A climactic battle at the Temple of Elemental Evil brings an adventure to a dramatic end.The climactic ending of an adventure fulfills the promise of all that came before. The best climax is one the players see coming, so if a dragon is the mastermind behind all the nefarious activity happening in an adventure, having the dragon’s minions mention the nature of their boss sets up the coming climactic encounter.
Although the climax must hinge on the successes and failures of the characters up to that moment, the Adventure Climax table can provide suggestions to help you shape the end of your adventure.
| 1d10 | Climax |
|---|---|
| 1 | The adventurers confront a villain and a group of minions in a battle to the finish. |
| 2 | The adventurers chase a villain while dodging obstacles designed to thwart them, leading to a final confrontation in the villain’s refuge. |
| 3 | The actions of the adventurers or a villain result in a cataclysmic event that the adventurers must escape. |
| 4 | The adventurers race to the site where a villain is bringing a master plan to its conclusion, arriving just as that plan is about to be completed. |
| 5 | A villain and two or three lieutenants perform separate rites in a large room. The adventurers must disrupt all the rites. |
| 6 | An ally betrays the adventurers as they’re about to achieve their goal. (Use this climax carefully, and don’t overuse it.) |
| 7 | A portal opens to another plane of existence. Creatures on the other side spill out, forcing the adventurers to close the portal while dealing with a villain at the same time. |
| 8 | The dungeon begins to collapse while a villain attempts to escape in the chaos. |
| 9 | The adventurers must choose whether to pursue a fleeing villain or save an NPC they care about or a group of innocents. |
| 10 | Just when the characters think the main threat is defeated, it transforms into a different monster or a more powerful form. |
In most stories, there’s a period after the climax, in which loose plot threads are tied up and everything is explained. An adventure might also include this kind of denouement: time to discover what treasure is in the dragon’s hoard, an award ceremony where the queen gives medals to the victorious heroes, or even a time to mourn adventuring companions who didn’t survive the battle.
The denouement can also be an opportunity for the players to identify loose threads that haven’t been tied up—threads that can lead them into the next adventure. The “Episodes and Serials” section in chapter 5 offers suggestions for weaving these connecting threads.