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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kigmatzomat" data-source="post: 1367970" data-attributes="member: 9254">Preparation is key.  For ambushes I have all buff-spells already factored in and accounted for, ach caster has his first 3 rounds of spells selected, and any potions drank.  Critters I generally have a mental map of how they will react to a)massive physical trauma, b)visually impressive magic and c)seeing one of their own cut in half.  Some beasts will run from a flamestrike or if one of the pack gets killed in a single blow while others won't care what happens as long as they have more than 20% of their hitpoints.  Second, I prepare whole environments when I want to wear down a high level party.  Colonies of shocker lizards (check out their power-amplification effect!), grabbing plants, and a few other reasonable critters encountered in a row in a swamp will have the same impact as a couple of trolls without feeling forced, especially if some of the later creatures are scavengers likely to arrive looking for leftovers.  This you get used to.  Generally the first 3-4 rounds of combat I require each blow's damage and don't give out AC or SR.  By round 4 I'll tell the AC and if the creature doesn't have DR ask for the damage per round, unless the critter could be taken out by a single hit where cleave or movement might be a factor.  It speeds things up while leaving the first couple of adrenalin-laced flavor rounds.  After that it becomes a slugging match both for the players and the characters.  Do encourage people to have all the dice they want ready and the spells they intend to cast already selected.  That's really 50% of the time wasted at a table.</blockquote>

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