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Message: <blockquote data-quote="CapnZapp" data-source="post: 4777955" data-attributes="member: 12731">This is mainly intended for what I call sandbox games, but as I have realized this label is controversial, I'm simply going to say "this is intended for those games where the players can stumble over a high-level threat (relative to the PCs) they're supposed to run away from rather than engage in combat: resulting in a grindy whiff-fest"...How about...For each level the encounter is higher than the party, it (the encounter) gets 1d6 bonus damage per round.This bonus damage is to be distributed among all the encounter's creatures and all their attacks. If the encounter consists of a single Solo monster, it gets all of them. If the encounter consists of one chieftain and two dozen minion troopers, I'd only give them to the Chieftain (assuming he doesn't miss!). Note how, like striker bonus damage, you (the DM) only need to use these bonus damage dice on attacks that actually hit. You're supposed to be able to deal this extra damage each and every round, so it isn't tied down to any specific combatant or attack form.Also, feel free to invent more attacks (especially when your only monster is a Solo) and apply the bonus damage to that attack. For instance, you could break the rules and have your Red Dragon do a Bite despite the fact it also does a Double Claw attack. Anything goes, as long as the extra damage is delivered...!This should ensure that even a regular (non-Elite, non-Solo) monster high above the PCs' level will pack such a punch that the players will have to think twice about engaging it.The purpose of this is of course that it leads to a better gaming experience. Fighting high-level opponents can be very grindy and whiffy; while this does nothing about the whiff factor, it ensures that PCs who experience a lot of whiff won't be able to continue fighting for the dreaded grind to occur - its offense will simply drive them away.I hope. Comments? <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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