AngryMojo
First Post
So, 4th edition has been out for over two years now, and with Essentials on the horizon and a horde of new players about to enter the game (hopefully), I believe the experienced DM's of EnWorld should pool their resources to compile a list of simple encounter building tips to help out DM's new to 4e. I don't mean the general guidelines listed in the DMG or DMG2, I'm talking about nuances in the system that may not be readily apparent. Monsters to avoid in large numbers, monster types to avoid at certain levels above and below PC level, distilled points from Stalker0's guide to anti-grind, that kind of thing.
Feel free to post a suggestion, then have people critique and discuss. I'll maintain this first post to be a compiled list of edited and streamlined tips.
Know your own processing limits. There are DMs who can keep track of multiple abilities and conditions, conditional advantages and disadvantages, and triggered abilities. There are those who can only keep track of a few. To complicate matters, some DMs find it easy to track certain types of abilities and conditions and harder to track others (as a personal example, I find it easy to track resistance, but I often forget to apply regeneration, even when it's written right next to the hit point entry on the stat card I'm looking at). Try to discover your own strengths and limits as soon as possible.
Avoid using multiple monsters that cause status effects that reduce player damage output or actions. Examples include the Dazed, Stunned and Weakened conditions, as well as the Insubstantial or Regeneration properties. One or two monsters with these abilities are alright and can make for interesting and challenging encounters, but avoid many more than two
Vary the monsters.
1. Unless you are dealing with a massive hoard, try to individualize monsters. Even if on the table you have numbers to track them, a single simple feature makes a huge difference... Especially when you really need solid narration in 4th to keep combat interesting. Little-G gnolls A, B, C are more boring than the crazy eyed, missing eartip, broken fang Big-G Gnolls you could be fighting.
Allow players to know about interactive terrain. Special terrain, such as magical circles, altars with auras, or vines you can swing on are no fun if they just sit there the entire encounter and nobody takes advantage of them. The moment a monster uses the terrain, or a player makes a quick Perception check as a minor action or with his passive value, tell them what the terrain does. Even a simple +2 to attack rolls will make people fight over that aura.
From Treasuretables.org
A simple equation
Challenge (combat, social, puzzle or other) + unique element (memorable NPC, fighting on a rope bridge, etc.) + a way to advance even if the party fails (although perhaps with penalties) = a successful encounter.
And here’s a brief example encounter:
A band of orcs (the challenge, combat) + the fight takes place in small boats on a rushing river (the unique element) + the orcs will take the PCs prisoner if the party loses (a way to advance despite failure, but with consequences).
By including only a single challenge and single unique element that defines the encounter, you’re keeping prep time and on-the-fly bookkeeping to a minimum, and keeping the focus on what makes the encounter fun (everything is within your players’ flashlight beam).
By making sure the PCs can move on even if they fail (partially or completely), you’re preventing the encounter from being a roadblock to keeping the adventure moving. And when you’re bleary-eyed from prepping for your next session, having a formula to glance at might just come in handy.
There are lots of other ways to build encounters, but this simple approach will work for most groups and most RPGs.
Feel free to post a suggestion, then have people critique and discuss. I'll maintain this first post to be a compiled list of edited and streamlined tips.
Know your own processing limits. There are DMs who can keep track of multiple abilities and conditions, conditional advantages and disadvantages, and triggered abilities. There are those who can only keep track of a few. To complicate matters, some DMs find it easy to track certain types of abilities and conditions and harder to track others (as a personal example, I find it easy to track resistance, but I often forget to apply regeneration, even when it's written right next to the hit point entry on the stat card I'm looking at). Try to discover your own strengths and limits as soon as possible.
Avoid using multiple monsters that cause status effects that reduce player damage output or actions. Examples include the Dazed, Stunned and Weakened conditions, as well as the Insubstantial or Regeneration properties. One or two monsters with these abilities are alright and can make for interesting and challenging encounters, but avoid many more than two
Vary the monsters.
1. Unless you are dealing with a massive hoard, try to individualize monsters. Even if on the table you have numbers to track them, a single simple feature makes a huge difference... Especially when you really need solid narration in 4th to keep combat interesting. Little-G gnolls A, B, C are more boring than the crazy eyed, missing eartip, broken fang Big-G Gnolls you could be fighting.
Allow players to know about interactive terrain. Special terrain, such as magical circles, altars with auras, or vines you can swing on are no fun if they just sit there the entire encounter and nobody takes advantage of them. The moment a monster uses the terrain, or a player makes a quick Perception check as a minor action or with his passive value, tell them what the terrain does. Even a simple +2 to attack rolls will make people fight over that aura.
From Treasuretables.org
A simple equation
Challenge (combat, social, puzzle or other) + unique element (memorable NPC, fighting on a rope bridge, etc.) + a way to advance even if the party fails (although perhaps with penalties) = a successful encounter.
And here’s a brief example encounter:
A band of orcs (the challenge, combat) + the fight takes place in small boats on a rushing river (the unique element) + the orcs will take the PCs prisoner if the party loses (a way to advance despite failure, but with consequences).
By including only a single challenge and single unique element that defines the encounter, you’re keeping prep time and on-the-fly bookkeeping to a minimum, and keeping the focus on what makes the encounter fun (everything is within your players’ flashlight beam).
By making sure the PCs can move on even if they fail (partially or completely), you’re preventing the encounter from being a roadblock to keeping the adventure moving. And when you’re bleary-eyed from prepping for your next session, having a formula to glance at might just come in handy.
There are lots of other ways to build encounters, but this simple approach will work for most groups and most RPGs.
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