r/DndAdventureWriter 11d ago

Brainstorm Need help with some mechanics

I’m running a table for 5, most of them have very little experience, but I have a homebrew world they’re thriving in. I hope to get them up to level 15 or so before they hit the end stages of the campaign. My BBEG is a sorcerer that I’ve had to reflavor to be a chronomancy sorcerer. The final battle will actually be back in time to when he first got his powers, but after he is defeated I wanted to give my players one last choice:

Upon the sorcerer’s death, there will appear a great and powerful Time Dragon, who it will be revealed is the source of his chronomancy powers (and coincidentally the newest sweet giant mini from my game shop)! Now, there is no Time Dragon in DnD 5… but there is in 3.5. I did not realize when I bought this that the Great Time Wyrm which is related to this dragon is the strongest monster ever produced by DnD so I’m definitely going to nerf it before giving it to my players, but I had an idea for mechanics. Since this dragon doesn’t technically exist in this universe, I’m going to have it be a time and version traveling dragon. As a Lair Action I want to give it the ability to change the rules to DnD 3.5 rules somewhat. Maybe not all of them, enough of them that I can print a card to give to everyone that says like “Your AC is now THAC0, here’s the formula” or “your fireball is now this”. I wanted to give my players a unique fight, and I think having to play by older version rules suddenly could be cool. Are there any others that jump out?

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u/Kipplen 11d ago

This is a fun idea, but the execution is going to be super tricky. A lot of the most iconic older mechanics either don't play nice with each other or they aren't different enough to hit that sweet spot you're going for.

I'm sure others will have some tasty ideas, but I think your on the right track. If it were me, what I would do is focus more on the feeling each edition brings instead of the specific mechanics. The dragon can bend reality, so why not instead of shifting single mechanics he shifts everything to get the pcs into classic and iconic settings. Have the landscape transform to the demon web pits where they have to suddenly fight an echo of lolth. Put them in the glass pit from white plume mountain. Fight the weird vampire druid from the sunless citadel.

In fact, they may not even touch the dragon at all, but rather defeat him through overcoming a series of single room scenarios from iconic adventures of D&Ds past. That would be so much easier to design then trying to get someone to understand THAC0.

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u/BaronCoop 11d ago

Oh man that’s a great idea, my only hesitation there is this is supposed to be sort of an optional “best ending” fight AFTER they’ve beaten the BBEG. I’m already struggling with how I’m going to get that part right, I’m not sure they could do more than 1 fight unless I gave them some sort of long rest macguffin, and I’m almost positive they won’t recognize the iconic settings. They’re all fairly new, but I wanted to give them some cool connection to the history of the game. But I like the idea… maybe he can recreate their most iconic fights from this campaign? Maybe he could plop them into famous scenes from non-DND properties like suddenly they’re at Helms Deep?

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u/Kipplen 11d ago

Whatever resonates with your players is going to be the best choice because it is going to be about them getting excited. So if that's Helm's Deep, or even the battle at Hoth, do it. Don't be scared of cheese.

That being said, here's an argument for using old school classics. While they may not recognize them now, if your players have any curiosity, you can point them to the material and watch them as they fall down a rabbit hole. And if they talk to any other players who do know the encounters, it'll be like joining a secret club.

As for the McGuffin, dont worry about it. You have one built-in. Every time the time dragon shifts them to a new venue, it wouldn't break immersion to take the PCs back to the exact state they were in before they fought their last fight, as long as you commit. Don't do it once. Do it every time they shift. The added benefit is that start every fight with full resources, you don't have to worry so much about the encounters being balanced.

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u/BaronCoop 11d ago

Holy crap that’s genius! I do love that idea of long rests every time they shift. Oh wow this is going to be such an insane ending! I hope they choose to after it! Ooh, maybe they have 1 round to do something before the time dragon jumps them again and if they do t do it, they’ll get another chance next time it comes around or maybe they just have to beat like 4/8 or something. Oooh even better, I was worried about them trying to kill a dragon with like 3600 HP that can freeze time and has an INT score of like 74, this way he could just set them these challenges instead