Danmit the players did what I intended

[Yomega]

So they went into a tower and found a few adventuring groups of low ish cr outsiders all after the guy at the top, pretty well all different alignment types, and the group made friends with all of them and made it to the top of the tower.

Now unfortunately the big bad of the tower has near perfect control of any outsiders near him so the group managed to bring my big bad an army and if it plays out as I wrote its a definite tpk,

So I ask you all how would you twist this? I want the game to keep going and the party did receive warning but chose to ignore it.

My boss is named Eluse the Awesome so maby an out perform challenge or find a way top hurt his ego? None of the party is specifically built for that so I would need to write in a way for them to shine.

As always any advice would be very helpful, its a full 2 weeks till next session so I have some time to prepare.

[Mr Adventurer]

If the players are forewarned, why aren't their Outsider friends? Couldn't they refuse to enter the final battle on those grounds,

[DementedFellow]

Introduce a new Big Bad. Your original Big Bad will go off to kill him or was kidnapped or imprisoned or anything.

This allows the group to keep their new friends and even could help give the friends incentive to continue on the adventure.

Essentially, I'm telling you to Summon Bigger Fish (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SummonBiggerFish)

[Karl Aegis]

Your players pretty much have to do what the Turtle Prime Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles did in Turtles Forever to lure Utrom Shredder outside of the Technodrome. They have to get your boss's attention, have him realize he could end the whole thing immediately with the push of a button, and then call him out, "Shredder, do you fear us?". Being the totally awesome dude that he is, he has to forego his immediate win condition so he can gloat and show off how awesome he is by besting his opponents in personal combat.

[Yomega]

The outsiders were already dominated when they got there, left some low hanging fruit to warn of powerful people and to lul them into a false sense of security.

I like the bigger fish angle, the players are after a no consequence (to Eluse) item, so this could turn into a reward to the players for completing another task against the big bad's nemesis.

Id have to make them choose a faction of outsiders as long term friends tho with some kind of conflicting moral choices.

[Yomega]

Your players pretty much have to do what the Turtle Prime Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles did in Turtles Forever to lure Utrom Shredder outside of the Technodrome. They have to get your boss's attention, have him realize he could end the whole thing immediately with the push of a button, and then call him out, "Shredder, do you fear us?". Being the totally awesome dude that he is, he has to forego his immediate win condition so he can gloat and show off how awesome he is by besting his opponents in personal combat.

I don't actually see him as so much of a powerhouse combatant as a karaoke superstar, solo the party would drop him soo fast

Eluse is inspired by this Lewis is Goddamn Fabulous (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_lejox7eng) but not undead for setting reasons.

[Flickerdart]

If he's both evil and vastly outnumbers the PCs, killing them would be terribly boring. Capture them and force them to fight in gladiatorial combat (possibly against each other!) or simply let them waste away in a dungeon.

Naturally, the PCs escape somehow, eventually.

[Aegis013]

Don't think your party would be willing to make a tactical retreat when things suddenly go very south?

Or do the collective outsiders have some way to make a tactical retreat unfeasible? Because generally, I don't mind if my players TPK due to stubbornness/unwillingness to back down. It just means they threw their dice and it didn't land in their favor. Not every fight has to be one that can be won in a straightforward manner.

[Darrin]

You need to put in a "Ringer". In Action Movie parlance, this is a turncoat or spy who has infiltrated the BBEG's operation but he's secretly working for someone else. He could be one of the outsiders or one of Eluse's top lieutenants. Give him a magic amulet or some other excuse to explain his immunity to mind control. Have him confront the PCs privately and "unmask" him as a double agent working for a mysterious patron. He spells out the BBEG's evil plan, and pitches a stunt of some sort to stop it.

Another option is to make Eluse the Ringer. Have him confront the PCs alone, and then he "unmasks" himself as not himself but a doppelganger or an illusionist who only recently managed to kill off and replace Eluse, but now he's in way over his head and he doesn't think he can pull off this act any longer. Unfortunately, Eluse's plan is already in motion, and he can't stop it unless the PCs help. There's one last-ditch chance to stop the evil plan, but if the PCs aren't extremely careful, they'll all die... typical action movie stuff.

[daremetoidareyo]

You need to put in a "Ringer". In Action Movie parlance, this is a turncoat or spy who has infiltrated the BBEG's operation but he's secretly working for someone else. He could be one of the outsiders or one of Eluse's top lieutenants. Give him a magic amulet or some other excuse to explain his immunity to mind control. Have him confront the PCs privately and "unmask" him as a double agent working for a mysterious patron. He spells out the BBEG's evil plan, and pitches a stunt of some sort to stop it.

Another option is to make Eluse the Ringer. Have him confront the PCs alone, and then he "unmasks" himself as not himself but a doppelganger or an illusionist who only recently managed to kill off and replace Eluse, but now he's in way over his head and he doesn't think he can pull off this act any longer. Unfortunately, Eluse's plan is already in motion, and he can't stop it unless the PCs help. There's one last-ditch chance to stop the evil plan, but if the PCs aren't extremely careful, they'll all die... typical action movie stuff.

I love this suggestion: it is plotline kung fu.

[Nibbens]

You need to put in a "Ringer". In Action Movie parlance, this is a turncoat or spy who has infiltrated the BBEG's operation but he's secretly working for someone else. He could be one of the outsiders or one of Eluse's top lieutenants. Give him a magic amulet or some other excuse to explain his immunity to mind control. Have him confront the PCs privately and "unmask" him as a double agent working for a mysterious patron. He spells out the BBEG's evil plan, and pitches a stunt of some sort to stop it.

Another option is to make Eluse the Ringer. Have him confront the PCs alone, and then he "unmasks" himself as not himself but a doppelganger or an illusionist who only recently managed to kill off and replace Eluse, but now he's in way over his head and he doesn't think he can pull off this act any longer. Unfortunately, Eluse's plan is already in motion, and he can't stop it unless the PCs help. There's one last-ditch chance to stop the evil plan, but if the PCs aren't extremely careful, they'll all die... typical action movie stuff.

I was thinking it all throughout this thread, and then this was quoted. So I third this idea.

Alternatively, you could have the PC's find evidence as they're traveling up the tower of the situation they've wound themselves in. Maybe they encounter who's control by the bbeg is "in flux" he keeps having personality shifts, trying to warn the PCs then acting "normal" then trying to warn them - fighting the control, then the bbeg gets him back under control. Then the guy just plays it off... If that doesn't spark the PCs concern then they're woefully oblivious. lol.