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Message: <blockquote data-quote="S'mon" data-source="post: 5680556" data-attributes="member: 463">I always play the NPCs to the best of their abilities.  I don't necessarily play them to the best of my abilities.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />  Put it another way - I play the NPCs organically, I think "what would this Orc/Drow/Bandit do in this situation" which doesn't necessarily correlate 100% with "how best do I defeat the PCs" - especially when the answer is RUN AWAY!!!  <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/laugh.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":lol:" title="Laughing    :lol:" data-shortname=":lol:" />So (4e) Orcs have simple, aggressive tactics.  Bandits are often tricky, and may have poor morale.  Drow are clever and deadly, but they'll hit and fade rather than slog out a losing battle.  Cowardly villains may hang back rather than optimally supporting their minions.  Red dragons will be very aggressive, but smarter than most orcs.  Etc.  Players who assume that the way I DM a poorly led small band of orcs is the best tactical play I can manage, or that an orc warband well led by an experienced chief will behave the same way, are in for a nasty surprise.Edit: Also I won't necessarily have monsters coordinate missile fire or attacks vs a single foe, just as players don't always coordinate well, or at least not perfectly.  I try to avoid the 'hive mind' approach to NPCs, unless maybe they have a strong Leader coordinating them - in which case the PCs can try to take him out.Edit 2:  BTW I halve monster hp, but I'll use EL+4 quite often, and EL+2 routinely.</blockquote>

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