So I've started my game. Gonna give you a brief synopsis cause I need some advice. It's my first F&D game, I'm an old Edge GM and I studied up on a few genre fitting themes before running this. If any of you are in Rob's Darkstryder Campaign turn back now, cause this is unprecedented spoilers.

Players first adventure, "Escape From Mos Shutta", (ran it cause it's the best introduction to they system in my opinion) went swimmingly for them.. they walked away unscathed.

I then ran "Lost Knowledge" from the Beta, they kicked 9 kinds of ass in a 5 ass town. Until the end, the first group of twisted beasts ate through their resources and the final "boss" basically wiped the party. They got into a "reviving loop" one would drop and get the other two up, then two would drop.. they escaped into the Crystal Caves and the apparition caved them in. Conflict for everybody.

I'm cool with that, but next I'm going to run the beginner game and I have had it worked out with one of my players for months that after they fight Malefex, my campaigns big bad is going to show up, trounce the party and kill his "character".

After they are left for dead, that players real character enters the scene and nurses them back to health (a disenfranchised disciple of the big bad).

I don't run scripted encounters, and anything can happen, I'm prepared for them to murder my big bad (highly unlikely) but the most likely result is as I've laid out.

Now I still like this concept, but as it's been planned, after this they are going to have a training montage, (to beat him you must train) get infused with exp. Go through the rest of the beginner stuff and a homebrew adventure. Then at the end of the beginner adventure the escapee from temple prison is going to be "big bad # 2" granted less bad and more big.. I've structured this game so they can kill my big bads, cause I've got like 3 or 4 of them, all whom are competing against each other for supremacy and the honor to be the final boss of my game. This guy is supposed to be the strongest and the party is going to be encouraged to not even fight him and abandon Dawn Temple. Thus ending the tutorial for my game and launching them towards the meat of the plot. Next adventure after that they watch their Master die and get chased/chase the first big bad out into the unknown regions.

So things are gonna be really rough on them starting out. On the one hand I really really like it, just cause it invests them against the bad guys, shows them they can't fight their way through everything, and if things are incredibly difficult early on it makes the later success' matter more. On the other hand, I'm getting cold feet.. maybe I'm being too hard on them... Maybe I should lighten one of my planned sad moments. I'm so torn. Thoughts? Counsel? Criticisms?

For my two cents, I'd stick with killing off the one PC, since he has already agreed to being killed (I'm guessing since he has to leave the game for some reason).

As far as the rest of it, I wouldn't make an NPC boss 'impossible' to kill. The players will always try to come up with some inventive way to kill him, either through the rules or narrativly, so be prepared for them to kill him/her. If you want to keep this NPC boss around for a future session, give him plenty of avenues for escape so that he can get away in a hurry if the NPCs get close to killing him and have something to distract them from chasing him, like someone else needs rescued, there's an earthquake, etc.

If you want him to be so strong that he chases the PCs off, I'd start the encounter with just him and a few minions, but half way through have NPC reinforcements arrive that make it very clear that the PCs are not going to win the fight. Give them plenty of options for escape though, like a deep river over the side of a nearby cliff, pile of boulders to block the the path of the bad guys (Mad Max style), etc.

Hope this helps.

I hadn't considered retreat before honestly. I assumed it would be a fight to the unconscious.

I agree wholeheartedly, I don't make NPCs "unkillable" at the same time, considering what they had just faced and what they must face right after, logistically it's improbable. If it happens I'm prepared w backup Big Bads.

I think I will make retreat more viable then I had originally intended. That way my powerful NPC isn't just backing them into a corner and trouncing them. Also guilt at fleeing when a comrade falls is dramatic role-playing fuel for later. Thanks for the input!