Do you increase monster hit points?

[UngeheuerLich]

The low to hit is due to cr instead of hd determining the attack bonus of monsters and the way CR is used. That is not too bad actually. As player I don't like to be hit too much.
I also don't want to hit through 1000s of hps and I don't want to hit only every otger day. As I now have insight as a player I think the numbers are quite good.
What helps in our games is that we really don't know when the next chance for an uninterrupted rest will arise. That makes expending resources and losing any hp feel like damage.
So until now there was no real need to up hp on a regular basis. Most monsters are tough enough.
What I noticed though is that in a larger group of 6 pcs there may be a point where it is indeed better adding hp and maybe increasing hit chance and damage for enemies because if you add too many enemies, they might still die easily due to area damage and they might kill a pc due to focus fire. And on top it also slows down combat too much.

 

[Li Shenron]

I used to vary monsters HP in 3e, but so far in 5e I have always used average HP for monsters, no exceptions.

 

[Baldurs_Underdark]

I never heard any player complain that the fight was over too soon.
In fact, they told me that they had the most fun in an encounter (with a boss) where they prepared well, got in a surprise round and good initiative rolls, and murdered the boss before he even got to his turn. Players look at fights in a different way than DMs.

From my (DM) point of view, this would feel like an anticlimax. But my players would enjoy this a LOT:
[video=youtube;anEuw8F8cpE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anEuw8F8cpE[/video]

 

[robus]

I never heard any player complain that the fight was over too soon.
In fact, they told me that they had the most fun in an encounter (with a boss) where they prepared well, got in a surprise round and good initiative rolls, and murdered the boss before he even got to his turn. Players look at fights in a different way than DMs.

From my (DM) point of view, this would feel like an anticlimax. But my players would enjoy this a LOT:
[video=youtube;anEuw8F8cpE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anEuw8F8cpE[/video]

Yeah, but it can’t be everytime else the adventure becomes a cakewalk. Players appreciate variety. I’ve started maxing HP for NPCs i want to challenge the players with. This has improved the game immensely and yes my players do use feats and magic items.

 

[Nevvur]

Lately, it depends on how many combats I anticipate will occur in the Adventuring Day. If I'm looking at a smaller number of combats, I'll probably bump monster HPs to push PC resource consumption toward the 6 encounter Adventuring Day assumption.

I've read here and in other threads that increasing monster HPs can turn combat into a slog, but I have yet to see that become a reality with my groups. It's worth mentioning that I advertise my campaigns and DM style as combat heavy, and I ensure that every player I recruit understands and shares this preference. As always, knowing your group is important when considering deviations from the standards presented in core books.

 

[jasper]

The adventure league mods are 5 pcs at x level so here is the formula for how strong your party is.
Party Composition Party Strength 3-4 characters, APL less than Very weak
3-4 characters, APL equivalent Weak, 3-4 characters, APL greater than Average
5 characters, APL less than Weak, 5 characters, APL equivalent Average
5 characters, APL greater than Strong, 6-7 characters, APL less than Average
6-7 characters, APL equivalent Strong, 6-7 characters, APL greater than Very strong
Then you can add/subtract foes/hp/abilities. Some times I do give boss monster max hit points depending on my mood. I THINK the hard covers are also set up for a group of 5.

 

[flametitan]

I don't adjust monster HP (aside from rolling hit points if I prep a session with enough advance) but then I haven't had much luck continuing a campaign past level 4, so I can't comment on how much I'd need to.

 

[Otterscrubber]

Ya, the easiest way to make fights harder is to increase the HP of the monsters involved or simply add more monsters. I find that PCs do quite well and often have 18s in their primary stat so they will be better at reliably hitting and doing damage in encounters that are slugfests. What really unbalances fights is healing, especially if the party has a life cleric. But in either case if I am in a hurry I simply give the monsters more than average hit points, or at least make some of them have more hit points. If I have more time to design an encounter I will add in difficult terrain that affects the PCs but not the mobs or traps to keep things interesting or some type of buff mechanic for the monsters that the PCs need to resolve. There are options.

I think a lot of the monsters were designed to be a challenge for parties with averages stats and that in a simple slug fest will not be a challenge for most PCs that even moderately try to optimize their combat mechnics. However keep in mind that a lot of monsters have charms, stuns,fears, sight blocking cloud spells or other abilities that can really mess up the teamwork of a group of PCs. And dispel magic, don't forget that one . A few of these can really change the dynamic of a fight.

Although lately, I've been giving my PCs encounters that will obviously result in a TPK. It's been interesting to see how they overcome challenges with clever use of non-combat spells, skills and roleplaying. I've stopped trying to balance encounters and simply give my players a situation, then see how they handle it. If they are careless, their characters face consequences based on the situation. I have been very impressed with some ways they have circumvented what appeared to be impossible situations. I'm liking that 5e allows for both hack & slash as well as role-play/skill-based solutions.

 

[Les Moore]

I like to co-ordinate attacks between a pair or small group of similar monsters, or monsters which are residents or denizens of a given area.
The Doppleganger which makes a flanking AO, during the onset of melee, for instance, has a perfect opportunity to slip into a party
un-noticed...

 

[Warmaster Horus]

Within their HD range, sure.