The Grand Finale

**Avonar** · 2017-10-21, 08:02 PM (ISO 8601)

I've been running a 13th Age campaign for close on 18 months now, and the end is finally coming close. Over the course, the player characters have found out things about themselves, had their own personal arcs as they went about their quest, and along the way have become pretty damn important figures throughout the world, a couple of them leading factions/cities as they have reached the maximum level.

So I figured we needed something huge to prove a suitable final battle, the final foe is an immensely powerful druid however before she is taken down, she will complete a portal that will do something I've always wanted to do: She will summon the Tarrasque.

My current plan, as the campaign has allowed the players a lot of freedom as to where they go and how they do things, is to pretty much take a step back. The Tarrasque will take some time, perhaps a month, before it will enter the world, giving them enough time to set up...well whatever they want. Going to allies, building armies (there will other various angry nature beasties alongside it so they can't just assume they can do everything themselves) and generally planning for the final battle.

I wanted to get opinions on how much to plan for this versus how much to allow the players to control, and any ideas as to difficulties that might arise for them, unforseen problems etc. After a year and a half I want to make this something special, so I was hoping that all the experience out there might be able to help me put some interesting things together. I have plans for elementals causing havoc with the weather causing rapidly changing environments and I am considering having a potential ally turning against them.

And finally, I am in two minds about the Tarrasque itself. It's fully statted out so it's a potential enemy, but would it be more interesting for them to have a special way to take care of it? Or perhaps something needs to be done in order to make it vulnerable and defeatable so that they can then fight it?

End of the day, I want them to win but I can't let them off easily.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

**ATHATH** · 2017-10-22, 12:54 AM (ISO 8601)

**Avonar** · 2017-10-22, 02:10 AM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by ATHATH

You, ah, do realize that the Tarrasque is incredibly easy to defeat by even a single level 12 character, right?

I'd suggest using something a bit tougher, like an Elder Evil (who DOESN'T want to have a final boss fight against a giant moon that is heavily attuned to positive energy?).

Have you heard of the Two Orcs method for creating bosses?

Fortunately, this isn't a D&D Tarrasque. It's 13th Age, different rules/mechanics to it so much fewer exploitable weaknesses. If necessary I can always play around with the stats.

And I haven't heard of the Two Orcs method, no. Googling it just nets me a bunch of Shadow of War stuff (unsurprisingly), mind elaborating?

**DrMartin** · 2017-10-22, 09:47 AM (ISO 8601)

It's a mechanic called the two-headed, two tailed bifurcated snake. The sample boss to show the system is an orc (well, "two orcs"). It's in the angry GM blog. I've used a few times, worked really well

**ATHATH** · 2017-10-22, 02:18 PM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Avonar

Fortunately, this isn't a D&D Tarrasque. It's 13th Age, different rules/mechanics to it so much fewer exploitable weaknesses. If necessary I can always play around with the stats.

And I haven't heard of the Two Orcs method, no. Googling it just nets me a bunch of Shadow of War stuff (unsurprisingly), mind elaborating?