Zardnaar
Legend
Personally I am not a massive fan of D&D but have played it up to level 30 in 3E, level 20+ in BECMI, Level 12 1E, level 19 in 2E, and 15 in 5E. In some cases we played from low levels, in others we created high level PCs, and some of the games were fairly munchkin in terms of magic times including items that gave you extra levels in AD&D. Modern D&D players who have only played d20 version of D&D have been subjected to an arms race with ever increasing critters of higher CR critters. 5E does have that as well but to a lesser extent with ACs being lower. CR also means something a bit different with deadly encounters often not being that deadly and by level 7 or 8 or so RAW you can come across CR 13 critters and by level 20 that is is CR 30 which is a bigger CR range than say 3E and 4E. The CR guidelines are also a bit wonky at low levels due to how much damage things like Orcs, Hobgoblins, Ogres etc can deal- level 2 and 3 are really the new level 1. However 5E monsters are a bit more like the AD&D ones with some of the nastier abilities stripped out and they retain some of the glass cannon attributes on things like Dragons which have nasty breath weapons but can be hacked apart in 2-3 rounds- similar to AD&D ones.
So here are some ideas on how to make the somewhat east 5E monsters more challenging.
1. Tactics tactics tactics. AD&D through to 4E had some situational modifiers that if you were clever you could stack with some spells to turn mooks into somewhat dangerous foes. This could be as simple as higher ground+ ranged weapons/cover though to something like a righteous wrath of the faithful spell which in 5E terms is a 5th level spell that combines aid, bless and haste into a single spell that effects multiple targets. You can still ad hoc things like this in but perhaps replacing advantage over a numeric modifier or perhaps using 4E's +2 idea and/or advantage. Monsters are still squishy but they can hit more often and you can use a few more of them. Tuckers Kobolds is an infamous tale of this with Kobolds using a variety of tactics to trap PCs and engage them indirectly without having to engage in melee. Some adventures in Dungeon magazine also did similar things such as Tallows Deep (Dungeon 18 Goblins vs level 4-7 adventurers). Dungeon 18 had the adventure "Out of the Ashes" were a horde of Kobolds each have a bead from a Necklace of Fireballs and there are a large number of them- for level 8-12 characters. Said mooks also used the terrain to their advantage which leads me to part 2.
2. Terrain/Environment.
As a young DM I often started using terrain more in 2E in the mid 90's. This was due to oneo f the people, I knew having old issues of Dungeon ( issue 18 ad 19 come to mind), along with some of the old B and X adventures. At the most basic level this is things like archers behind arrow slits and on ledges or pikemen behind a pit trap. Basically the melee characters can't melee without getting hurt. Higher ground, water hazards, cross fires, ambushes, rockslides are some more mid level tricks while high level ones often involve fantastical elements such as lava, gates to various outer planes or even trips to the outer planes themselves. The previously mentioned "Out of the Ashes" for example takes place in a polar regions with Frost Giants, Remorhaz, but the main dungeon is in a giant crystal floating over a pool of lava. The adventure Nemesis (Dungeon 60) takes place on an Abyssal layer where the ocean is poison (type E IIRC, save vs poison or die, success 20 damage, in 5E terms DC 18 con save 2d6 damage/per pc level). My favourite personal one was an illusionary white dragon on a lake frozen over of thin ice. To take it to the next level some of these adventures also included traps. Which is part 3.
3. Traps
The Tomb of Horrors is infamous for the traps used in it but there are a few other adventures infamous for traps as well. The Labyrinth of Madness (2E lvl 15+) has a trap which combines a glyph of warding causing damage with a strength check (DC goes up more damage taken) with a fall for more damage where you get hit by power word kill+ animate dead+ levitate which sends the PC corpse back as a Zombie. In Out of the Ashes the main dungeon is over a lake of lava, of course there are pit traps that deal 20d6 falling damage+ the lava itself. Other nasty traps involve pit traps into water in editions where you can't swim in heavy armor, pit traps onto oozes or pit traps into room full of enemy draining undead. Its a fine line between a fun trap though that is clever vs one which is a gotcha where PC death is certain or even a TPK. Very nasty traps are fine at higher levels where raise dead resurrection, clones etc are available. Very nasty traps prevent that either from destroying the body (disintegrate) or ones that trap the soul or imprison the PC have also been used. My personal favourite trap I designed was more or less instant death but easily avoidable the PCs just had to not bully NPCs. Players being players of course can treat NPCs badly and that player did not mind to much when he had to roll 4d6 6 times to replace his character that was sent sown a chute with poisoned (paralysis) razor blades onto a pressure plate trap that shoved the PC into a pit trap that impaled the PC and then pored oil on them and ignited it. Moral of the story don't attack thieves in their lairs for no good reason. Other traps are things like anti magic zones which remove PC toys which is part 4.
