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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kigmatzomat" data-source="post: 2409826" data-attributes="member: 9254">Here's a rules point about groups that back up to buff up before a fight: it changes the ECL of the encounter.  Ambushes on either side alter the odds.  Buffing up qualifies as an ambush to me.  You should have been giving 50-75% of the normal XP.  Now the problem is that your PCs have no ability to judge threats when unbuffed.  So start hitting them.  They sneak up on baddies.  They retreat to buff.  They return to find the baddies gone.  An hour later the party finds the baddies again and once more retreat to buff only this time midway through the buffing the baddies attack the party.  Make it an a fight with something visually intimidating, preferrably something they are unreasonably terrified of, but at a reasonable ECL for their unbuffed state.  It'll be a harsh fight but they should win while unprepared.  Now start upping the spot/search/listen of the baddies as well as adding more alarm & scrying magics (FYI: commune w/ nature will provide lots of information and a Hallow with Detect Magic highlights buffed/invised creatures with a glow).  When the PCs sneak up they get spotted more often, buffed or not.  When facing a buffed party the foes retreat behind defenses that take to breech, allowing the buffs ot fade.  Simple, but hard to stop, traps are triggered (giant blocks of stone crushing the party) while the baddies run for the rear exit while a non-sentient rearguard slows the PCs down more.</blockquote>

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