Collected Encounter Design Tips

[Infiniti2000]

Very good point, and one that is similar enough to my rule to be incorporated.

I think they're dissimilar enough to be separated. Also, they're both very important such that they should be separated. They lead to vastly different outcomes in the game. In one case, the players feel ineffective, though all are involved. In the second case, one or more players feel ineffective because they aren't involved.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Know your own processing limits

This is a good one. A recommendation as a result of this point is to tend to use "save ends" effects more than "till start/end of next turn," whenever possible. Save ends is a lot easier because the players will be much more motivated to remind you of the condition that they need to remove. Moreover, it allows them more interesting and tactical options (warden, save granting, etc.). So, not only is it easier on the DM, but it's more interesting for the players.

 

[noodle fish mice]

I recently made a vow to myself that A) allows for far more encounters in a session than before and B) allows for far more INTERESTING encounters. Your mileage may vary, but it's helped me a lot:

Fewer monsters, more wrinkles.

It's basically a reiteration of advice in the two DMGs, but it's a concise, catchy phrase that I can mutter when I catch myself spending the xp budget on a lot of monsters and a square room.

 

[jimmifett]

To follow jimmifett's point - let your players KNOW about the interactive terrain. Nothing worse than a bunch of interesting stuff nobody uses.

PS

Thats what a passive perception check of a nearby player or the player looking at the map and asking "what's this?" are for.

I drew this cool looking thing on the map. If you manage to pay attention to the map and ask about it, the interactive terrain is usually advantageous in some way.

If you don't ask, i'm going to have the bad guys use it against you so you get a clue to it's usage.

Vines stretching from tree to tree?
"The enemy soldier just used a vine as a zipline to sail over your party and land in the back, right next to your warlock and swings his nailbat. You have several more vines 15 ft up in the trees adjacent to you leading to various portions of the map. Standard action to slide your speed + 2(more for steeper slopes) along zipline vines. Dismounting from a zipline vine, depending on height, requires an Acrobatics DC (variable, increases with height) to land on your feet. Otherwise, land prone. Dismounting from 10ft or higher uses falling rules. Jump Down action is only allowed if trained in Acrobatics. While Dismounting, you may perform a MBA during the fall (-1 to attack, +2 damage, and -5 penalty to Acrobatics checks for landing on feet and reducing falling damage) or once you land if you land on your feet (no modifiers). If you take any damage while sliding, you immediately fall. If the line snaps, you immediately fall. The vine zipline has AC of X, Ref of Y and hitpoints of Z."

Now, after seeing the enemies use it, they are going to be thinking hmm...

 

[Storminator]

Thats what a passive perception check of a nearby player or the player looking at the map and asking "what's this?" are for.

I drew this cool looking thing on the map. If you manage to pay attention to the map and ask about it, the interactive terrain is usually advantageous in some way.

If you don't ask, i'm going to have the bad guys use it against you so you get a clue to it's usage.

Vines stretching from tree to tree?
"The enemy soldier just used a vine as a zipline to sail over your party <SNIP!>

Now, after seeing the enemies use it, they are going to be thinking hmm...

I am in full agreement. That certainly qualifies as letting your players know it's there. It's also easier if your players get used to the idea and start looking around for exploits.

PS

 

[AngryMojo]

Updated with input from various sources. Thank you FireLance, BlackTiger and Jimmifett.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Something from Treasuretables.org

A Simple Formula
Encounters: A Simple Formula - Treasure Tables
Fri. September 15, 2006

Here’s a basic formula that you can use to construct an encounter:

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.

 

[AngryMojo]

Updated with equation.