DMs - how often do you "tailor" your encounters to the party?

[Jhaelen]

So, how often do other DMs tailor their encounters to the party and go for something more challenging, rather than just matching the recommended CR level?

I translated the DMG recommendations into my own random encounter system:
Basically it's 0 to 6 encounters in a day with an EL of (party level -2) to (party level +4).
I always roll for these well in advance so they're actually more like planned encounters and of course some of them can be evaded/circumvented or aren't combat encounters.

In (status quo) adventures I'm aiming for an EL ranging from (party level -1) to (party level +5).

Since the party is pretty big (up to 8 players), I tend to use a higher number of monsters rather than a single biggie. This also makes it easier to adjust encounters on the fly, if not all players show up for a session.

When selecting monsters I try to use a good mix of types. I'd also like to point out that I don't tailor encounters for the current mix of classes present in the party. Instead I'm assuming an 'extended' standard party with each of the four standard roles covered twice. This can sometimes result in certain encounters that seem to be 'too easy' or 'too tough' for their EL for this particular party, but that's the way I like it.

My players have become pretty good at realizing if they're lacking in some regard and compensating by cross-classing, buying magic items or creating a more effective character after their current one meets final death.

I'm using 28pt. buy but lower than average wealth. This is further balanced by using action points and the retraining rules from PHB2.

 

[megamania]

I taylor everything for the PCs because-

They have character goals to obtain

There are certain treasures they want / DM doesn't want

Lack of certain Classes

Lack of entertainment for Players and DM

CR / ECL don't always match up. I find the Template CRs don';t add correctly after 12 th level. Depending on the template I often creat Templates at 1/2 their suggested CR. It might just be me.

 

[billd91]

If by "tailoring" you mean setting up EL appropriate encounters, then I probably do so 90% of the time. Most are the same EL or a few higher/lower than the average party level.

But I do also have encounter areas set up, not intended to be part of the specific on-going story line, that PCs can activate that are not necessarily EL-appropriate in design for the party at their current level.

 

[Treebore]

I tailor every encounter.

Yep. Works a lot better than the CR/EL stuff.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I tweak, although I don't necessarily tailor.

Green Mountain is always going to be a high level area, no matter when player characters might go there.

That said, for the current small group/solo adventure set I'm doing in Midwood, I've hit the barbarian/druid with a bunch of strength damage, to force him to rely on his druid side this time, I've got a mystery adventure for the player who LOVES CSI&D stuff and the heroic trio gets to stave off a miniature adventure that's all melee vs. melee.

 

[Rechan]

I, as a DM, have never used a random encounter. Everything I throw at the party, I take into consideration what they can do. I intentionally try not to put in a creature that has a good chance of killing someone outright.

And in my experience, unless PCs are not combat savvy, they will walk across most challenges (I sometimes anticipate monster X to do better than it does in the field) - until the chips just fall as they will. The CR system is not perfect. 3 CR 4 carrion crawlers? EL 7. However, with 8 attacks per carrion crawler, that's at least 3 which hit. Any PC that must make 3 fort saves in a row, eventually, will fail, which means paralysis. I've wiped an entire 7th level party out with carrion crawlers.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

I design adventures for a level range, but I don't go any farther than that. The encounters in the adventure will vary in difficulty within the general range. That's true of the adventure as a whole (e.g. it might be for levels 4-7), but also of particular areas (e.g. the "3rd level" of a dungeon might be mostly 3HD creatures, but also some easier and some harder encounters). Also, I avoid having a set "path" the adventure will follow; instead, I prefer multiple, interconnecting "paths" that give the PCs a lot of freedom to choose how they approach the adventure.

This means that the players' choices determine what they encounter. It also means that they shouldn't assume that they can handle something just because they encountered it. They might be getting in over their head. My players quickly learn that proper scouting is essential, and that not everything should be fought -- sometimes you need to avoid, flee or negotiate.

 

[SSquirrel]

About a year after 3E came out, my DM was getting frustrated by one of our party members, I think it was the monk and his ability to quickly move around the battlefield. He knew I could be pretty evil in my min/maxing so he asked me to design a few BBEG head flunkies to challenge the party with. I had a big guy with Hold the Line to help keep the monk in line and some other guys tailor made to spoil our lil party's chances. It was a lot of fun.

It was even funnier when we went to fight said guys and none of the guys designed to take out certain memebrs of the group ever came near them. The monk fought a different guy, etc etc. We mopped up even the well tailored bad guys. I hadn't shared the information I knew about teh bad guys, it was just how positioning ended up. I was highly amused, while our DM was frustrated heh.

 

[QuaziquestGM]

Pretty much never.

I tend to run the modules "as is". If they didn't bring a theif to handle the locks, then they let the goliath handle it.

But I run parties of 9-14 so i usually only loose pcs to one shot kills (ogres and giant's mostly) or PC on possessed pc violence.

 

[haakon1]

Pretty much never.

I tend to run the modules "as is". If they didn't bring a theif to handle the locks, then they let the goliath handle it.

Me too. And I prefer that as a player as well. I like the holodeck safety protocols to be off, for the greater thrill.

What's that Gygax quote about people who don't like dangerous dungeons should play Candyland instead?