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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Trit One-Ear" data-source="post: 6205364" data-attributes="member: 6678017">Not to disregard the great ideas [MENTION=20323]Quickleaf[/MENTION] and [MENTION=1268]mo[/MENTION]ustonRustique are  coming up with, but I don't think I'm going to use them in this  encounter. I've been playing with ways to make my players consider their  options more than "which enemy do I attack," and this is perfect for  that. I definitely will come up with ways to use this "bad thing X is  coming, unless you do something" technique in the future.Currently  wrapping up Stages 1 and 2. Decided to move the Cambion guards into  Stage 1, and keep 2 to be simply portals and minions (with Lurker  appearances by our favorite Succubus.)My current concern is that 4-5  low-HP mooks on top of the Succubus and her charmed Duke companion will  be too much for the heroes (especially knowing they have 2 full stages  left after this).I'm currently looking to give the mooks a slightly  large pool of HP than the 115 the Succubus gets each stage. 35 is a  little low for a level 8 monster, but if the heroes manage to do 175  damage to the mooks, the Stage ends. This means that while they can just  bunker down and blast through the guards to "win," it's still more  effective to get to the Succubus herself.Any thoughts on this element?Meanwhile  in Stage 2, I've created/reskinned/found four little devils to come out  of four different portals. Some they've fought before (Burning Devils  who explode on death), while others are new.Stygian Skulkers - deal cold damage. When killed in melee they inflict -2 to attack rolls on whoever dealt the killing blow.Legion Devil Grunts - Classic Devil minions, higher defenses around each other. Bats  of Malbolge - Reskin of many bat monsters. Fly by attacks, mostly used  to disrupt any "hold the line" methods the players try to use.3  of each spawn a turn from their own portals. While a portal is open it  also covers a large section of the floor, causing different effects.Fire - Deals 5 fire damage to anyone starting their turn there.Ice - All squares are difficult terrainNoxious Gasses - Healing surge value is reduced while in the zone (by 5? Too much/little?)Burning Sands - Creatures have reduced Fort and Ref in this zone (-2).As  I have it set now, it's very difficult not to be in one of these zones  during this stage. Aside from the Fire and Burning Sands, I feel most of  them are only occasionally problematic.My big fear is after all  this design, I've created a situation too dire for my players. I have  never really come close to killing any of them (very few occasions have  ended with one player unconscious), but I'd hate to test that fully this  time around. Still, it should be nerve-wracking. Anyone got a good  sense of where I am on that spectrum?Thanks for letting me organize some thoughts in these posts!Trit</blockquote>

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