MacGuffins - What do they DO?

[Oramac]

Pretty much what the title says. If you have a MacGuffin that weakens the BBEG, how does it weaken them? Lower speed? DA on saves? Less AC?

How do you make your MacGuffins?

[Regitnui]

What do McGuffins do? Whatever you want them to.

The McGuffin might just make the BBEG defeatable; like a lich's phylactery. Or it could slow them, or prevent them from taking lair actions. It may even free up their minions to attack both them and the party.

[Carlobrand]

Insufficient data. Ideally it is something tailored to the BB, so your players don't end up using it as a tool to solve all their problems. That means you need to give some thought to your BB first - what kind of MacGuffin would give him the most sleepless nights worrying about it. Then you need to think about how to limit it so it doesn't give YOU sleepless nights worrying about how it's going to affect future campaigns. Maybe it's an intelligent item with a specific hatred for the BB, for example, something constructed by some long-dead enemy, and it goes to sleep when the BB is not among the living.

[JNAProductions]

How do I make MacGuffins?

I don't. Players have their abilities and wits-no special items.

Then again, I also have approximately ten seconds of planning for any given D&D session, so that might be part of it.

[Oramac]

Thanks for the input! I'm still debating on how I want it to affect the BBEG. But it'll definitely be something subtle so it doesn't make the players OP otherwise.

[Temperjoke]

One thing that can keep the players balanced with the Macguffin is to make a cost to using it. For example, let's say the item is a magic sword that has a special property when held up in the air, with a magical phrase repeatedly chanted each turn that takes your action, with no bonus actions allowed. This makes it expensive to use against all the enemies, because that's one member of your party who's locked up with that action, when that person could have been better used as dps or a healer. You can also make the special property only work on the BBEG, and for everything else it's a regular magical weapon (just a +1 or maybe not even that, just magical status).

Another option is to relate it to the story and what the BBEG is doing. Let's say the BBEG has this status because he has an evil item of his own; your item can simply have the ability to suppress his item, instead of actively doing anything on it's own. That keeps it balanced in regards to the rest of the game, as it doesn't give any extra benefit outside this one purpose.

[MrFahrenheit]

Macguffins don't have to be the end-all/be-all. Nor do they have to be able to be activated by the party. In my last session, the party returned the anvil of Moradin to the king of the dwarves, who used it to summon tornadoes all around his mountain kingdom, wrecking the enemy army. But...it can't be used again for X times a hundred years now.

[Oramac]

You can also make the special property only work on the BBEG, and for everything else it's a regular magical weapon (just a +1 or maybe not even that, just magical status).

This was my original intent, though after reading all the replies I may change that up a bit.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Thanks for the input! I'm still debating on how I want it to affect the BBEG. But it'll definitely be something subtle so it doesn't make the players OP otherwise.
Doesn't that kind of defeat the point? The idea of an artifact-to-defeat-the-BBEG is that without it he's unstoppable, not stoppable-with-another-level-or-two. It should be unique, memorable, and powerful. Balance? Who cares, the campaign is nearly over. (Also, don't make it just a powerful weapon. The One Ring is a McGruffin; the BFG is not)

[Eriol]

What do they DO? Absolutely NOTHING!

What you're describing to weaken the BBEG is not a MacGuffin. It's a Plot Device (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PlotDevice). From TVTropes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MacGuffin):

To determine if a thing is a MacGuffin:

Check to see if it is interchangeable. For example, in a caper story the MacGuffin could be either the Mona Lisa or the Hope diamond, it makes no difference which. The rest of the story (i.e. it being stolen) would be exactly the same. It doesn't matter which it is, it is only necessary for the characters to want it.
Does it do anything, and if it does, is it ever actually used in the story? If the answer to both is yes, it's a Plot Device, not a MacGuffin. For Plot Devices that get the same attention as a MacGuffin, compare Magnetic Plot Device (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagneticPlotDevice).

Also see Artifact of Doom (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ArtifactOfDoom) for a particular type of Plot Device (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PlotDevice).

A MacGuffin is absolutely useless for the plot. It has some other value outside of the plot (selling it, Patron "just wants it") that makes it part of the plot, but it has no actual utility to YOU. If it's something that weakens the BBEG or has some other use in the game it's a Plot Device. Or an Artifact of Doom, or a few other things.

[Oramac]

Doesn't that kind of defeat the point? The idea of an artifact-to-defeat-the-BBEG is that without it he's unstoppable, not stoppable-with-another-level-or-two. It should be unique, memorable, and powerful. Balance? Who cares, the campaign is nearly over. (Also, don't make it just a powerful weapon. The One Ring is a McGruffin; the BFG is not)

A valid point.

My main fear is having the item turn from "really cool powerful item" into "deus ex machina" and entirely negate the story up to that point.

[X3r4ph]

I had an idea the other day for this. Works best for a high level party.

BBEG has an aura that causes slow. Like, not the spell. Much worse. Like time skewering. Think the Turtle from the Flash. PC are only allowed 1 action a turn. If this action is an attack, they only get one attack. Which is fine and all. You can strike once, and nothing else. Or cast a spell, and nothing else. Or concentrate on a spell, and nothing else.
Not impossible to kill this BBEG, but hard, and he can freely escape because of the PC lack of movement etc.
So after a failed attempt on the BBEG's life, the PC's continue their adventure and fight giants. Giants that drop huge swords when they are slain. Huge swords so big and unwieldly that you can only strike once with em... but that single strike is immensely powerful.
Because they can only strike the BBEG once, these swords makes sense. Normally though, they suck.

I suppose the dampening effect of the BBEG could be whatever, the thing is, the MacGuffin makes fighting in the BBEGs aura bearable... but normally, it sucks.

[Grod_The_Giant]

A valid point.

My main fear is having the item turn from "really cool powerful item" into "deus ex machina" and entirely negate the story up to that point.
Again, that's the point. The Artifact of Doom IS a sort of deus ex machina, a way to break the rules of that story and salvage a situation that by all rights should be beyond hope. The plot lies in finding the item before it's too late, not in its use. One the heroes get their hands on it it's all over bar the shouting.

[Afrodactyl]

I would say either:

1. Make your plot device/MacGuffin 100% essential to the fight. The fight now essentially becomes a puzzle encounter, with PCs doing ability checks, and maneuvering about the place to get things where they need to be. For example, the party is distracting a giant moon demon, whilst the party wizard is trying to decipher the ancient scroll that will seal it away for a thousand years. The scroll is 100% essential, and the party will just be wiped without it.

2. Make your plot device an additional element to an encounter. It is not 100% necessary, but will make the PCs lives easier if they have it and are using it, while adding some cool/fun narrative. For example, under levelled characters could take on a dragon and they could potentially kill it if they pull of some good rolls, and they fight smart. However, having stolen the dragon's favourite fist-sized diamond earlier in the campaign, the PCs can now throw it from player to player mid combat to try to lure the dragon away from injured players, get it into a better position, etc.

[Slipperychicken]

What if you make the macguffin something the villain loves or cares about, so you can break or threaten it in front of him to weaken his resolve? He might not think as clearly or fight as hard when he's busy mourning or worrying. He might even give up without a fight if you push the right buttons.

[Oramac]

Lots of good ideas here! I found this article about the Evil Weapon (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EvilWeapon) and I think I may rewrite the story slightly to have a "Good Weapon" as well. Both artifacts opposing each other.