BBEG introduced early as a recruitable sidekick? | DMAcademy | Page 1

tired flower Sep 16, 2024, 5:23 PM

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I plan on running the lost mine of phandelver. My party size is only two players right now (bard and a cleric), so I want to introduce some recruitable sidekicks they can pick up to help them on their adventures (Sildar joining as a warrior for example). I heard that the BBEG is a bit underwhelming or anticlimatic as a character, so I wanted to introduce them early as a potential sidekick (the rogue type) they can pick up that will inevitably backstab them.

I haven't finished reading the adventure to its fullest. What are some potential complications I should be aware of? Is this a bad idea or how can I make this work?

I'm a new DM with only two sessions completed so far. I've read through chapter 2 and a bit of chapter 3, and it's a bit daunting so far. I'm concerned managing the BBEG as a sidekick will be more than i can handle since it deviates from the material by a lot.

dapper vortex Sep 17, 2024, 2:39 PM

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@tired flower The only problem with this is that you have given no reason for Nezzar to join up with them. As written, he starts off in Wave Echo Cave, just slowed down by the monsters in there.
Technically, when the adventure starts he’s mere yards away from his goal. The players just stop him last second.

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You need to determine why Nezzar would ally himself with the players and betray them. He has everything he wants at the beginning, so you’ll need to rewrite the story a lot to introduce a setback for him that requires the players.

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Also, you are right about having to manage his power.

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He’s noticeably stronger than starting adventurers. In terms of combat, the players would only be effective as meat shields.

tired flower Sep 17, 2024, 2:48 PM

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This is all really good information, thank you

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Seems the most straightforward thing is to make some sort of macguffin that the players find early and have the big bad plot to take it back from them through subterfuge

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oh but there's still their power to consider

dapper vortex Sep 17, 2024, 2:52 PM

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However as mentioned, Nezzar is stronger than the players and has a lot more resources than them.
There’s no reason to not to send a bunch of minions after them to take it once he learns about it.

tired flower Sep 17, 2024, 2:55 PM

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Setting aside the power scaling for a moment, maybe instead of the players finding the macguffin, the bbeg instead manipulates them to find it for him

dapper vortex Sep 17, 2024, 2:56 PM

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A viable idea, but you need a reason why he can’t do it himself.

tired flower Sep 17, 2024, 2:56 PM

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Who does he have in his employ? Goblinoids and bandits?

dapper vortex Sep 17, 2024, 2:57 PM

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Mostly.

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You may be able to tie the green dragon into it. The key is in the dragon hoard and the players are the right mix of powerful and expendable to retrieve it.

tired flower Sep 17, 2024, 3:01 PM

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Oh that sounds like it could work

#BBEG introduced early as a recruitable sidekick?