D&D General BBEGs shouldn't miss.

[Zsong]

Are you implying that the DM simply decide that the BBEG should hit, rather than roll for it?

I think it’s self explanatory

 

[zarionofarabel]

I think it’s self explanatory

Then why bother rolling dice, just tell the players that Boss Monsters always hit. Rolling dice and then ignoring the result is being disingenuous.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

The players get four turns to one turn of the Big Bad Evil Guy. It's fine if, in a combat that lasts three or four rounds, each PC misses once or twice, because overall the party still does something interesting each turn.

I don't think the boss should miss with their attacks, or at the very least they should have an effect regardless of whether their attack hits. This was a common design conceit in 4e, but not in 5e.

Now, in traditional video game RPGs, the PCs and the boss (almost) always hit, unless someone is hit with a condition like blinded. On the other hand, in many action video games the boss will try to do something dangerous, but you can dodge or parry it. However, there's always a sense of the boss being dangerous, and the PCs having to pick the right tactics to survive, rather than just relying on luck of the dice.

What do you think? Should D&D boss monsters have more abilities that don't require a die roll to be threatening?

You should watch Matt Colville’s “Action Oriented Monsters” YouTube video. Full of juicy ideas on how to make big encounters interesting and not fall flat.

Its examples on giving boss encounters bonus and reaction actions just like PCs, plus give them a downgraded variety of legendary actions he called villain actions. Good stuff.

 

[Flamestrike]

Are you implying that the DM simply decide that the BBEG should hit, rather than roll for it?

Im implying that what happens behind the screen is for the DMs eyes only.

 

[Charlaquin]

This is why they invented legendary actions.

Non-legendary BBEGs should always come with a side of mooks.

Simple as this, really.

 

[MarkB]

This is why they invented legendary actions.

Non-legendary BBEGs should always come with a side of mooks.

In that vein, I wonder if it'd be overpowered to introduce a variant use for Legendary Resistances - that the BBEG can expend one of its resistances to cause an opponent to fail a saving throw after they've succeeded at it.

 

[Oofta]

If I do solo BBEGs I set it up so they have a chance of winning. Restrain PCs, hit multiple with a single attack, focus on neutralizing PCs temporarily somehow. Add in ways to get away and hide, split the party and so on. So that dragon is going to use the environment to their advantage and wait until the group can't see far because of buildings, trees or cliffs then do fly-by attacks and take it's time. The monstrous aberration is going to hide in the magical darkness or fog and grapple/drag an individual PC.

I don't do it very often, but if a BBEG is doing a sitting in an open space with nowhere to hide or retreat then it needs to be a tank, probably with lair actions and the willingness to just plow through people like a Fire Giant Dreadnought.

I think too often people just have the dragon fly down and land trying to go toe-to-toe letting all the PCs focus fire without any hindrance, or even much threat to anyone but a front line fighter or two. Then DMs wonder why they die so easily. The biggest difficulty for me is how to keep these fights tense and interesting without turning into slogs, so I'd rather have the BBEG with minions.

 

[zarionofarabel]

Im implying that what happens behind the screen is for the DMs eyes only.

And I am not implying, I am outright saying, that rolling dice and ignoring the result is disingenuous, aka, lying. Don't lie to your players! Try to foster an attitude of trust! You will find that players that don't trust you as DM will be hostile towards you, and this will make it harder and harder to do anything other than have confrontational games. There is nothing worse than having games where it's Players VS the DM. Much better if Players and DMs work together to have an enjoyable experience for all involved.

 

[Flamestrike]

And I am not implying, I am outright saying, that rolling dice and ignoring the result is disingenuous, aka, lying. Don't lie to your players! Try to foster an attitude of trust! You will find that players that don't trust you as DM will be hostile towards you, and this will make it harder and harder to do anything other than have confrontational games. There is nothing worse than having games where it's Players VS the DM. Much better if Players and DMs work together to have an enjoyable experience for all involved.

I get what you're saying, and I disagree.

 

[Oofta]

And I am not implying, I am outright saying, that rolling dice and ignoring the result is disingenuous, aka, lying. Don't lie to your players! Try to foster an attitude of trust! You will find that players that don't trust you as DM will be hostile towards you, and this will make it harder and harder to do anything other than have confrontational games. There is nothing worse than having games where it's Players VS the DM. Much better if Players and DMs work together to have an enjoyable experience for all involved.

If someone is rolling in secret and always hitting it eventually becomes obvious. There are plenty of ways of challenging the group without resorting to guaranteed hits or inventing powers and effects designed solely to nerf PCs.

On the other hand, if the PCs stomp on your carefully designed challenge I think you should celebrate with them. You can always turn the dial up to 11 next time!