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Message: <blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 6994074" data-attributes="member: 6785785">It's an interesting point and the way the game mechanics work can at times conflict with expectations. I'm not sure that's what is happening here, though.Are the dashing gnolls actually in the aura for less time? The non-dashers approach the aura, and stop outside it. Their less cautious allies charge right in, taking damage. Then, a new round starts and the cautious gnolls enter and take damage and the dashers take another round of damage for starting within the aura. The dashers are within the aura for two rounds and the non-dashers only one. Now, a round is a mechanical construct of the game, yes, but whatever amount of time it may be, I think it's safe to assume that the dashing gnolls have been within the aura for a longer period of time, even without thinking in terms of rounds. I don't know if having the gnolls choose to not enter the harmful effect is metagaming. I get your point about determining one round of damage versus two....but I think there's enough going on that I'd let such slight metagaming go without worry. The gnolls know the aura is harmful....it follows that they would know spending more time within it would be more harmful. They also likely know that spells can be disrupted if you hurt the casterenough...so it'd be a risk/reward situation for them. You're taking a specific example and what works in that example and trying to apply it to all instances. "A" mob's efficacy may not rely on ranged capability...but "this" mob's did. And it's not just the ranged capability, but also many other factors that contributed to this gnoll mob's failure. Generally speaking, the strength of a mob isn't in its mode of attack or its positioning, although those can matter. It's in its numbers....the idea is to overwhelm the opponent. So, using a mob in a way where it cannot bring its numbers to bear defeats the purpose of having a mob. Now, a big part of that is the PC using a spell that works so well against mobs. Wise choice and well played. But that spell's effect was only increased by how the gnolls reacted to it and how the area of the encounter was designed to favor the PCs.Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Nothing wrong with a Thermopylae style epic stand....the idea is cool and that may be exactly what was desired. I just think that it would be wrong to draw the conclusion that mobs are weak based on this scenario.</blockquote>

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