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<blockquote data-quote="FrozenNorth" data-source="post: 8958111" data-attributes="member: 7020832">Having read through the entire thread, I think I have a better handle on the OP’s ask:&nbsp; How do I increase the challenge to the players while minimizing the amount of additional prep time?I have 2 answers:1. Enviromental effects that bite:Take an afternoon and come ip with 20 environmental effects that you can use and re-use to make the existing combats more challenging.&nbsp; Include environmental effects in most combats.&nbsp; Have the occasional combat without environmental effects, but also have the occasional combat with two active.Here are three to get you started:A. Dense fog.&nbsp; Characters can see clearly within two squares, attack against the 3rd square is at disadvantage, squares beyond that cannot be targeted.&nbsp; This forces squishies to close in on monsters, heightening tension without nerfing them.B. Necrotic empowerment (use only if the mosters have an attack that causes necrotic damage).&nbsp; Whenever any creature takes necrotic damage, they take an additional 10 necrotic damage at the end of each of their turns.&nbsp; Every turn, they can make a DC 17 Con save to stop the damage.&nbsp; In the alternative, they (or a character adjacent to them) can use their action to make a DC 13 Medicine check to end the effect.C. Wild magic.&nbsp; Replace the PHB Wild magic table with something better.&nbsp; Ideally, 50% bad, 25% neutral, 25% good. Every time a character casts a non-cantrip spell, there is a 25% chance of a wild surge.2. Level up monsters.&nbsp; Accept that regardless of what the blurb on the adventure says, a 7-character party has roughly twice the hp and deals twice the damage of a standard party.&nbsp; Take this into account:A. Monsters all have max hpB. Monsters are proficient in all saves (you’re still better off targeting an ogre’s Int saves, but now he has a chance of succeeding his save).C. Monster attacks that targetted one character now target two.&nbsp; Monster AOEs are now 5’ larger.D. Use Level Up monsters where possibleE. Be dynamic.&nbsp; If the players spend 20 minutes coming up with a plan, have the monsters attack them first.&nbsp; Be diligent to ensure every player acts quickly on their turn, so you can move to the next person.Above all.&nbsp; Give yourself a break.&nbsp; Often, a DM can feel they are not challenging their players.&nbsp; Meanwhile, the players didn’t notice over the sound of their own awesomeness.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="FrozenNorth, post: 8958111, member: 7020832"] Having read through the entire thread, I think I have a better handle on the OP’s ask: How do I increase the challenge to the players while minimizing the amount of additional prep time? I have 2 answers: 1. Enviromental effects that bite: Take an afternoon and come ip with 20 environmental effects that you can use and re-use to make the existing combats more challenging. Include environmental effects in most combats. Have the occasional combat without environmental effects, but also have the occasional combat with two active. Here are three to get you started: A. Dense fog. Characters can see clearly within two squares, attack against the 3rd square is at disadvantage, squares beyond that cannot be targeted. This forces squishies to close in on monsters, heightening tension without nerfing them. B. Necrotic empowerment (use only if the mosters have an attack that causes necrotic damage). Whenever any creature takes necrotic damage, they take an additional 10 necrotic damage at the end of each of their turns. Every turn, they can make a DC 17 Con save to stop the damage. In the alternative, they (or a character adjacent to them) can use their action to make a DC 13 Medicine check to end the effect. C. Wild magic. Replace the PHB Wild magic table with something better. Ideally, 50% bad, 25% neutral, 25% good. Every time a character casts a non-cantrip spell, there is a 25% chance of a wild surge. 2. Level up monsters. Accept that regardless of what the blurb on the adventure says, a 7-character party has roughly twice the hp and deals twice the damage of a standard party. Take this into account: A. Monsters all have max hp B. Monsters are proficient in all saves (you’re still better off targeting an ogre’s Int saves, but now he has a chance of succeeding his save). C. Monster attacks that targetted one character now target two. Monster AOEs are now 5’ larger. D. Use Level Up monsters where possible E. Be dynamic. If the players spend 20 minutes coming up with a plan, have the monsters attack them first. Be diligent to ensure every player acts quickly on their turn, so you can move to the next person. Above all. Give yourself a break. Often, a DM can feel they are not challenging their players. Meanwhile, the players didn’t notice over the sound of their own awesomeness. [/QUOTE]

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