4. Negating the PCs abilities.
Ye olde anti magic zone is one but so are effect such as mythals that negate fire magic perhaps, planar effects that change the rules of magic or things like warded areas that prevent telportation or what have you. A more mundane one can be something as simple as out ranging the PCs spells and missile attacks. Even environmental effects such as rain, wind and mist are all useful and in some cases the PCs can't evade them. Getting caught in a sandstorm in a desert. Mundane or magical the PCs will find things harder or perhaps some of their favourite abilities won't work or work as well as they thought.
5. Ye Olde Horde.
Modern D&D has often emphasised smaller groups of similar CR critters. Older D&D was not to shy at just throwing more numbers at the PCs such as 20 kobolds at level 1-3 (Keep on the Borderlands) through to 20 spectres at level 15 (Labyrinth of Madness). My record is 40 kobolds in 5E in a Dragons lair vs level 8 PCs. This is more effective when the PCs lack AoE abilities or if things are immune ore resistant to things like fireball (hell hounds). There are several low CR critters in 5E that are CR 2-3 for example but pack breath weapons (hellhounds) or lightning bolt or fireball (various spellcasters in PotA). For higher levels even something as simple as a horde of Kobolds with explosive flame pots,/grenades/fireballs work. Flameskulls clock in at CR 4 and can cast fireballs. A Skyreaver (PotA) is CR 3 and packs 3 lightning bolts, 4 of them can pump out 32d6 damage for 3 rounds although odds are some will die but a handful of them facing level 8-12 PCs is going to hurt. The Eternal Flame Priest (PotA) is CR 3 and packs fireball. AoEs with saves are more reliable at forcing through damage than attacking ACs. See Giff from MToF for mundane gunpowder explosives.
So that is a few ideas some my own others borrowed from printed D&D adventures. One thing I have noticed in 5E is caster often have a CR lower than their caster level (MM,, VGtM). A Diviner for example CR8 and is a 15th level caster which means 5th level PCs could potentially encounter one. An enchanter is CR 5, caster level 9, while an archdruid is CR 12 but can cast level 9 spells including foresight.
So here are some ideas on how to make the somewhat east 5E monsters more challenging.
1. Tactics tactics tactics. AD&D through to 4E had some situational modifiers that if you were clever you could stack with some spells to turn mooks into somewhat dangerous foes. This could be as simple as higher ground+ ranged weapons/cover though to something like a righteous wrath of the faithful spell which in 5E terms is a 5th level spell that combines aid, bless and haste into a single spell that effects multiple targets. You can still ad hoc things like this in but perhaps replacing advantage over a numeric modifier or perhaps using 4E's +2 idea and/or advantage. Monsters are still squishy but they can hit more often and you can use a few more of them. Tuckers Kobolds is an infamous tale of this with Kobolds using a variety of tactics to trap PCs and engage them indirectly without having to engage in melee. Some adventures in Dungeon magazine also did similar things such as Tallows Deep (Dungeon 18 Goblins vs level 4-7 adventurers). Dungeon 18 had the adventure "Out of the Ashes" were a horde of Kobolds each have a bead from a Necklace of Fireballs and there are a large number of them- for level 8-12 characters. Said mooks also used the terrain to their advantage which leads me to part 2.
