u/CustomerEasy48

So I have recently come up with an idea to add more to my campaigns, while also being fun for the players. I came up with the concept of a "Memory".

(My Lore, but you are free to use and change if you like)

A Memory is a space of another time and place. They can appear randomly and there is no way to know where one is, until you are in it. They serve for the DM for more world building and to give background of an area and or characters. A scene will play out and the players cam choose to watch or interact, but in the end no matter what they will fight a Secret Boss that I call a Fabled Foe. A Fabled Foe is when a creature's story has gone past their peak. Basically a special stronger version of a creature dead or alive, past or future, alternate version or different beliefs. These "Memories" can be purely on the side of the campaign story and can be used to add more lore.

(Gameplay, up to change by other DMs)

Players will be healed up to full once entered, and all recourses will be returned, any debuffs are removed, and each player will immediately gain a inspiration. The rules are simple players are fully recovered once entered, but will return to how they were previously before entrance once left by defeat or victory. They can and are incentived to use everything, including items as nothing will be lossed. Even if someone were to die, it doesn't matter as everything will be returned to before they entered even in the event of a TPK. The only outcome that matters is one person surviving in the end. This will all be prepared to send them to fight a very hard boss, that shouldn't be impossible. A Fabled Foe will be a very hard boss, but they will also have a special ability that I call Beyond Legendary Action, for when a creature that exceeded it's legend to place their own will on the world. Unlike a legendary action these don't use a specific action and they have only one use, but changes or adds rules to the dnd fight itself. This usually applies to both players and the boss.

(Purpose)

You may be asking what is the point of this fight if there are no consequences or what is the point for the players to fight a difficult boss. Well for me, one thing I always want to focus on is for the players to have fun and for them to have a challenge with out conflicting with the narrative or their own hijinx. And I believe one way to have fun is to truly go all out. In campaigns player are often hesitant to use everything and sometimes forgetting items, and other times they are hesitant to use their recourses out of fear of another encounter, so what better way to have fun then to go all out. Even if they don't defeat the boss this defeat can give the characters a chance of self reflection or just so the character can gain a goal, or learn what else they can do together or with items. If they defeat it though then this is the perfect chance for the players to gain magic items, and or special lore if they so choose. The magic items can be custom relating to the boss, or randomly chosen.

(Example)

The players are about to take a short rest in the remains of a very old ruined castle, that has been taken over by a litch and is their current goal to defeat them. Before they take a rest one player decides to mess with a large broken door that led to only ruble. As soon as they move the door, the space instantly warp and they are instantly in the castle's church, but everything is as if it were never destroyed and there are people moving through. The mage is confused as there was no magic, when they had casted Detect Magic, before they had rested. The characters then notice they are healed. A scene then plays of a nun speaking to a large man in golden armor. The characters learn a some things of what was happening in this castle before it was destroyed and they learn of the man's title, he was "Paladin Adam, Blade of the Goddess". The space then warps a bit as the space changes and the people start to wisp away, until only Adam remains. Previously no one noticed the party, but now he is staring straight at the party. He raises his blade at the party and says "You intruders who lay your feet on the home I swore to protect, will be slain here." As the space crackles and Adam begins to change into a form that never existed in history, but only in the stories and memories. As he becomes larger and he gains more designs on his armor, and he gains a sun like halo around his head. The players now face the Fabled Foe "Hero Adam, Savior of the Goddess". The characters all gain the instinctual instinct that they should not hold back in the slightest. I explain to the players that they should use everything they have and even if they die there will be no consequences, but to give it everything they got (can choose to go in further detail if you so choose). Epic battle assumes. Adam's Beyond Legendary Action doesn't activate until he reaches zero hp. That is when he activates Hero's Last Stand. For three turns he will not fall, and he is immune to conditions, and will launch very powerful attacks. The players will now need to last three more turns. The Hero's Last Stand also has a positive effect for the players, as any damage applied to Adam will now directly reduce his damage by the same amount dealt. So the players will now be esentivized to play both defensively and or offensively, and to work together to survive. All to see the last one standing.

(Conclusion)

That was a lot and I thank you for taking the time to read. I want to hear what other DMs think of my idea and I want to hear your own ideas as well.