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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MostlyDm" data-source="post: 6714590" data-attributes="member: 6788973">These are all great points but they don't directly impact encounter design in 5e. Same way that starting an encounter when the party is asleep (and so partially unarmed, prone, etc.) doesn't make the encounter count for more or less encounters. Those difficulties aren't factored into action economy any more than having warning to buff or no warning is. What factors into action economy is how many critters are on the field at a time. That's it. Waves of enemies are, in the most critical sense, each a distinct encounter by DMG guidelines. I agree that those factors make a huge difference in tone though. 100% with you there. Four waves of foes feel very different and more stressful than four random disconnected encounters.</blockquote>