Making an epic sendoff

[atemu1234]

I DM for a two groups of PCs, one of which is (extremely) epic level. Recently, the leader of that group (in game and out) talked to me and we discussed that party's campaigns coming to a close. I've DMed for this group for going on three years, and we've all agreed it's time to restart, reroll with new PCs, but in the same world. The only problem being, we need a mission worthy of a group of PCs who control a kingdom the size of modern Europe, who have faced and stopped no fewer than five apocalypses, and are among the most powerful of the beings in the Multiverse. One of them is definitely becoming a god (he plays the stereotypical dwarf and, being that, beat a god in a drinking contest, and is going to become the new god of Ale once he dies) but the others (three of them) I have nothing set up for once they die, nor do I have a plan for how they should die. So, um... help?

[Shinken]

I think more information about your group could be helpful.
What I would do, after such an extensive campaign, is to begin years later with new PCs and have them figure out what happened to their characters. So one of them is a god, that is cool. Maybe there was a power struggle between two of them and the kingdom was split in two. Maybe one of them sacrificed himself for some reason and had his soul bound in hell, so the new player characters might eventually release him. Maybe one of them is a villain in your next campaign - or better yet, someone pretending to be one of them is the villain for your next campaign.

[atemu1234]

Okay, we've got a dwarven fighter, king of a nation, who is the one who will become a god. Then we've got two sorcerers, a bard, and a rogue. Each is around level fifty.

[Fouredged Sword]

Well, I would do a medium length campaign where they find themselves fading, and cannot find a way to stop it. It should be light on combat, heavy on role-play. Tell the players only that this will be the last campaign for the party, and then they get to start over. They should revisit all the places they had their greatest adventures, seeing all the good they have done. It should be bittersweet, and people should be very concerned for them.

They should start running into people that nobody else can see, powerful warriors and epic casters who they recognize from legend. These heros should join them and aid them in closing any loose ends that their characters want to see done, but are silent on who they are and why they are hidden.

Once the players have resolved their most important goals, and handed responsibility over to those who follow them, the hero's of old explain. Those of truly great power are too much for the world, and like the great wyrm dragons, they fade into history. Tell them they have adventures yet to be faced, but not in this world, for another existence awaits them. This world is the birthplace of true heros, but like all birthplaces, there comes a time that you must move on into the wider world. Without this, the next generation of heros would be forever unable to walk the same path.

Give them one last goodbye to the NPC's most dear to them, and have them fade away.

Jump ahead 100 years. The players wake with a jolt. They are all young villagers on the way to a village fair, and they fell asleep in the back of the hey wagon they where riding in. What a strange dream, to dream that they where the hero's of the last age. You shall have to tell the village elder about it when you get to the village...

Wait, is that a goblin in the trees over there? They don't normally come this far south! This could be trouble, ready yourselves to defend the wagon!

[ElBeardo]

I've got something that might work. You could write a campaign about a cataclysmic magical event. Something where the actual framework of reality starts to fall apart. Some sort of evil guy/demon/outsider would be behind it, and the characters would have to stop it. But here's the thing, they don't quite make it. Even though they defeat the BBEG, the world is still obliterated, along with them. However, when they wake up, they become new gods, and the old gods, out of respect for all of the good they have brought to the world, allow them to recreate the world with them. This would allow you to let the PC create the new world with you that the next campaign would be about.

If that doesn't sound good, you could always cheat and look at the epic destinies from 4.0. They might give you some ideas.

[Cruiser1]

Epic characters should have epic goals. Start by asking your characters what they most want to achieve. One wants to become a God, but what do the others want? Do they want immortality in some other way, or allow themselves to die a normal death through old age or combat?

Concluding the campaign could be more roleplay heavy than combat, if that's what your players want. A character could be getting ready to die, but people are begging them to become a lich or be reincarnated yet again, in order to keep serving the world. Figuring out how to properly conclude existence can be just as important as achieving significant things during existence.

You can also just have a massive epic challenge. Not just a bunch of epic monsters (http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/epicMonstersAndObstacles.htm) but fighting gods and Lovecraftian Old Ones. Maybe Pandorym (EE) is fully reunited and released and is killing all the gods. Your characters have to defeat Pandorym, and either become a new pantheon themselves or sacrifice themselves to restore the old gods. Then a new round of low level characters can pick up the pieces afterward. :smallwink:

[Xintas]

Well, I would do a medium length campaign where they find themselves fading, and cannot find a way to stop it. It should be light on combat, heavy on role-play. Tell the players only that this will be the last campaign for the party, and then they get to start over. They should revisit all the places they had their greatest adventures, seeing all the good they have done. It should be bittersweet, and people should be very concerned for them.

They should start running into people that nobody else can see, powerful warriors and epic casters who they recognize from legend. These heros should join them and aid them in closing any loose ends that their characters want to see done, but are silent on who they are and why they are hidden.

Once the players have resolved their most important goals, and handed responsibility over to those who follow them, the hero's of old explain. Those of truly great power are too much for the world, and like the great wyrm dragons, they fade into history. Tell them they have adventures yet to be faced, but not in this world, for another existence awaits them. This world is the birthplace of true heros, but like all birthplaces, there comes a time that you must move on into the wider world. Without this, the next generation of heros would be forever unable to walk the same path.

Give them one last goodbye to the NPC's most dear to them, and have them fade away.

Jump ahead 100 years. The players wake with a jolt. They are all young villagers on the way to a village fair, and they fell asleep in the back of the hey wagon they where riding in. What a strange dream, to dream that they where the hero's of the last age. You shall have to tell the village elder about it when you get to the village...

Wait, is that a goblin in the trees over there? They don't normally come this far south! This could be trouble, ready yourselves to defend the wagon!

This. Wow. This is beautiful and poignant and I am totally refluffing and stealing the crap out of this when my PCs get that high. :smallwink: