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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FormerlyHemlock" data-source="post: 6639632" data-attributes="member: 6787650">Discussion elsewhere persuades me that we need a thread for DMs to share little tips and tricks for running combats. Here's a couple to start off:* Monsters that have high movement rate (like dragons) can exploit that movement rate to deny attacks to melee-oriented PCs by eating opportunity attacks. A melee PC with Fly has a flying movement of 60, and a dragon has a flying movement of 80. This means that if the dragon claw/claw/bites the PC and then moves back 80 feet, the PC gets an opportunity attack but cannot get a full round of attacks next turn. If he Dashes into melee range of the dragon he will eat three tail attacks from the dragon and still get to make nothing but a single opportunity attack in return. Compare a Barbarian GWM with Polearm Mastery (three attacks) to a Barbarian making nothing but a single opportunity attack against you: you've cut your damage taken by 2/3 and expended his reaction. This is why all melee PCs should carry backup missile weapons (daggers, hammers).* I'm getting ready to run a battle between a Rakshasa with four guards and a 12th level Barbarian with a magic weapon (Mordenkainen's Glaive--+0, Lifestealing) at the start of next session. The barbarian just threw down becaues the guards are trying to arrest him, but he doesn't know yet that the tubby human Lord Waldemar is a burly Rakshasa. Rakshasas don't look like much in combat, being all defense and no offense, but after some thinking I've decided that my options are to play him much like an Enchanter wizard:1.) Dominate Person and make him hack himself to bits. Very amusing. But he could save, and then he would have a magic weapon still, which could hurt me. Also, if he saves I need a backup plan because I can't re-cast this.2.) Plane Shift him to the Plane of Elemental Water and laugh as he presumably drowns. (In reality, I as DM will give him a chance to swim to land and survive. It may not be a big chance, but it will be a chance.)3.) Sneer a Suggestion at him. "You ought to rip my smug guts out with your bare hands." Without a magic weapon he isn't any threat. This is probably most effective before combat gets going in earnest. Then I dismember him with my claws, which (to be fair) will take quite a while.4.) If things go really bad, eat an opportunity attack and run 30 feet away, then cast Fly and fly another 30.* Against heavy-ranged PC parties, don't forget that monsters can Dodge and take cover too. Umber Hulks vs. necromancer PC with skeleton army works out a lot better for the Umber Hulks if they're Dodging to avoid Evard's Black Tentacles (advantage on Dex saves) while closing to confusion range of the skeletons. Try not to get caught out in the open. This can prevent PCs from finishing off wounded monsters, which really frustrates the players. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />So, nothing fancy there, just some basics to start the thread. What observations do y'all have to share about running monsters? No rule changes please, no giving the Tarrasque or dragons ranged attacks via thrown/dropped boulders: let's stick to tactics within the parameters laid out in the MM and PHB.</blockquote>

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