Creating encounters for characters?

[El Seso]

A little of both, I think.
If you don't taylor the adventures towards the PC at least a bit, you have players that focus on power-gamming instead of roll-playing when they build thier characters. It can be more fun for your players if you let one shine for an adventure every once in a while.
And although it's true that the universe does not work around the way an individual wants it to work, this is fantasy and is intended to be enjoyable and entertaining. After all, how much fun would Indiana Jones have if he were stuck in Pretty Woman?

 

[Airwolf]

I will arrange an adventure so it challenges the party. If they does not have a rogue then they better be read for a few more traps, not lethal but they will do some damage. If the party doesn't have a cleric then look for some damage to be dealt.

I want the players to have fun and feel like they accomplished something beyond themselves.

I also, if possible, will try to incorporate some part of one or more of the characters back ground into the story line.

 

[Fenes 2]

I tailor all encounters to my players and the PCs. I use their background and try to adapt to their desires. If no one is interested in a dungeon crawl, then I won't create a dungeon crawl. If no one is playing a cleric, or no one likes playing careful, investigative types, then I won't "show them the error of their ways" by making them learn it the hard way - I will adapt the encounters, the whole world, so that their way of playing will fit in. There may be PCs that I will not accept, but those I accept will have encounters tailored for them.

 

[GnomeWorks]

Then you condone creating unbalanced adventures as defined on Page 10 of the DMG?

If the party is aware that there are going to be traps, or that there is a great possibility that there are going to be traps, then they deserve everything they get if they don't do anything to prepare for that.

If the party is not aware of the lethal traps, then yes, I would say that it is unbalanced. The party should at least be aware of the possibility of traps. Not to mention that traps are a dirty tactic in the first place. So long as the party is aware of the traps, or at least the possibility thereof, I see no problem with this scenario.

Magic doesn't solve every problem; And if it does, magic is a problem.

Magic has the ability to solve nearly every problem. It cannot solve all, but it can come close.

 

[Bendris Noulg]

Fair enough... I think we're similar in outlook, but not an exact fit, muddled further by terminology.

Game on.

 

[GnomeWorks]

Fair enough... I think we're similar in outlook, but not an exact fit, muddled further by terminology.

Indeed. It also sounds like you've done quite a bit of modification... something I'm also guilty of.

Game on.

Game on.

 

[Umbran]

I vote "other" meaning, "a mixture".

Sometimes you tailor for the party, sometimes you don't.

There's also a big difference in my mind between, "tailor to the party" and "create an encounter in whichn everybody can feel they've been an active participant, even if they aren't the main focus. Creating encounters where it's pretty obvious that some folks are gonna just sit and do nothing is poor dramatics, IMHO.

 

[Sanackranib]

encounters

I actually do all 3 but most encounters I try to balance for the party. It's all about having fun and chalanging your players. so whatever works . . .

 

[Arnwyn]

A mixture. I will tailor adventures to appropriately challenge a party of 4-6 (since I have 6 players) "standard" adventurers. All my adventures assume there is a cleric, rogue, and wizard in the party.

I have made very clear to my friends/players what type of campaign I run, and what they can expect. If they decide to make a party of 6 wizards, it's at their own peril. Of course, they have never done this, nor will they ever do this, as they (like me) prefer a "standard" campaign. I guess that's why we game together...!

I will create "balanced" adventures, but I will not necessarily create balanced *encounters*. There will certainly be situations when they will meet creatures/NPCs that can clean their clocks in a heartbeat. However, the characters will always be able to escape or parley from such situations - there will never be any dirty instant-death-ambushes. However, it will be up to the players to decide what to do, and to properly assess such situations - and sometimes time will be at a premium...

 

[Lex Talionis]

I would have to say 'Other'. Previously I would run a module-based campaign, basically running them 'as-written'.

Now I'm trying to take the time to tailor the adventure and the encounters to the group. This has made it a lot more fun for both myself and the rest of the team.

The only problem I have noticed is that since I have started 'tailoring' the adventures, they have gotten a lot more dangerous for the players. I try to keep the power level about the same, adjusting stats,feats and equipment (magical and non-magical) to be appropriate for that encounter, but it seems that the players have been having a more difficult time of it.

Not that they are complaining... They keep coming back for more!