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<blockquote data-quote="Oofta" data-source="post: 8423371" data-attributes="member: 6801845"><p>That, and different attacks/attributes at different levels. Basically the big bad has different attacks at 2/3 HP and 1/3 HP as they switch things up and become more desperate. Another thing I do is that legendary actions and resistances are set to number of PCs - 1. Then again, I've never seen soloes work all that well in most cases for any edition.</p><p></p><p>Some of my other tactics are to just add significantly to attack bonuses and double or triple damage for relatively low level monsters and then throw a lot of them. Easy to kill, but they hit really hard and they hit often.</p><p></p><p>If you want a limited number of encounters, you have to rely more on illusion, deception, flanking, sending in waves of attackers and using the environment against the PCs.</p><p></p><p>A much longer version of how to make fights more difficult that I've done that I wrote up a long time ago:</p><p></p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Use better tactics. Take advantage of cover and environment. For example small foes can use small tunnels with tiny openings that are too small for medium size creatures to go through. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Send waves. At higher levels wizards can do a lot of damage, so don't send all the foes at once.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Flank. Related to sending in waves, have weaker foes run in from the obvious direction while the real foes come around the back</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Illusion. That BBEG? Well it's an illusion. The <em>real</em> BBEG is hiding around the corner. <em>Note</em> if a target isn't legitimate for a spell, I don't make the caster expend a spell slot. So if they try to banish the illusion it doesn't work but they also don't use the spell slot.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If fighting animal intelligence monsters, they're likely just looking for food. After a PC is knocked unconscious, take them off into the bushes to be eaten in quiet.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Number of combats between rests. It really does help to have 6-8 encounters with only 1-2 short rests. I use the alternate rules where a short rest is overnight and a long rest is a week or more because it works better for my campaign pacing. But if you have multiple fights, the wizard is going to hold off on that meteor storm until it's really effective. We also frequently have multiple game sessions without a long rest - people do need to take notes of where the left off.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Obstacles/goals other than killing stuff. Too often it's go there kill the bad guy. What if you have to instead save the prince? What if <em>your</em> could survive but the prince is squishy? How do you protect him.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Use custom monsters. Follow the guide in the DMG to make new monsters, they're frequently much tougher than what's listed in the MM. Or depending on budget look at 3rd party books like Kobold Press's Tome of Monsters.</li> </ul><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Specifically for higher levels, things that I do are (I mix and match the below a lot)</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Monsters have advantage on a regular basis. I justify it multiple ways, or just secretly roll it.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Do more damage. Not just more damage, but more <em>types</em> of damage. Particularly useful for my wife's half-orc character that has resistance to weapon damage. The BBEG has a sword made of lightning.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Attack more. Bonus actions or just multiple attacks.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Attacks that do more than damage. Taking people out of the fight is boring, but restraining them with a giant tentacle that is slowly crushing them? Go for it.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Transformations. This one is a little trickier (and to do justice would take more time than I have) but instead of making monsters big bags of HP, have them change at certain points. At a 2/3 of their HP they lose some AC but start blindly flailing getting more attacks at a bonus. At 1/3 their HP their acidic/demonic blood is spraying everywhere causing automatic damage (or constitution save for half). When they die they explode.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Spiritual allies. Instead of giving a monster minions that can be killed, they send out spiritual allies (inspired by a cleric's spiritual weapon) that can attack as a bonus action</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Counterspell. This one can be annoying if overused, but give the enemy casters counterspell. If you really want to be mean, the enemy caster is a sorcerer that can cast without verbal or somatic so their counter can't be countered.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Ranged attacks. Almost all creatures have effective range attacks or can get to people that are flying away.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Different saves. I make up a lot of monsters. So sometimes it's going to be strength saves, sometimes it's going to be intelligence and so on. I don't pick on individuals, but I do try to vary what I'm targeting.</li> </ul></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Oofta, post: 8423371, member: 6801845"] That, and different attacks/attributes at different levels. Basically the big bad has different attacks at 2/3 HP and 1/3 HP as they switch things up and become more desperate. Another thing I do is that legendary actions and resistances are set to number of PCs - 1. Then again, I've never seen soloes work all that well in most cases for any edition. Some of my other tactics are to just add significantly to attack bonuses and double or triple damage for relatively low level monsters and then throw a lot of them. Easy to kill, but they hit really hard and they hit often. If you want a limited number of encounters, you have to rely more on illusion, deception, flanking, sending in waves of attackers and using the environment against the PCs. A much longer version of how to make fights more difficult that I've done that I wrote up a long time ago: [LIST] [*]Use better tactics. Take advantage of cover and environment. For example small foes can use small tunnels with tiny openings that are too small for medium size creatures to go through. [*]Send waves. At higher levels wizards can do a lot of damage, so don't send all the foes at once. [*]Flank. Related to sending in waves, have weaker foes run in from the obvious direction while the real foes come around the back [*]Illusion. That BBEG? Well it's an illusion. The [I]real[/I] BBEG is hiding around the corner. [I]Note[/I] if a target isn't legitimate for a spell, I don't make the caster expend a spell slot. So if they try to banish the illusion it doesn't work but they also don't use the spell slot. [*]If fighting animal intelligence monsters, they're likely just looking for food. After a PC is knocked unconscious, take them off into the bushes to be eaten in quiet. [*]Number of combats between rests. It really does help to have 6-8 encounters with only 1-2 short rests. I use the alternate rules where a short rest is overnight and a long rest is a week or more because it works better for my campaign pacing. But if you have multiple fights, the wizard is going to hold off on that meteor storm until it's really effective. We also frequently have multiple game sessions without a long rest - people do need to take notes of where the left off. [*]Obstacles/goals other than killing stuff. Too often it's go there kill the bad guy. What if you have to instead save the prince? What if [I]your[/I] could survive but the prince is squishy? How do you protect him. [*]Use custom monsters. Follow the guide in the DMG to make new monsters, they're frequently much tougher than what's listed in the MM. Or depending on budget look at 3rd party books like Kobold Press's Tome of Monsters. [/LIST] Specifically for higher levels, things that I do are (I mix and match the below a lot) [LIST] [*]Monsters have advantage on a regular basis. I justify it multiple ways, or just secretly roll it. [*]Do more damage. Not just more damage, but more [I]types[/I] of damage. Particularly useful for my wife's half-orc character that has resistance to weapon damage. The BBEG has a sword made of lightning. [*]Attack more. Bonus actions or just multiple attacks. [*]Attacks that do more than damage. Taking people out of the fight is boring, but restraining them with a giant tentacle that is slowly crushing them? Go for it. [*]Transformations. This one is a little trickier (and to do justice would take more time than I have) but instead of making monsters big bags of HP, have them change at certain points. At a 2/3 of their HP they lose some AC but start blindly flailing getting more attacks at a bonus. At 1/3 their HP their acidic/demonic blood is spraying everywhere causing automatic damage (or constitution save for half). When they die they explode. [*]Spiritual allies. Instead of giving a monster minions that can be killed, they send out spiritual allies (inspired by a cleric's spiritual weapon) that can attack as a bonus action [*]Counterspell. This one can be annoying if overused, but give the enemy casters counterspell. If you really want to be mean, the enemy caster is a sorcerer that can cast without verbal or somatic so their counter can't be countered. [*]Ranged attacks. Almost all creatures have effective range attacks or can get to people that are flying away. [*]Different saves. I make up a lot of monsters. So sometimes it's going to be strength saves, sometimes it's going to be intelligence and so on. I don't pick on individuals, but I do try to vary what I'm targeting. [/LIST] [/QUOTE]
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