Encounter ideas

[Oofta]

Lots of good advice.

In addition, don't forget about using all of the senses when describing the opening scene.

• The ground shakes when giants approach
• The fight is set in an old abandoned building, with choking dust and cobwebs everywhere. As you move around during the fight, you feel the floor give way ever so slightly and it may break at any moment
• Walking through the forest, the birds suddenly stop singing moments before the spiders attack
• The zombies reek, smelling of old rotting meat
• The dragon's lair smells of burnt flesh and charred wood
• The air becomes cold and clammy before the ghost materializes

and so on.

Other people have talked about describing the monsters. I like to include little things like the worms crawling out of the zombie's ear or the drops of acid falling from the black dragon's mouth that hiss and sizzle when they hit the ground.

You can also describe actions in combat dynamically, and encourage people to describe their actions as well even going so far as to reward inspiration for a particularly good description. So when the ogre hits with an attack you are being smacked in the face with an old rotting log. When the bugbear barely misses, the spiked morningstar passes inches in front of the characters face.

Environments should be dynamic. PCs (and enemies) can tear down the old tapestry in an attempt to entangle their foes. People jump on top of or hide beneath tables. Chandeliers are made for swinging.

Of course don't forget the evil henchmen dialog. "You may defeat me, but Brog will paint the room with your blood" type of thing.
You don't want to get too carried away, but throwing this kind of thing in once in a while can really help.

 

[Imaculata]

The environment is key to making interesting encounters, especially when they are combat encounters. Make good use of lighting conditions, environmental hazards, breakable terrain, height differences, and props.

A fight in a tavern would not be complete without cracking a few chairs and bottles over the heads of enemies. A fight with slow undead is not complete if you don't present some sort of interesting environment that offers an advantage to the monsters, so they can come close to your players. For example, I had a mob of zombies crash through two walls of mud, flanking them from two sides and surprising them. And I had mummies waiting below the surface of the water, and popping up around the players suddenly. And because the players were waist deep in water, this also slowed their movement.

You can also have your enemies make clever use of strategic formations, mixed weaponry, and strategic positioning, if they are clever enough. My players not only had to fight off a bunch of skeleton pirates with cutlasses, but also one with a frickin' cannon! In doing so, I present minor and greater threats to the players. This gives the players a reason to prioritize one enemy over another.

I also try to get into the heads of the players. I may present a few easy enemies, to provoke the players into charging them. Only to have them run straight into a trap, or an ambush. I often present multiple paths and approaches, and leave it to the players to come up with a plan. Pairing two different types of monsters together can also make for an interesting encounter, such as a guard with a guard dog. The dog's keen sense of smell can detect any place that the players recently crossed, and he can pin one player if he gets a grapple going. The guard can sound alarm, either by shouting, or by running to an alarm bell. This gives the players multiple details to pay attention to. It makes the fight about more than just killing all the baddies. It also makes it a game of "avoid the guard from sounding alarm", and "avoid the dog from getting our scent".

 

[Draegn]

For fun you could describe something nice and see how far your players go to protect the item from being ruined. Entering a room there might be a rich carpet that their friend Lord So and So would pay handsomely for, if the group can keep it from being stained and torn.

 

[Sacrosanct]

I think the best way I could offer suggestions is for you (the OP) to give me an example of a typical encounter. Where did it occur, and who were the participants. Then I could take that and give you an example of how I might narrate it.

 

[Glomb175]

I think the best way I could offer suggestions is for you (the OP) to give me an example of a typical encounter. Where did it occur, and who were the participants. Then I could take that and give you an example of how I might narrate it.

Last encounter was 6 players in the middle of a 120ft diameter clearing in the middle of a forest surrounded by a circle of 12 goblins. My issue is more with my players being unimaginative, "move, swing, retreat" but if you think even more description than I already give will help then I'm all ears.

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[iserith]

Last encounter was 6 players in the middle of a 120ft diameter clearing in the middle of a forest surrounded by a circle of 12 goblins. My issue is more with my players being unimaginative, "move, swing, retreat" but if you think even more description than I already give will help then I'm all ears.

Sent from my HTC 10 using EN World mobile app

Some additional terrain might help here. Something behind which they can take cover. Somewhere they can attempt a Hide action such as thick brush or perhaps something more fantastical like a magical fey mushroom circle. Some snares set by the goblins in the forest to deter going after them while they loose arrows on the PCs from safety and cover might encourage Search actions.

If the PCs have something worth stealing, goblins are pretty mobile and maybe they get up to the PCs, swipe something notable, and run off which can lead to some scrambling by the characters other than the usual fare.

 

[Imaculata]

Some additional terrain might help here. Something behind which they can take cover. Somewhere they can attempt a Hide action such as thick brush or perhaps something more fantastical like a magical fey mushroom circle. Some snares set by the goblins in the forest to deter going after them while they loose arrows on the PCs from safety and cover might encourage Search actions.

