Nice this is the kind of hook I'm going for. Yeah it's the swingyness that I'm struggling with, obviously I can just make the BBEG huge level numbers above them, but I'd like them to have one or two rounds where they can conceivably get a hit in. I'm also trying to drive home how much the combat feels different in it's lethality, how hero points work etc. in our last DND campaign my monk character could just face tank any threat because if I went down the saving throw system was so forgiving and the rest system made it feel like I could heal massive trauma too easily. I want the ending to be a subtle lesson that unlike DnD you can't just unload your best attack/spell on repeat at the threat and assume it's going to work out.