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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Remathilis" data-source="post: 1335589" data-attributes="member: 7635">Okay, define "thoughtful preparations". Do both groups know about the mummies? How? Did one ask the local population about them? Did they use gather information and knowledge: religion to discern their foes and thus prepare for thier weaknesses? What if group B didn't have necessary ranks in those skills? What if the PCs botch thier skill roles and don't learn about the mummies in time? What if group B lacks a rogue or suitable sneaky character? What if he fails his sneak roles? What if the cleric prepare Find Traps and not Detect Undead? What if they lack a cleric to turn the mummies or heal the mummy rot? What if the fighter rolls like poop and the mummy crits him twice? What if the wizard casts all his offensive spells to cover the fighter's retreat and then runs out of spells and ends up nose to rotting-nose with a mummy? What if he memorized charm person (for interogation) instead of magic missile? What if the rogue goes to set up flank and gets dropped?  What if party B consists of a ranger (FE: orcs), an enchanter, a druid and a bard, while party A is a fighter (tank), evoker, cleric (sun and good), and rogue?  What if the reverse was true? Party A's sound tactics fall to poor rolls and the mummies get lucky criticals, while party B takes them out with a direct approach hack and slash with heavy artilery spells and wins in one or two rounds?  The D&D XP system is designed to cover the essential randomness of combat by rewarding everyone mostly equally. Even the best laid plans fail, and the worst plans have remarkable success. The reverse ALSO holds true, but entering every dungeon/situation like SWAT members requires a certain type of player, group and mindset. Don't hate D&D's XP system for the fact your players are better lucky than good.  Lastly, set up encounters that require brainpower, such a traps, puzzles, hostage scenarios, difficult terrain, or multiple simutaneous objectives. Reward PCs for these, not the orcs/mummies/whatever set up as distractions. A few dead hostages later, they'll wise up and change their tactics.</blockquote>

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