Weak Points
Table of contents
As is Zelda tradition, Bosses and Minibosses almost always have at least one Weak Point. Lesser foes might have Weak Points too!
A foe’s Weak Point might first need to be revealed; only then can it be struck! Each foe has a unique method to have its Weak Point revealed, different from all others. It may be one of the common Zelda strategies to the right, a combination of them, or an entirely unique method devised by the GM!
When a Weak Point is struck, the attack ignores all Defense, statuses, weapons, resistances, and all other factors on the foe that might lessen the damage. The foe cannot use Reactions to mitigate the damage. The attack is also considered to have struck a Vulnerability (adding 4 damage to the attack flat-out).
Typically, once the Weak Point has been struck, the Heroes will not be able to strike it again immediately. The Weak Point may disappear, the foe may move the Heroes or manipulate the battlefield, or the foe may enter a state where their Weak Point cannot be revealed or struck until their next turn.
Weak Point Examples
- Revealing the Weak Point may require striking the foe with a specific Tool, Spell, Technique, or other means.
- The Weak Point might just be a specific location on the foe’s body. This Achilles Heel is Hard to Hit; if the Roll To-Hit the Weak Point misses by more than 2, the attack misses the foe entirely.
- The foe may have minions whose life force protects it. The minions must be dispatched in order to reveal the Weak Point. When the Weak Point is struck, the minions reappear, ready to fight yet again (possibly powered up, or with additional tricks up their sleeves).
- The foe’s environment may need to be manipulated - switches pressed, levers pulled, or targets shot. When the Weak Point disappears, the previously-used switches or levers no longer function, requiring the Heroes to find other objects in the environment to manipulate.
- The Heroes may simply have to wait for the foe to use a certain attack, or even goad them into using it.
Once revealed, a Weak Point stays revealed for one full round (until the end of the next turn of the combatant that revealed it), or until it is exploited. Some (but not all!) Bosses or Minibosses may become stunned when their Weak Point is revealed, allowing for an easy attack.
Designing Bosses
Consider the stakes.
Heroes do not solely build their legend by fighting powerful foes; the best-remembered, most talked-about battles happen on both a tactical and an emotional level.
When designing a Boss, think about what the stakes are for your Heroes. Don’t be afraid to use emotional bonds, innocent bystanders, or difficult choices, to make the battle memorable – and a problem that can’t be solved solely with brute force.
Make the battlefield part of the fight.
Boss fights are intended to be epic and memorable set pieces, and should take place on an impressive stage.
Consider making the arena interactive – perhaps it has traps and hazards that the Heroes must deal with while fighting the Boss, or weather that inconveniences both friend and foe. Alternatively, perhaps the battlefield can be used against the Boss, weakening them, or preventing them from using their full power (giving the Boss a chance to be a memorable, recurring foe!)
Consider giving them a Backup Weapon.
When faced with a powerful foe using a powerful weapon, Heroes are liable to try and disarm their foe with the Disarm Combat Maneuver. By giving your Boss or Miniboss a backup weapon (one less powerful than their preferred weapon), you allow this tactic to still be effective, without neutering it outright.
If you make the backup weapon a Natural Weapon, you also prevent Heroes from disarming the Boss repeatedly: they may remove the foe’s more powerful preferred weapon, but still need to deal with them using their less-powerful Natural Weapon.
There’s more to a Boss than statistics.
Bosses and Minibosses, moreso than other foes, might have enchanted equipment, and multiple Spells and Techniques, to bring to bear. They might also have minions and traps at their disposal. Truly calculating Bosses might even spy on the Heroes, tailoring their kit and defenses to counter what they observe.
Don’t forget that intelligent enemies (including Bosses and Minibosses) can use items, Maneuvers, and many other unorthodox strategies, to try and win the day. Perhaps the bandit warlord orders his men to try and disarm the Heroes, and has his lieutenant stay behind him – with a hostage he can use as a human shield or a bargaining chip, if the tides turn against him.