If the PCs have something worth stealing, goblins are pretty mobile and maybe they get up to the PCs, swipe something notable, and run off which can lead to some scrambling by the characters other than the usual fare.

I'll add to this idea, and suggest that the clearing has a small steep hill that provides a couple of goblin archers with advantage, while goblins with swords and smokebombs are running in to cause chaos and steal the belongings of the players. The players may also have a fire going that offers a strategic element during the fight. The time of day is also important. If they attack at night, the players might not even be able to see their attackers. Brambles could slow down anyone that tries to pass through them carefully, or wound them if they are not careful.

This adds a bunch of sub goals to this encounter:

-Climb the hill and take out the archers
-Stop the goblin looters from taking off with their gear
-Deal with the goblin swordsmen
-Deal with the darkness and smoke from the smoke bombs
-Deal with any potential traps that the goblins have laid out

 

[Sacrosanct]

Last encounter was 6 players in the middle of a 120ft diameter clearing in the middle of a forest surrounded by a circle of 12 goblins. My issue is more with my players being unimaginative, "move, swing, retreat" but if you think even more description than I already give will help then I'm all ears.

Sent from my HTC 10 using EN World mobile app

DMing certainly can be tough, especially if you're got several encounters in a session that you are trying to be creative on. It can be wearing actually, so you have my complete sympathy here. I'm going to make a couple of assumptions here, if that's OK. I'm assuming the goblins were in the forest unseen until the party was in the clearing, rather than suddenly be around the PCs in relatively close proximity right out in the open.

Using 5e's mechanics, I would probably rely on passive perception here, unless the group specifically said they were searching. As an aside, the first time a party gets ambushed because someone wasn't actively searching, it's a quick lesson the player's learn So there are two ways in which this can unfold:

1. Player(s) detects goblins with passive perception
"You feel a brief sense of reprieve when you entered the clearing, as you finally have an opportunity to walk normal; you aren't stumbling over hidden roots, or being slapped by the thick undergrowth as you walk past. The sun hits you in the face and you gain a renewed sense of energy, lifting your spirits. Suddenly, about mid way through, Kelgar seems to see an odd movement out of the corner of his eye.

(wait for PC reaction, typically "I stop and look around."). Off to the left, in the shadows of the forest hidden from the light, you think you see something move. Now the rest of you also think you see something. To the left. To the right. In front of you, and behind! Roll initiative, as your sudden stoppage has alerted the enemy you are on to them.

Then I would have the goblins stay in the woods, peppering the party with arrows while using their ability to hide every round. I would describe it as, "Another arrows flies from the shadows, hitting/missing (depends) you. You got a brief glimpse of a small wiry humanoid, and hear a squeel of glee before you lose it again in the wooded shadows."

Then it really depends on how they handle it. Most likely, they have a sense of urgency from the hit and run, and are scrambling to find cover and/or charge into the woods out of desperation, rather than just "I move and attack."

If the goblins want to capture them instead of attack, then I'd probably do this instead of initiative, "From the shadows, you hear a high pitched, heavily accented voice shout at you, 'You huuumans are surrounded! Drop weapons. Give up! Give treasure!' You can only see flitting shadows all around you, and can't pick out a particular target (unless one of them happens to beat the goblins stealth).

2. Players do not detect the goblins
Depending on goblin's agenda, they either:
"Suddenly from the shadows of the forest around you, arrows fly forth and hit/miss you. You can't see anything but flittering shadows at this point. Roll initiative!"
"Suddenly from the shadows of the forest around you, you hear a high pitched, heavily accented voice shout at you, 'You huuumans are surrounded! Drop weapons. Give up! Give treasure!'

In both cases, if this is an ambush by the goblins, then there is a high chance of booby traps and snares to force the party into a particular funnel or direction.

 

[Imaculata]

You got a brief glimpse of a small wiry humanoid, and hear a squeel of glee before you lose it again in the wooded shadows."

Maybe the goblins are even yelling insults with high pitched voices, and keeping score every time they manage to hit somebody. This can inject a bit of humor into this encounter. The goblins might be cheering each other on, and rejoicing each succesful hit. Maybe they have individual names, and an obvious leader. Killing the leader could dramatically affect their morale, allowing the players to drive them off with an intimidate check.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Maybe the goblins are even yelling insults with high pitched voices, and keeping score every time they manage to hit somebody. This can inject a bit of humor into this encounter. The goblins might be cheering each other on, and rejoicing each succesful hit. Maybe they have individual names, and an obvious leader. Killing the leader could dramatically affect their morale, allowing the players to drive them off with an intimidate check.

Yep. Really depends on what sort of mood you want to set. LIght hearted? Insults like you describe would be perfect. Want to give the players a sense of dread? Heavy on word usage like "shadows", "flittering", "suddenly!", and use traps for those trying to flee, etc.