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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 4240766" data-attributes="member: 4937">It's probably worse in a 15' wide hall because then you can triple team along the centerline should any PC be stupid enough to get in the middle.  But of course, flanking with the swarms is going to be hugely effective regardless of the width of the corridor and its easy for them to get in a flanking position just by pushing right through an opponent's space.  I think that trading oppurtunity attacks is a win situation for the swarms.But that is all beside the point.A 15' wide hall (say 60' long) is not unusual terrain.  It's not like the corridor itself grants XP the way a trap or hazard might.  The fact that the encounter takes place in 'typical' dungeon terrain doesn't cause a new DM to suddenly have a eureka moment and say that the encounter is of a higher level, nor does putting in open terrain make the monsters more reasonable for thier level.   I mean the real test would be 5 level 2 PCs vs. 5 needlefang drake swarms, right?  That's supposed to be a fairly reutine encounter which doesn't drain the party of much more than a single healing surge per party member.  Consider how often the sample modules have thrown much higher than party level fights at the PCs that they are expected to win.  I'm not at all convinced that 5 level 2 PCs can take 5 needlefang drake swarms on a regular basis.</blockquote>