What's the WORST type of encounter you hate to write up?

[kitsune9]

Hello Gamers!

So this is more of a style of play or adventure prep question. What's the WORST kind of encounter you hate to write up, but you need to, because it wouldn't make sense otherwise?

For me, I cannot stand writing up ship-to-ship combats. For some reason, I just do not like them. However, I can just hand-waive the voyage and let it go with that, but when the PC's are crossing the Sea of the Pirates, or the Ocean of Lost Ships, and so on, it's kind of dumb for the PC's to be one group that traverses such waters safely. Consistently. Sigh....So I need to write some kind of encounter.

How about you? What type of encounter just doesn't appeal to you? Do you do the hand-waive or grin and bear it and get it done?

Here's a second part that I thought about making into a separate thread, but in thinking about it, we'll keep it here. If you don't have a worst type of encounter, what would you say has been a challenging encounter for you to write? You thought of an encounter, you started writing it out, and then you realize.....hmmmm....this is not what I'm expecting.

Happy Gaming!

 

[weem]

Underwater combat... to be honest, I have never done it in all my years of DM-ing. WITH THAT SAID, I do intend on having one underwater combat during my next campaign (thanks for your feedback by the way, hehe).

There are plenty I have not done for various reasons, but that is the one kind that really sticks out and is definitely the worst for me.

But I suppose you did say "you hate to write up, but you need to, because it wouldn't make sense otherwise" so that one does not really qualify (as I obviously haven't needed to yet).

In that case I guess it would be encounters that involve a lot of darkness or dim light where visibility has to be taken into consideration. I know you are thinking... so what, you hate encounters at night? haha - but basically when I am doing those kind of encounters I know that we'll be double checking some rules etc - though I do have some players who are very good with them now so I worry a little less about it, hehe.

 

[Holy Bovine]

Anything in 3E over level 15. Seriously. I nearly quit D&D altogether because of it.

 

[avin]

Encounters on a 3D environment such as underwater or flying.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Any encounter with with long statblocks.

 

[roguerouge]

So, you enter the city....

 

[Aloïsius]

Encounters involving a high level 3e spellcaster. "so, I have selected his 1st and 2nd level spells, only 6 left to go !". What a pain... 4e is so much better for that...

 

[Dragonbait]

Varies by edition
3E - A group with high-level NPCs that the PCs need to fight. Adding prestige classes, spells, spell levels and appropriate magical items so that they might stand a chance against the group? Oy.

4E - Boss fights. I like to keep them moving, interesting, and with opportunities to break the combat for some RP then get back to the fighting, and have the boss remain a threat to the PCs without having impossible-to-hit defenses.

 

[Xuttah]

Romantic entanglements. Best to just reduce it to a few diplomacy rolls unless it's a major story item.

 

[kitsune9]

Romantic entanglements. Best to just reduce it to a few diplomacy rolls unless it's a major story item.

Back in 2e, I had a female gamer and good friend that wanted more "romance fantasy". Here I am, just in my early 20's and I want to run chaotic carnage fighting encounters for the rest of the high-octane guys and she wants romance fantasy. Sigh...

I hated writing NPCs for this, but I did because my own personal philosophy is to give players something they want too so they can have fun.