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<blockquote data-quote="J-H" data-source="post: 9217454" data-attributes="member: 7020951"><p>Thanks! The post above about Twists is a great idea.</p><p></p><p>#1: Chimera, CR 8 by itself. Easy encounter, and no ranged options except a breath weapon, and no CC. Easy fight. No threat to anyone except players who choose to stand next to it once it's grounded. Too easy.</p><p>#2: Gorgon, CR5, giant CR 5 or 7 (Hill giant or stone giant), plus NPCs (not sure, CR 1-2?). Re-read the text of charm spells. They only protect the caster, not the entire party, and they are not domination spells unless it's something like Crown of Madness. Any ambushing? Enemies entering the fight in round 2 from a different direction? Still looks like an easy fight by CR.</p><p>#3: 9 lions, all melee, 8x CR1 + 1 bigger one. All melee, no CC, and no threat to the squishies unless they attacked from ambush along the sides where they could hit everyone at once.</p><p></p><p>Where are the archers? The enemies using magic? The debuffs or AOEs that are more than a 15' cone directed at the party tank? If you want to challenge your party, don't limit yourself to melee beatsticks. Here's how I would re-work them to be actual challenges.</p><p>#1: 3 Chimeras attacking from two directions. Earthbind only knocks 1/3 of the enemies out, and at least one of them can go after the back line. The chimeras use flight for mobility, and use tree tops to provide cover against ranged fire when they aren't down in melee. They disengage at 40% health and fly nearby, swooping back in if someone gets really low health.</p><p></p><p>#2: The Gorgon is sleeping nearby and gets woken up by combat, charging blindly forward from the side, possibly hitting the back line. It may also be something that can be lured towards the enemies. One foe, possibly the giant, has a few druid spells and Constitution save proficiency, and uses Spike Growth to keep people from running away from him. He stays in back and hurls rocks while the soldiers screen, using the rocks and terrain for cover from ranged attacks.</p><p></p><p>#3: All the lions get buffs. I'd modify a Winter Wolf statblock for something level-appropriate (8x CR 3s). The big one stands on the path as a distraction. The others all attack from hiding along one side, they attack from one side, two lions targeting each PC as the pack targets their prey. Then they retarget to any characters knocked prone, biting them and trying to drag them off into the jungle.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="J-H, post: 9217454, member: 7020951"] Thanks! The post above about Twists is a great idea. #1: Chimera, CR 8 by itself. Easy encounter, and no ranged options except a breath weapon, and no CC. Easy fight. No threat to anyone except players who choose to stand next to it once it's grounded. Too easy. #2: Gorgon, CR5, giant CR 5 or 7 (Hill giant or stone giant), plus NPCs (not sure, CR 1-2?). Re-read the text of charm spells. They only protect the caster, not the entire party, and they are not domination spells unless it's something like Crown of Madness. Any ambushing? Enemies entering the fight in round 2 from a different direction? Still looks like an easy fight by CR. #3: 9 lions, all melee, 8x CR1 + 1 bigger one. All melee, no CC, and no threat to the squishies unless they attacked from ambush along the sides where they could hit everyone at once. Where are the archers? The enemies using magic? The debuffs or AOEs that are more than a 15' cone directed at the party tank? If you want to challenge your party, don't limit yourself to melee beatsticks. Here's how I would re-work them to be actual challenges. #1: 3 Chimeras attacking from two directions. Earthbind only knocks 1/3 of the enemies out, and at least one of them can go after the back line. The chimeras use flight for mobility, and use tree tops to provide cover against ranged fire when they aren't down in melee. They disengage at 40% health and fly nearby, swooping back in if someone gets really low health. #2: The Gorgon is sleeping nearby and gets woken up by combat, charging blindly forward from the side, possibly hitting the back line. It may also be something that can be lured towards the enemies. One foe, possibly the giant, has a few druid spells and Constitution save proficiency, and uses Spike Growth to keep people from running away from him. He stays in back and hurls rocks while the soldiers screen, using the rocks and terrain for cover from ranged attacks. #3: All the lions get buffs. I'd modify a Winter Wolf statblock for something level-appropriate (8x CR 3s). The big one stands on the path as a distraction. The others all attack from hiding along one side, they attack from one side, two lions targeting each PC as the pack targets their prey. Then they retarget to any characters knocked prone, biting them and trying to drag them off into the jungle. [/QUOTE]
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