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

[Nifft]

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?

So you think Tailored = Nerfed?

That's not how I took it, nor is that how I use it.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Ahnehnois]

Three fourth level PCs? Throw three fifth level NPCs at them. (They enjoyed that one)

My encounters are mostly preplanned and prewritten, but I rarely think about how the party is to deal with them. I think more in terms of "I've thrown a lot of big thugs at them lately, let's try subtlety" or "There's been a lot of con drain lately, lets try something different". I might tailor things thematically (and evil cleric to oppose my good cleric, an unnatural aberration to piss of my treant, etc.).

It seems like ever since I started experimenting with CoC d20, I've stopped caring whether the battle was winnable, even when I'm not running Cthulhu.