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<blockquote data-quote="Bercilac" data-source="post: 4839091" data-attributes="member: 82608">Try to work WITH their playing styleAye, character death can be fun.&nbsp; Regarding the original question, here are a couple of ways to get your spellcasters using better spells (a few may have been mentioned before):1.&nbsp; Have NPCs use them on them.&nbsp; Check that spellcasters have spellcraft...&nbsp; When spell X puts someone's insides on their outside, you can bet the players are going to want to do it to others.2.&nbsp; Create an encounter that trumps their normal approach... but place in such a way that they will quickly realise they're losing (fighter takes massive damage and spells running out, no progress in sight), and then they can run away.&nbsp; Don't be vindictive: let them get away.&nbsp; If this offends your sense of reality, give them a getaway car (magic carpet, teleportation device, whatever).&nbsp; Give them a moment to strategise and rest up, then attempt it again.&nbsp; Maybe they have to lay siege to a small fortress.&nbsp; It ain't going anywhere, and sieges are meant to take a while.3.&nbsp; Just be explicit.&nbsp; At the end of the adventure, say &quot;You know, you could have saved yourself a lot of grief on those thingumies if you had cast whatsit.&nbsp; Man, that's a great spell.&nbsp; HINT EFFING HINT.&quot;&nbsp; Don't be as sarcastic as I am, though.Regarding dragon-hunting, one of the problems here is that you've shown the sweetest adventure hook as one they're not supposed to take.&nbsp; I've done this myself, from time to time.&nbsp; You do a great job fleshing out your world, complete with &quot;Here be dragons,&quot; and the players don't think it's dangerous.&nbsp; Then again, your players seem to KNOW it's dangerous by now.&nbsp; But maybe you could design several SAFER places that are also fun?&quot;Don't go near the Bugbear stronghold.&nbsp; They eat chumps like you for breakfast.&quot; (delivered by a 100-pound starving peasant)Then watch them trash a bugbear stronghold, and come back and tell the peasant &quot;HA!&nbsp; I told you so.&nbsp; You're problem is just that you're poor, malnourished, and lack the proper magical superweapons!&quot;ETA:Alternatively, consider their weakness a strength.&nbsp; Send them against an army.&nbsp; I had a DM who did this: a literal army.&nbsp; We were on a military campaign.&nbsp; Area-of-affect spells are fun against densely packed pikemen...&nbsp; &quot;Undercasting&quot; maybe, but fun.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Bercilac, post: 4839091, member: 82608"] [b]Try to work WITH their playing style[/b] Aye, character death can be fun. Regarding the original question, here are a couple of ways to get your spellcasters using better spells (a few may have been mentioned before): 1. Have NPCs use them on them. Check that spellcasters have spellcraft... When spell X puts someone's insides on their outside, you can bet the players are going to want to do it to others. 2. Create an encounter that trumps their normal approach... but place in such a way that they will quickly realise they're losing (fighter takes massive damage and spells running out, no progress in sight), and then they can run away. Don't be vindictive: let them get away. If this offends your sense of reality, give them a getaway car (magic carpet, teleportation device, whatever). Give them a moment to strategise and rest up, then attempt it again. Maybe they have to lay siege to a small fortress. It ain't going anywhere, and sieges are meant to take a while. 3. Just be explicit. At the end of the adventure, say "You know, you could have saved yourself a lot of grief on those thingumies if you had cast whatsit. Man, that's a great spell. HINT EFFING HINT." Don't be as sarcastic as I am, though. Regarding dragon-hunting, one of the problems here is that you've shown the sweetest adventure hook as one they're not supposed to take. I've done this myself, from time to time. You do a great job fleshing out your world, complete with "Here be dragons," and the players don't think it's dangerous. Then again, your players seem to KNOW it's dangerous by now. But maybe you could design several SAFER places that are also fun? "Don't go near the Bugbear stronghold. They eat chumps like you for breakfast." (delivered by a 100-pound starving peasant) Then watch them trash a bugbear stronghold, and come back and tell the peasant "HA! I told you so. You're problem is just that you're poor, malnourished, and lack the proper magical superweapons!" ETA: Alternatively, consider their weakness a strength. Send them against an army. I had a DM who did this: a literal army. We were on a military campaign. Area-of-affect spells are fun against densely packed pikemen... "Undercasting" maybe, but fun. [/QUOTE]

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