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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FireLance" data-source="post: 5303522" data-attributes="member: 3424">It may be because I'm in a contrary mood today, or it could simply be because blanket declarations like "It's just stupid" or "Worst condition ever" irk me, but I feel the urge to defend the use of the stun condition.  Players don't like their characters to be stunned. This is a feature, not a bug. The prospect of having to spend at least one round of combat doing nothing ought to be an unpleasant one, and a DM can use this to inject an extra sense of tension and fear into an encounter. After the players have rolled their monster knowledge checks, casually mention that the monster has an attack that stuns the target, and watch the fun begin. Revel in the expressions of shock and terror on the players' faces. Exult in the way they scramble to use all their defensive powers. Drink in the nail-biting suspense in the air when you make your attack roll, and the anguish or relief when you hit or miss. In previous editions of the game, you would have to break out a monster with energy drain or a save-or-die ability to get the same effect. Nonetheless, you should still use the stun condition responsibly. My own personal rule of thumb is that an encounter should feature no more than ONE of the following:1. A single creature with a non-rechargeable or infrequently recharged multiple-target stun power. If the stun is save ends, it cannot be rechargeable, and if the stun lasts one round it can be recharged at most once, e.g. when bloodied; OR 2. Up to two creatures with a non-rechargeable or infrequently recharged single-target stun power. Similarly, if the stun is save ends, it cannot be rechargeable, and if the stun lasts one round it can be recharged at most once, e.g. when bloodied; OR 3. A single creature with a relatively frequently rechargeable single-target stun power. If the stun is save ends, it cannot be recharged on more than a <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/5.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":5:" title="Five    :5:" data-shortname=":5:" /> <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/6.gif"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":6:" title="Six    :6:" data-shortname=":6:" />.Follow this advice and hopefully, you will be able to tread the fine line between not using stun at all and using it so much that your players get frustrated and quit your campaign.This has been a public service announcement.</blockquote>

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