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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Fanaelialae" data-source="post: 5802321" data-attributes="member: 53980">No, I'm not assuming how the game is supposed to be played. I'm working off of experience, having played with two no-holds-barred, tactical 4e DMs, and having DM'd it myself.In our games monsters never take the defender as their preferred target. One creature will go after him, to try to keep him occupied, while the rest will concentrate their attacks on the squishies. However, that doesn't tend to work out for them because the defender will typically use abilities that allow him to grab the attention of at least 2, and sometimes more, creatures. Dog piling on the wizard every encounter, however, isn't smart play; it's plain meta-gaming sadism. You dog pile on any one character, even the fighter, every encounter and I can guarantee that the guy will die sooner than later.On the other hand, if one or two creatures decide to go after the wizard, the defender ought to be able to handle that. That's what things like CAGI, Threatening Rush, and numerous other defender powers are designed to do. They force a creature to attack the defender by making it tactically inadvisable to do otherwise. Don't get me wrong, I recommend provoking fighter's marks. It makes combat more exciting for everyone involved. But the penalties also tend to make is so that the creature doesn't last long enough to take the squishies down.It's not like the wizard can't take a hit or two. According to you it's more like four and a half. Healing can extend that further. Other party members, even non-defenders, can interject on his behalf, immobilizing his foes or penalizing their attacks. Wizards also have a number of spells that allow them to push an enemy away or immobilize them. They have utility spells like shield and dimension door to manage spurts of attention. A wizard should be able to handle himself, he just can't tank the encounter. There's nothing wrong with that.Also, regarding your example, a level + 3 encounter is intended to be hard! That's like complaining that the PCs had a hard time with a CR +4 encounter in 3e. If you don't like that level of challenge play encounters closer to your level and the problem is solved.</blockquote>

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