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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Gwarok" data-source="post: 7200416" data-attributes="member: 12249">Couldn't agree more with that, especially the gimped Prof bonus by CR.   A CR X monster is supposed to be an average challenge for a party of Level X, not a deadly one but still should content with them a bit.   I'm not sure how to fix it, but I was thinking something like adding some variable to the CR to arrive at the appropriate Prof bonus, like +3 or 4.   So at +3, a CR2 monster gets a +3 Prof bonus instead of +2, etc.. but having it be just like character levels when CR is clearly something more seems not just functionally off, but also in spirit.  As to the advice for the OP, I have a few suggestions.  Bear in mind I don't know what your fights are actually like and some more precise examples would be nice, but here goes.1) Give the important bad guys some magic items.   Doesn't have to be much, but make sure they don't go in geared no better than some schmuck who just went down to ye olde weapon shoppe and bought everything off the rack.   If your PC's have some nice items making them tough, stands to reason the bad guys can get their mitts on some as well.   And since you've already stated you feel you might have gone a bit overboard with your players, you don't need to give them much more than what the PC's already have.  I had 2 x Lvl 14 players run rough shod over a Death Knight I put in their way.   Well, they are going to run into another one, and it's going to have magic armor and weapons too.  Kind of absurd they don't in the DMG, but easily fixable.  2) Really need to get over being overwhelmed by spells.  If your bad guys aren't using them and your players are, you, the DM who can raise and lower continents in your campaign world, have defaulted to all your bad guys playing with a severe handicap against PC's.   Probably wouldn't even need much tweeking.   If you have a lot of direct monsters in your fights, if at all possible just have them backed up by a few low level casters.   A few 5th level priest types can bless and all sorts of things to make the rest a lot tougher.   And don't be afraid to have a few dispels and counterspells ready to go.  Have the big bad slugger of the bad guys come in swaddled in spells.   Greater invis, bless, Shield of Faith, Fire Resistance, haste, all from a little posse of support casters, low enough level it would make sense that they would be working for your guy.   Again, you're the DM so sky is the limit as long as you make it plausible.   3) High AC is tough, but doesn't help them vs. grapple.   I had a similar issue when the paladin in my campaign finished a quest to retrieve the armor of an ancient hero of his order.   I figured the armor and shield would each be +2, since +1 for such a legend seemed a bit weak.   And even though I was mentally prepared for having an AC 24 pally to deal with going forward, still was annoying that NOTHING CR4 and below withtout a crazy high STR or DEX had a chance of doing much to him.   So I made an 18 STR, high DEX and CON 10th level Barbarian/Rogue combo that grappled.   Brawler and Grapple feats, with expertise on Athletics, raging to get advantage on the grapple and then advantage on attacks while grappled, buck naked Bully boy gave the paladin far more trouble than the aforementioned Death Knight.   Almost beat him.   Actually hurled him thru a 2nd story window to continue the fight in the streets.   Fun times.  Anyways, those are my suggestions.   But yea, don't just add HP or even more monsters as that will only make the fights take longer, and I don't think shortness of the fights is the issue.   Good luck!</blockquote>

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