environment, kill NPCs, etc.