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Message: <blockquote data-quote="OB1" data-source="post: 8195105" data-attributes="member: 6796241">For 95% of the encounters I design, I could care less if magic makes overcoming it trivial.  The PCs are heroes, and the point is for them to succeed.  That said, when it comes to certain campaign defining encounters, I generally build them with the idea that, to quote a great book, The Monsters Know What They are Doing.  Case in point, this weekend, my group is going Adult Green Dragon hunting.  Slatinthor has been a thorn in the side of the five PCs and the region they are adventuring in for a few dozen sessions.  They're sick of him, want his treasure, and having reached 9th level last week, feel like they are ready to take him on.   I've upgraded Slatinthor by giving him the spellcasting trait as well as a host of thralls and worshipers to help protect his lair.Slatinthor hasn't lived in his lair for three centuries, growing his treasure hoard to an immense size, without figuring out how to deal with upstart adventuring parties looking to come murder him and steal his stuff, and the party is going to quickly discover that in his woods, he is the alpha predator and they are the prey.  I hinted at the foolishness of their quest last session, when NPC after NPC told the party "nice knowing you" when they explained what they were doing.  I'm going to hit them over the head with it at the start of the next session, when they find the body of the only survivor of the last adventuring party to try and take on Slatinthor, along with a journal giving some hints to the defenses and unexpected powers that Slatinthor has. Those defenses are formidable, and designed to suss out ahead of time what a party is capable of and what protections they may have (especially anything that can counter his breath weapon).  Slatinthor will use that knowledge in the final defense of his lair, and if need be, flee, let the party take his treasure, and then hunt them down and destroy them on the way back to civilization.  With all that, if the party pulls out something that ends the fight in one round, I would cheer along with them.  If it ends with a TPK, I believe they will cheer along with me.  But either way, it will be great because they know what they are getting into, and that victory is not assured in this fight.</blockquote>

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