TaranTheWanderer
Legend
I played in a group who used these techniques. Here is how we got severely punished for our foolishness:
Doorways. Room that have no other exits are usually off hallways and a group of PCs standing, grouped together in a hallway are perfect targets for AoEs. Why should the PC wizard be the only one hurling fireballs? Stinking cloud in a hallway works too. A pit trap outside the door is pretty awesome too. Even if no-one falls in, they won't be able to approach the door without a climb check.
A clever enemy runs up to the fighter blocking the door and closes the door on the party. (make sure door open IN to the room. Then have them lock the door. While the party is trying to bash down the door, the enemy is ringing a gong and warning the entire dungeon of the intruders.
Better yet, grapple the one blocking the door and PULL HIM IN TO THE ROOM. Then close the door and lock it.
Our DM never played rooms as individual combats. Scouts, lookouts, random encounters and traps. Non of them are deadly. Their job is to simply make noise.
Which brings me to Scouting. Why kill the scout? Just have him alert the entire dungeon. Good luck trying to sneak out now that they've reinforced the entrance. The party is going to have a much harder time getting in now. And there will be ambushes everywhere. Or the boss will just wait and see how the first fight goes. If the party decimates all defenses, the Boss packs his loot and leaves. Maybe sets off the self-destruct before he goes.
Caution. Lost loot. We were 8th level and had one magic item each. We were dirt poor. This was 3rd edition.
Lastly, design room entrances like this:
Edit: my diagram didn't work...please hold...
So there's no actual door. Just a wall overlapping another wall. Two entrances to guard and a way for enemies to flank and no way for wizards to cast in to the room without going in. You could put a door at the hall, if you wanted.
Doorways. Room that have no other exits are usually off hallways and a group of PCs standing, grouped together in a hallway are perfect targets for AoEs. Why should the PC wizard be the only one hurling fireballs? Stinking cloud in a hallway works too. A pit trap outside the door is pretty awesome too. Even if no-one falls in, they won't be able to approach the door without a climb check.
A clever enemy runs up to the fighter blocking the door and closes the door on the party. (make sure door open IN to the room. Then have them lock the door. While the party is trying to bash down the door, the enemy is ringing a gong and warning the entire dungeon of the intruders.
Better yet, grapple the one blocking the door and PULL HIM IN TO THE ROOM. Then close the door and lock it.
Our DM never played rooms as individual combats. Scouts, lookouts, random encounters and traps. Non of them are deadly. Their job is to simply make noise.
Which brings me to Scouting. Why kill the scout? Just have him alert the entire dungeon. Good luck trying to sneak out now that they've reinforced the entrance. The party is going to have a much harder time getting in now. And there will be ambushes everywhere. Or the boss will just wait and see how the first fight goes. If the party decimates all defenses, the Boss packs his loot and leaves. Maybe sets off the self-destruct before he goes.
Caution. Lost loot. We were 8th level and had one magic item each. We were dirt poor. This was 3rd edition.
Lastly, design room entrances like this:
Edit: my diagram didn't work...please hold...
So there's no actual door. Just a wall overlapping another wall. Two entrances to guard and a way for enemies to flank and no way for wizards to cast in to the room without going in. You could put a door at the hall, if you wanted.
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