D&D 5E (2024) Mike Mearls explains why your boss monsters die too easily

[Yaarel]

So you kinda have a system of "sublevels". At Level 1.5, you recover all your hit points, spells and abilities. At Level 2, you recover all your hit points, spells, and abilities, and gain a new level.

Of course, it also means you can never nova. Most combats must be in a narrow range or players will be out of resources before they reach level x.5. That isn't ideal, either. Unless maybe you classify encounters explicitely as "easy, moderate or hard", so players know the can blow more resources. Kinda like Torg did - you have normal scenes and dramatic scenes, in dramatic scenes, the villains got more favorable conditions from the drama deck.

Currently, for the long rest classes, I have been counting encounters until the next level. Most levels are fifteen. There is only one long rest per level, so the intended math works out. This is a "deep rest" that a player can use at any time during the level to fully refresh. For example, while other players are doing short rests ("normal rests"), one player whose character was seriously injured can decide to gain the benefits of the deep rest, while other characters gain the benefits of a short rest.

But, your point that this can also be standardized as a midway level up, also has merit. There is a full refresh long rest benefit when leveling up to 6, and could a gain happen after eight encounters and a kind of level up to "6.5". This regularity would give players a clearer sense of when the next refresh will happen, thus utilize resources accordingly, and perhaps encourage more teamwork to handle injured characters.

 

[Bae'zel]

Goblin minions dont have ranged attacks.

In 2024' monster manual, they do. Daggers can be melee or ranged (it states that in statblock).

Otherwise I'd just give them shortbows.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Currently, for the long rest classes, I have been counting encounters until the next level. Most levels are fifteen. There is only one long rest per level, so the intended math works out. This is a "deep rest" that a player can use at any time during the level to fully refresh. For example, while other players are doing short rests ("normal rests"), one player whose character was seriously injured can decide to gain the benefits of the deep rest, while other characters gain the benefits of a long rest.

But, your point that this can also be standardized as a midway level up, also has merit. There is a full refresh long rest benefit when leveling up to 6, and could a gain happen after eight encounters and a kind of level up to "6.5". This regularity would give players a clearer sense of when the next refresh will happen, thus utilize resources accordingly, and perhaps encourage more teamwork to handle injured characters.

So what does this mean for the setting? NPCs tend not to gain levels, or at least not as fast than the PCs. Do they never regain their spells or heal?

 

[James Gasik]

Quantum allies then?

They have allies within distance when you go 8 encounters and are spent as well as when you do 3 encounters and rest.

Either way you are spending 24 hours in the area.

If so then guerrilla tactics make the most sense if not rush by narrative.

Yeah, either you're always going to have to deal with 300 goblins with rest or 300 goblins without rest, right? Do3s anyone really think the players can handle 300 goblins without resting?

RE: hordes with ranged attacks. Don't forget cover, even cover that comes in the form of goblins in front of other goblins or piles of dead goblins you can hide behind, lol. That's another effective -2 to hit which will quickly having you fishing for crits round after round.

Also, if the goblins don't want to melee, just sit down and go prone to force disadvantage to hit for another -4.5 (and presumably reducing the chance of a crit to 2.5% per goblin)!

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Yeah, either you're always going to have to deal with 300 goblins with rest or 300 goblins without rest, right? Do3s anyone really think the players can handle 300 goblins without resting?

PCs might. The players definitely can't; that would be insane amount of tedious combat gameplay.

 

[TwoSix]

Currently, for the long rest classes, I have been counting encounters until the next level. Most levels are fifteen. There is only one long rest per level, so the intended math works out. This is a "deep rest" that a player can use at any time during the level to fully refresh. For example, while other players are doing short rests ("normal rests"), one player whose character was seriously injured can decide to gain the benefits of the deep rest, while other characters gain the benefits of a long rest.

But, your point that this can also be standardized as a midway level up, also has merit. There is a full refresh long rest benefit when leveling up to 6, and could a gain happen after eight encounters and a kind of level up to "6.5". This regularity would give players a clearer sense of when the next refresh will happen, thus utilize resources accordingly, and perhaps encourage more teamwork to handle injured characters.

