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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jbear" data-source="post: 6055063" data-attributes="member: 75065">I wouldn't be chafed by PC attempts to ruin a planned encounter using different tactics. Actually I fed a hook into my campaign which if followed would allow the PCs to engage in a skill challenge that would give the PCs a chance to wipe out the vast majority of the encounters on level 1 of the dungeon. Depending on their success with the skill challenge they could wipe out more and more encounters. The thing I like about 4e is that the baseline is so solid that it is really easy to think of ways to deal with a situation that steps outside the realm of a 'typical encounter, and yes, a mini skill challenge could support the situation you describe, but you could make it a mix of combat and challenge, eg. The PCs use bluff, dungeoneering and stealth to draw out the guards successfully (without going into details of how they managed this) which means they deal an auto crit on a hit with CAdv and a +2 to hit +1[W]of dmg during there surprise attack. Use an encounter power to deal this and you will pretty much kill a normal creature outright. If they don't manage it then PCs enter another mini challenge to silence/restrain creature as it tries to sound the alarm before it dies. In any case in a round and a half this is done at the VERY most. Depending on how well it goes will influence their continued attempts to lure out more goblins. And if the PCs do well enough or describe an exceptionally clever ploy why bother rolling dmg ? That goblin is dead.In any case when I play I don't think of 'my precious carefully balanced encounter that can't be messed with' and take agency away from any players that attempt to do so. Honestly, I DM the game the same way I would DM any other system. Anything I feel is missing I add. Anything I don't like I avoid. Anything that is causing issues gets changed. Anything I don't know I make it up.</blockquote>

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