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last encounter was totally one-sided
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<blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 6971405" data-attributes="member: 6785785"><p>There are two parts of the conversation, I think, so I'll try and separate them.</p><p></p><p>The 6-8 encounter point. It's a stated expectation of how the game is designed. I think it's a guideline. I personally rarely actually follow this guideline. I think my adventuring days tend to consist of 2-4 encounters, generally. I find other ways to challenge my group in addition to multiple encounters. </p><p></p><p>However, that doesn't mean that the published adventures don't have that in mind. Both LMoP and HotDQ are designed with multiple encounters a day. That's very clear...the books are written that way. And while I don't think the adventure specifically states "make sure you have 6-8 encounters in a day" it does things like place the PCs in a remote area with multiple enemy locations nearby for them to deal with, and the idea of a short rest is risky if not impossible, and a long rest is out of the question. The circumstances of the adventure enforce the multiple encounter day. </p><p></p><p>Again...it's a guideline. I don't think that it must be adhered to at all times. But you claimed that the designers don't follow their own guidelines, so I showed how they clearly have.</p><p></p><p>Now...the second part of the conversation is about how the guideline doesn't work for you and your group. That's understandable. As I said above, I don't often reach the full 6-8 encounter mark, but I do tend to have multiple encounters in a day. I stay in that habit so that even when there is only one combat, my players know that another is possible. Just that possibility is enough from keeping them from going full nova unless they've no option. </p><p></p><p>In addition to multiple encounters, I make use of the following techniques:</p><p>- I liberally use underling type monsters and a variety of monster types (ranged, casters, brutes, etc.)</p><p>- I pay attention to positioning and terrain (just basic terrain, not hazards like lava pits)</p><p>- I play the monsters and villains as if they are thinking creatures with goals that don't include being killed by the PCs</p><p>- I do my best to utilize the monsters and villains to their full effect</p><p>- I create possible encounters where the PCs simply will not win, so this way they have to learn to seek alternative solutions to fighting, and they're also less likely to view all encounters from the meta-standpoint of "the DM wouldn't give us an unwinnable encounter"</p><p>- I alter monsters to create boss type characters or greater threats- this usually consists of legendary actions and resistance and maybe some class abilities</p><p></p><p>There are other methods that I'm sure I am overlooking, but those are the big ones that I can think of. Now, I don't know if any of these things would work for you or not, and I'm sure that you've heard them all before, but my point is that I've made the game work for me...and of the things I listed above, 5 of the 6 have nothing to do with game mechanics.</p><p></p><p>You say things like "allow a couple of feats and the game breaks" but your descriptions are not that your PCs have a couple of feats; it's that your PCs each have multiple feats and many multi-class. You have to adjust for that. How you do so is up to you...I do the above, maybe something else will work for you....but you can't do nothing and then blame the game design.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="hawkeyefan, post: 6971405, member: 6785785"] There are two parts of the conversation, I think, so I'll try and separate them. The 6-8 encounter point. It's a stated expectation of how the game is designed. I think it's a guideline. I personally rarely actually follow this guideline. I think my adventuring days tend to consist of 2-4 encounters, generally. I find other ways to challenge my group in addition to multiple encounters. However, that doesn't mean that the published adventures don't have that in mind. Both LMoP and HotDQ are designed with multiple encounters a day. That's very clear...the books are written that way. And while I don't think the adventure specifically states "make sure you have 6-8 encounters in a day" it does things like place the PCs in a remote area with multiple enemy locations nearby for them to deal with, and the idea of a short rest is risky if not impossible, and a long rest is out of the question. The circumstances of the adventure enforce the multiple encounter day. Again...it's a guideline. I don't think that it must be adhered to at all times. But you claimed that the designers don't follow their own guidelines, so I showed how they clearly have. Now...the second part of the conversation is about how the guideline doesn't work for you and your group. That's understandable. As I said above, I don't often reach the full 6-8 encounter mark, but I do tend to have multiple encounters in a day. I stay in that habit so that even when there is only one combat, my players know that another is possible. Just that possibility is enough from keeping them from going full nova unless they've no option. In addition to multiple encounters, I make use of the following techniques: - I liberally use underling type monsters and a variety of monster types (ranged, casters, brutes, etc.) - I pay attention to positioning and terrain (just basic terrain, not hazards like lava pits) - I play the monsters and villains as if they are thinking creatures with goals that don't include being killed by the PCs - I do my best to utilize the monsters and villains to their full effect - I create possible encounters where the PCs simply will not win, so this way they have to learn to seek alternative solutions to fighting, and they're also less likely to view all encounters from the meta-standpoint of "the DM wouldn't give us an unwinnable encounter" - I alter monsters to create boss type characters or greater threats- this usually consists of legendary actions and resistance and maybe some class abilities There are other methods that I'm sure I am overlooking, but those are the big ones that I can think of. Now, I don't know if any of these things would work for you or not, and I'm sure that you've heard them all before, but my point is that I've made the game work for me...and of the things I listed above, 5 of the 6 have nothing to do with game mechanics. You say things like "allow a couple of feats and the game breaks" but your descriptions are not that your PCs have a couple of feats; it's that your PCs each have multiple feats and many multi-class. You have to adjust for that. How you do so is up to you...I do the above, maybe something else will work for you....but you can't do nothing and then blame the game design. [/QUOTE]
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