If you wanted to make it simpler, but also more fast-paced, you could also just gain the benefits of a long rest only when the characters level. 7-8 challenging encounters per level is around the average for my groups.

I'll also add my normal caveat that powerful abilities (like spells) should NOT be rechargeable purely via time for D&D-style play; the better gameplay loop is to have spells be rechargeable by reagents/treasure gathered via the adventure process, and then time spent after the adventure to use those reagents to recharge spells.

 

[Yaarel]

So what does this mean for the setting? NPCs tend not to gain levels, or at least not as fast than the PCs. Do they never regain their spells or heal?

The biggest benefit for the setting is, counting off these fifteen encounters per level can happen at any time, whether all in one day during a dungeon crawl, or spread out across a month while traveling. I no longer care about artificial time constraints. The amounts of time proceed strictly according to whatever makes sense for the story.

Regarding NPC companions, they refresh whenever the players refresh.

Regarding when hostile NPCs rest, honestly I havent put too much thought into the matter. They are at full strength whenever they are encountered. A recurring villain would be full strength each time one shows up, and if a nemesis would level up sotospeak. If there is a chase scene pursuing an injured NPC, it would normally still be injured when players catch up to it.

Generally, for monster statblocks that are casters, I as DM decide what their spells are, regardless of what the statblock suggests. Your point about adding noncaster features like Rage feels appropriate too. Creating and modifying new monsters is something that DMs are supposed to do. Similarly inventing new magic items. I dont like giving out magic item treasure as loot, unless the monsters were using the magic item against the heroes first.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

The biggest benefit for the setting is, counting off these fifteen encounters per level can happen at any time, whether all in one day during a dungeon crawl, or spread out across a month while traveling. I no longer care about artificial time constraints. The amounts of time proceed strictly according to whatever makes sense for the story.

Regarding NPC companions, they refresh whenever the players refresh.

Regarding when hostile NPCs rest, honestly I havent put too much thought into the matter. They are at full strength whenever they are encountered. A recurring villain would be full strength each time one shows up, and if a nemesis would level up sotospeak. If there is a chase scene pursuing an injured NPC, it would normally still be injured when players catch up to it.

Generally, for monster statblocks that are casters, I as DM decide what their spells are, regardless of what the statblock suggests. Your point about adding noncaster features like Rage feels appropriate too. Creating and modifying new monsters is something that DMs are supposed to do. Similarly inventing new magic items. I dont like giving out magic item treasure as loot, unless the monsters were using the magic item against the heroes first.

Yeah, I am too much of a simulationist to be comfortable with this. I think things like how spells get refreshed etc should be things that are knowable to the people in the setting instead of just being disassociated mechanics.

 

[Yaarel]

Yeah, I am too much of a simulationist to be comfortable with this. I think things like how spells get refreshed etc should be things that are knowable to the people in the setting instead of just being disassociated mechanics.

Are you comfortable with a long rest refresh when leveling up?

When a player chooses a "deep rest" during the encounters of the level, the narrative is from story telling structure. This is the "rally" after the loss of hope in the wilderness, sotospeak. The character feels a new sense of hope and wellbeing and the confidence to face the climactic battle. In D&D, hit points include intangibles such as a feeling of well restedness, hope, alertness, confidence, etcetera.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Are you comfortable with a long rest refresh when leveling up?

When a player chooses a "deep rest" during the encounters of the level, the narrative is from story telling structure. This is the "rally" after the loss of hope in the wilderness, sotospeak. The character feels a new sense of hope and wellbeing and the confidence to face the climactic battle. In D&D, hit points include intangibles such as a feeling of well restedness, hope, alertness, confidence, etcetera.

Yeah, too narrativist for me, mate. Like I want the wizard to able to in-character answer when they're able to cast their big spells again and I want the characters, and not just the players, to be able to make plans based on this information. And same for the NPCs.