Making a final encounter more memorable

[Postmodernist]

Hi,

I'm running my party through a modified 5e version of Whisper's of the Vampire's Blade, and I wanted to know how to make the final fight with Lucan in the ziggurat a little more exciting, particularly since it's essentially the end of this chunk of the story arc. I'm playing Lucan as more of a morally grey character, who genuinely believes that bringing the blade to Karrnath and Kaius III will help save Khorvaire and maintain peace/prevent another Last War, and I kinda want him to eventually disclose one of the big secrets of the game - that Kaius III is actually a vampire - before he kicks the bucket.

My thought is to have him fight in 3 dimensions, climbing the walls and such, attempt to charm one member of the party, and to summon swarms or wolves to assist him. Despite that, it still seems like a relatively straightforward fight. I'm also contemplating having Garrow and company bust in, forcing the team to decide on a side, or forcing a three-way battle.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to spice up the encounter?

[Amnestic]

Changing the battlefield is always a good thing to do to keep players (and enemies) moving about and making it feel dynamic. Falling debris, holes in the ground, stuff setting on fire, weird areas of magic (haste zones, slow zones, damage zones, heal zones, etc.).

Maybe start it off as normal but when the third party enters the fray causes some structural damage or blows up a magic crystal which sets off the room going crazy to amp up the stakes?

[Barny]

Please take a few mins to recall all the memorable movies or books.
What are the most unforgettable moments in your mind? Are there any boss encounters or dramatic role-play scenes?

For me, I don't remember the details/setting how the Spiderman or Batman fight against the final boss.
However, I will never forget some epic moments, where the Spiderman's uncle Ben speaks his last words "With great power comes great responsibility", where the Batman insists not to kill Joker...

My point is that a challenging boss encounter can be interesting or exciting but hardly unforgettable, while dramatic storyline and role-play moments can achieve epic scenes, which you PCs will remember for years.

[Avonar]

I'd suggest against giving them any ability to take a player out for the entire boss fight. If you're going up against the final boss, only to get charmed and to not contribute anything, could be a bit of feel bad there depending on your players.

I do find that giving your boss mobility often leads to some unique moments as the players have to figure out how to deal with it.

[MrStabby]

Please take a few mins to recall all the memorable movies or books.
What are the most unforgettable moments in your mind? Are there any boss encounters or dramatic role-play scenes?

For me, I don't remember the details/setting how the Spiderman or Batman fight against the final boss.
However, I will never forget some epic moments, where the Spiderman's uncle Ben speaks his last words "With great power comes great responsibility", where the Batman insists not to kill Joker...

My point is that a challenging boss encounter can be interesting or exciting but hardly unforgettable, while dramatic storyline and role-play moments can achieve epic scenes, which you PCs will remember for years.

To me the canonical example will be the fellowship vs the Balrog in Moria in lord fo the rings.

1) it was built up. Lore, discovery of the dwarves, Durin's bane but also before the reveal of the monster... the sounds, the lighting the behaviour of the orcs. Dramatic fight because of the foreshadowing. Being enjoined by Gandalf to flee.

2) is was a serious badass enemy. Yeah, no fancy dramatic point here but power has a quality all of it's own.

3) the stakes were real. It wasnt like there was much of a plan B. The fight wasnt optional.

4) there were lasting effects and repercussions through the rest of the plot - even an imperfect victory has costs.

5) the environment was atmospheric and it mattered. It is a battle that wouldnt have worked so well in the open nor in a confined tunnel. The scene added not just to the plot but also to the sense of the vastness and depth of Moria. It added something to the whole world building element.

The problem is that this can make a crap encounter. How many PCs actually got to participate? Did they get to use their special abilities? Did their even being there have any impact?

[Postmodernist]

I'd suggest against giving them any ability to take a player out for the entire boss fight. If you're going up against the final boss, only to get charmed and to not contribute anything, could be a bit of feel bad there depending on your players.

I do find that giving your boss mobility often leads to some unique moments as the players have to figure out how to deal with it.

That's actually a really good point, but it also seems to limit the villain's capabilities. He's otherwise outnumbered and hamstrung without one of his major abilities. Maybe if I incorporate it into the three-way fight option, he could charm another opponent.

[Aliess]

Have the players befriended any NPCs g during the campaign that he could have charmed and set against them?
Other things that seen to work well;
- escalating encounter where someone/something new turns up each round.
- an exciting location that can be interacted with (and reward the players for doing so!).
- loads of mooks, but give them some common sense/moral. When half the guards get incinerated by a single fireball the survivors think twice before rushing in.
- let the npc dictate when the fight occurs. If they're fighting up through his lair then he's going to get the drop on then when they're exhausted, not after they've killed all of his minions and had a nice right hour nap.
- winning at a cost. Tricky to balance with some groups, but if you can have lasting effect to killing the boss that carries in into future stories they'll have a constant reminder of it.

[Postmodernist]

Thanks, all excellent recommendations. I welcome any others! I'm thinking of including an opportunity for the party to knock away some elements of the wall, exposing sunlight, but at the cost of potentially caving in the building. I may try to conjure up a few others.