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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(Psi)SeveredHead" data-source="post: 6265803" data-attributes="member: 1165">I didn't see an edition.The best way to handle this is to talk. If that means starting a new campaign with new PCs, you may have to take that step. You might also want to restrict sources or allow material in on a case-by-case basis.Second is to monitor PC abilities and builds. In some editions, mainly 3rd (and Pathfinder) this is incredibly difficult. This is easier in 2e and earlier (fewer points of variants) and easier in 4e (transparent goalposts).Third is to change your tactics. This is probably the hardest part of dealing with optimized PCs, in part because we don't know how they're optimized. Changing tactics includes preventing buffing or surprise. I've seen parties buff up, rush through the dungeon and try to kill as many monsters as possible before the buffs wear off. I've seen opponents take no preparations against surprise.Don't be afraid to use "Schrodinger's Dungeon". What is behind that door? Your adventure might have a certain encounter planned, but if the PCs are doing well, throw in something harder. Until the PCs enter or look into that room somehow, they don't know what's there anyway. You can do something similar to add waves to add to an encounter that the PCs are steamrolling. Notably, waves coming from other parts of the dungeon often attack squishier PCs in the back (a strategic flank, rather than a rules flank).Yet another tactic is 3D space. A wizard is far more dangerous when they use Spider Climb to cling to a wall 50 feet above the PCs (same with a drider sorcerer). The encounter becomes about getting to that wizard. A PC magus casting Spider Climb to get at that wizard is spending at least one round casting that spell, rather than delivering a massive Shocking Grasp. Said wizard should cast Protection from Arrows as quickly as possible. (By casting Alarm ahead of time, the wizard probably won't be surprised either.) And of course, the wizard isn't alone... Have the wizard cast whatever spells your PCs are weak against. If you have a powerful barbarian that dumped Wisdom, take a look at Confusion, Hold Monster and Dominate Person.Another tactic is the "random" encounter. Actual random encounters are frowned upon, but pacing encounters are not. PCs resting too early? Throw ninjas at them. Throw invisible stalkers.Fourth is to change your opponents. Again, in 3e, this is the hardest to do. At a certain point, time spent building classed NPCs that can challenge your PCs will take too much time. I wanted to recommend slapping on Pathfinder's advanced template, but that's just changing numbers, and often optimized PCs aren't optimizing numbers.Instead, add more monsters and sometimes throw templates on them. In Kingmaker, our DM noted our weakness against AoE spells, and threw several lycanthropic/half-dragon/whatevers at us. Lots of high-damage breath weapons! We couldn't heal all that damage, and if it wasn't for my druid's ability to summon air elementals with Augment Summoning we probably would have died during round 2.Also throw enemy "parties". This is kind of harder to do prior to 4e, but it's doable. If you have an encounter with several ogres, who can throw rocks but with little accuracy, replace one with (or add) an ogre specialized at throwing rocks. Do the same with a cleric or something along those lines. A caster can, of course, cast spells such as Spike Stones with the appropriate domains (and frankly, any domain giving that spell is pretty flavor-relevant for an ogre).</blockquote>

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