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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jhaelen" data-source="post: 5264190" data-attributes="member: 46713">I think you forgot the most important factor:7) KnowledgeIf the monsters are forewarned of the pcs approach, they'll react differently. Forewarning can come from a variety of sources. Monsters can spy on pcs, interrogate survivors from previous encounters, gather information about their previous exploits, or use divination magic.I usually try to vary monster tactics from encounter to encounter. I don't have a single plan I always follow and I also adjust tactics during the encounter as soon as the monsters learn something new about the pcs.Intelligence and Wisdom are often overrated by DMs. Even animal intelligence is usually sufficient to apply certain basic tactics successfully. Wolf packs are my favorite example. They're less flexible when it comes to changing tactics, though.Often basic tactics are determined by the monsters' motivation: Why do they attack the pc's in the first place? What do they hope to gain, and how far will they go to achieve their goals? This is often influenced by the monsters' alignment, but the more important factor is their background.Tactics change when monsters realize that one or more of the pcs are more (or less) powerful than initially estimated. Since this is based solely on their knowledge and obeservations, their reasoning may well be flawed. E.g. if one of the pcs keeps missing because of a player's bad die rolls, monsters may well conclude she doesn't represent a threat. On the other end of the spectrum a lucky crit may convince them a pc is extremely powerful and must be taken out no matter the cost - or is entirely beyond their ability to defeat resulting in a hasty retreat or even a panicky flight.</blockquote>

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