D&D 5E Advice on dealing with high level characters.

[Mathilda]

Stalker,

Maybe to your assertation.... if an NPC villain or otherwise had an int of 22 or higher.... I would think that NPC would have already had thought about that counter and would have thought through what to do if the party did this and/or did that.... hence what I am saying about DM preparedness..

Don't know about your experience but I have had DMs insert added abilities to NPCs and monsters because the DM did not anticipate what the party was going to do and how effective the party's action.... in short, the party outplayed the DM in his own world....

Now was that cool for the DM to do that? maybe or maybe not... it depends on if the DM was being spiteful because we got the best of him that day or was the DM trying to facilitate his storyline?

In one case, I as a player would be cool if the DM did that to facilitate the story but the other case is strictly unacceptable.

Do not under estimate the DM Ego....

 

[Warmaster Horus]

... Most AL mods at Tier 4 need some work....

I'll agree. It's hard to make a catch-all story and challenge to approach all parties at this level. But I think Crypt of the Death Giants is pretty well done from the times I've played it and now run it. None of those experiences were a cake walk for the PCs.

The more important response to your counter point... is that what you point out is true, as DM you can go into the toolbox to add flavor but then you run into a few issues:

1. Whose definition of challenge are you catering too? Yours? AL's? The players? If the DM just follows the printed mod, that question of challenge is taken away from the DM
2. How are you going to compensate if you as DM amplify the lethality to the point it TPKs the party? Everyone has access to the adventure so when the players check, they will know the DM screwed them over
3. If you do ramp up, there are some players that will ask for additional reward due to the added risk, how will you address that issue?
4. A home game has different issues to overcome but most revolve around in trusting the DM.

...

1) Mine. I'm the DM and my years of experience and knowledge of the game have created pretty good instincts on how to do this.

2) My goal as a DM isn't to make a killer game, but to provide a fun & memorable challenge for the players. The PCs make choices, too. Bad rolls and bad decisions happen. That's the game. I usually tilt to the tougher side when running because it causes players to shift into a higher gear than normal and makes them dig deeper for a win.

3) Mods have prescribed rewards. I award xp but it tops at the mod's max, just as normal.

4) Okay.

 

[Mathilda]

Horus,

Points 1 and 2 go hand in hand.... since you stated it is your perception of what an appropriate challenge should be, it is very possible and likely that you will over estimate the party at some point... then at that point, what do you do when you TPK the party? Point 2 has nothing to do with intention or goal.. it has absolutely to do with when it happens and it will... it also has nothing to do on the player side... the players can do everything right and have decent rolls and still get TPK'd because the DM over indulged in his or her preparation in regards to lethality.

Of course, you can start fudging rolls and have the monsters act with added stupidity once you realize that the avalanche is falling... but good players will realize what you are doing and it usually spoils in game immersion and belief

In regards to point 3, what do you say when the party says we did not ask for any additional challenge and why are you penalizing this party via added challenge and not properly compensating us?

AL wants the public to think they are giving freedom to the DMs to play how they want and to some point it is true but it is not a universal truth in terms of risk vs. reward

In regards to Crypt of the Death Giants... that is a good adventure, I think Alducci wrote it but I am somewhat tainted on it due to the varying degrees on how that particular adventured has been soft balled in the player community in Los Angeles.... though it has tremendous potential in terms of challenge.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

Points 1 and 2 go hand in hand.... since you stated it is your perception of what an appropriate challenge should be, it is very possible and likely that you will over estimate the party at some point... then at that point, what do you do when you TPK the party? Point 2 has nothing to do with intention or goal.. it has absolutely to do with when it happens and it will... it also has nothing to do on the player side... the players can do everything right and have decent rolls and still get TPK'd because the DM over indulged in his or her preparation in regards to lethality.

Of course, you can start fudging rolls and have the monsters act with added stupidity once you realize that the avalanche is falling... but good players will realize what you are doing and it usually spoils in game immersion and belief

Live and learn, I suppose. Hasn't happened yet but it's not an exact science. Adventuring is a dangerous biz!

In regards to point 3, what do you say when the party says we did not ask for any additional challenge and why are you penalizing this party via added challenge and not properly compensating us?

It's an AL limit, not mine. Most of the mods I run have a full boat of seven players dividing experience so getting to min XP can be a chore, not to mention max.

AL wants the public to think they are giving freedom to the DMs to play how they want and to some point it is true but it is not a universal truth in terms of risk vs. reward

Not sure about risk vs reward. As a DM I have a lot of leeway over setting the risk but nearly none over what can be given as reward. In my area I think players are cool with that. They want the rush of a hard-fought victory and are glad to get whatever compensation comes with that.

 

[Mathilda]

Horus,

Feel blessed that it hasn't to you.... that situation can be very, very ugly if it happens