Quote Originally Posted by Fruchtkracher View Post
I am at a loss as to why my PCs should survive. As i why any big evil dude would let them live.
So far I've reasoned that arrogance and underestimating them might be prime reasons, but I kinda cannot play all my BBEGs as such.
Also, after gaining a bit of fame and renown the underestimating shouldn't happen anymore.

In this case, my PC's (at lvl 9) are known for saving the world and stopping a rather major crime syndicate.
Why would any other criminal organisation in the towns they enter let them live long enough to pose a danger to them?
If your games require having a monolithic villain entity which could wipe the players out with aplomb, loom into other antagonist structures.

The BBEG is getting old.

Have someone who's not a BBEG, but a conniver. They have an agenda and manipulate others to get it; they throw obstacles in the party's way by convincing other people to do it. They aren't strong. They aren't secure. They don't have any real power. They CAN'T just kill the party. In fact, they could have left the party alone and been fine. But their paranoia starts the party investigating who attacked them and leads to them being beaten.