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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Flamestrike" data-source="post: 6836434" data-attributes="member: 6788736">If you use the longer rest variant in your games, then a 4 x deadly encounter will wind up as a TPK. I'd wager you have only increased the difficulty up to this point in response to your players using nova tactics (i.e. they were steamrolling easier encounters). In other words, these deadlier encoutners have only reinforced the need for nova tactics. Heck, the encounters even necessitate nova strikes to avoid TPKs.To stop nova tactics, you use more encounters, not harder ones. Let them blow their load on encounters one and two. Then (as they crawl off to long rest) throw 4-6 more encounters at them when they're out of smites, rages, and spell slots. They'll cotton on quick and hold back after doing this to them just the once.I would use this tactic sparingly. I prefer to let the players know from the start how much time they have to complete the quest, and they can guess a rough estimation of the number of encounters before their next long rest based around this (and from past experience). If your players expect several encounters before a long rest is taken, theyll pace themselves accordingly. Throw a death match at them and it could go south, fast.Your players wont have the resources to deal with a 4 x deadly fight anymore. Assuming a party of 5 x 10th level PCs, they have a deadly threshold of 14,000xp. 4 x Deadly = 56,000XPThat equals:1 x CR 23 monster (50,000) - 1 x Ancient blue dragon3 x CR 13 monsters (60,000) - 3 x Storm giants1 x CR 12 and 8 x CR 5s (57,000) - 1 x Archmage and 8 x elementals (two of each type)6 x CR 9s (60,000) - 6 x GlabrezusAny of which would absolutely wipe the floor with 5 x 10th level PCs unless those PCs were fully rested, had everything going for them (including surprise), and are prepared to nova like crazy (and even then there is a good chance of a TPK).</blockquote>

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