2. Terrain/Environment.
As a young DM I often started using terrain more in 2E in the mid 90's. This was due to oneo f the people, I knew having old issues of Dungeon ( issue 18 ad 19 come to mind), along with some of the old B and X adventures. At the most basic level this is things like archers behind arrow slits and on ledges or pikemen behind a pit trap. Basically the melee characters can't melee without getting hurt. Higher ground, water hazards, cross fires, ambushes, rockslides are some more mid level tricks while high level ones often involve fantastical elements such as lava, gates to various outer planes or even trips to the outer planes themselves. The previously mentioned "Out of the Ashes" for example takes place in a polar regions with Frost Giants, Remorhaz, but the main dungeon is in a giant crystal floating over a pool of lava. The adventure Nemesis (Dungeon 60) takes place on an Abyssal layer where the ocean is poison (type E IIRC, save vs poison or die, success 20 damage, in 5E terms DC 18 con save 2d6 damage/per pc level). My favourite personal one was an illusionary white dragon on a lake frozen over of thin ice. To take it to the next level some of these adventures also included traps. Which is part 3.
3. Traps
The Tomb of Horrors is infamous for the traps used in it but there are a few other adventures infamous for traps as well. The Labyrinth of Madness (2E lvl 15+) has a trap which combines a glyph of warding causing damage with a strength check (DC goes up more damage taken) with a fall for more damage where you get hit by power word kill+ animate dead+ levitate which sends the PC corpse back as a Zombie. In Out of the Ashes the main dungeon is over a lake of lava, of course there are pit traps that deal 20d6 falling damage+ the lava itself. Other nasty traps involve pit traps into water in editions where you can't swim in heavy armor, pit traps onto oozes or pit traps into room full of enemy draining undead. Its a fine line between a fun trap though that is clever vs one which is a gotcha where PC death is certain or even a TPK. Very nasty traps are fine at higher levels where raise dead resurrection, clones etc are available. Very nasty traps prevent that either from destroying the body (disintegrate) or ones that trap the soul or imprison the PC have also been used. My personal favourite trap I designed was more or less instant death but easily avoidable the PCs just had to not bully NPCs. Players being players of course can treat NPCs badly and that player did not mind to much when he had to roll 4d6 6 times to replace his character that was sent sown a chute with poisoned (paralysis) razor blades onto a pressure plate trap that shoved the PC into a pit trap that impaled the PC and then pored oil on them and ignited it. Moral of the story don't attack thieves in their lairs for no good reason. Other traps are things like anti magic zones which remove PC toys which is part 4.
4. Negating the PCs abilities.
Ye olde anti magic zone is one but so are effect such as mythals that negate fire magic perhaps, planar effects that change the rules of magic or things like warded areas that prevent telportation or what have you. A more mundane one can be something as simple as out ranging the PCs spells and missile attacks. Even environmental effects such as rain, wind and mist are all useful and in some cases the PCs can't evade them. Getting caught in a sandstorm in a desert. Mundane or magical the PCs will find things harder or perhaps some of their favourite abilities won't work or work as well as they thought.
5. Ye Olde Horde.
Modern D&D has often emphasised smaller groups of similar CR critters. Older D&D was not to shy at just throwing more numbers at the PCs such as 20 kobolds at level 1-3 (Keep on the Borderlands) through to 20 spectres at level 15 (Labyrinth of Madness). My record is 40 kobolds in 5E in a Dragons lair vs level 8 PCs. This is more effective when the PCs lack AoE abilities or if things are immune ore resistant to things like fireball (hell hounds). There are several low CR critters in 5E that are CR 2-3 for example but pack breath weapons (hellhounds) or lightning bolt or fireball (various spellcasters in PotA). For higher levels even something as simple as a horde of Kobolds with explosive flame pots,/grenades/fireballs work. Flameskulls clock in at CR 4 and can cast fireballs. A Skyreaver (PotA) is CR 3 and packs 3 lightning bolts, 4 of them can pump out 32d6 damage for 3 rounds although odds are some will die but a handful of them facing level 8-12 PCs is going to hurt. The Eternal Flame Priest (PotA) is CR 3 and packs fireball. AoEs with saves are more reliable at forcing through damage than attacking ACs. See Giff from MToF for mundane gunpowder explosives.
So that is a few ideas some my own others borrowed from printed D&D adventures. One thing I have noticed in 5E is caster often have a CR lower than their caster level (MM,, VGtM). A Diviner for example CR8 and is a 15th level caster which means 5th level PCs could potentially encounter one. An enchanter is CR 5, caster level 9, while an archdruid is CR 12 but can cast level 9 spells including foresight.
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