Thank you to everyone who has participated in my previous poll on the Tactical Encounter format.
This thread looks at how you think the Tactical Encounter format should be used.
We're looking at multiple possibilities here...
Combat Unlikely / Combat Likely - should the tactical format be used for those encounters that are unlikely to end in combat? Or only in those that are - unless there are heroic means by the PCs - going to end in combat.
No Special Terrain / Special Terrain - The tactical format can be a boon for calling out special rules such as ice, slopes, barrels, etc. However, if the combat is in a 40'x40' room with no special features, need it be used? Or would you prefer it there anyway?
One Creature Type / Many Creature Types - A single Vrock may be a complicated encounter, but a Vrock, a Balor and a Wizard all together? Does the format of the Delve encounter help you with running an encounter with several types.
Single Room / Linked Rooms - We see this in Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, where a cluster of rooms becomes one tactical encounter with monsters coming from different sides. IS this a good use of the TE format? Do you feel it's also necessary for single room encounters?
Roleplaying / Combat - Is it useful to spend a page or two set aside to detail a roleplaying encounter (in some detail?) Can this be done?
So, here we go with the discussion. I considered making this a poll, then realised that the poll wasn't really going to be possible to set up in a useful way... so, just tell me your thoughts instead. Are there features of an encounter that I've forgotten. What do you think of the features I've identified?
Personally, I think that if an encounter is in a room against 4 goblins, without anything else interesting in the room, it's a waste to use the Tactical Encounter format. It's useful for new DMs (thus I don't object in Scourge of the Howling Horde), but for more experienced DMs, I think those sorts of encounters are a waste.
Groups of rooms, however, are great things to call out with the Tactical Encounter format.
Perhaps one of the big design features is to *not* design "boring" combats - make sure all the combats require the Tactical Encounter format.
If you have Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk handy, consider the difference between the encounter on page 86 (General's Quarters) vs a lone Vrock, and that on pages 80-81 (Guarded Elevator) which uses multiple rooms, terrain and monster types.
Cheers!
This thread looks at how you think the Tactical Encounter format should be used.
We're looking at multiple possibilities here...
Combat Unlikely / Combat Likely - should the tactical format be used for those encounters that are unlikely to end in combat? Or only in those that are - unless there are heroic means by the PCs - going to end in combat.
No Special Terrain / Special Terrain - The tactical format can be a boon for calling out special rules such as ice, slopes, barrels, etc. However, if the combat is in a 40'x40' room with no special features, need it be used? Or would you prefer it there anyway?
One Creature Type / Many Creature Types - A single Vrock may be a complicated encounter, but a Vrock, a Balor and a Wizard all together? Does the format of the Delve encounter help you with running an encounter with several types.
Single Room / Linked Rooms - We see this in Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, where a cluster of rooms becomes one tactical encounter with monsters coming from different sides. IS this a good use of the TE format? Do you feel it's also necessary for single room encounters?
Roleplaying / Combat - Is it useful to spend a page or two set aside to detail a roleplaying encounter (in some detail?) Can this be done?
So, here we go with the discussion. I considered making this a poll, then realised that the poll wasn't really going to be possible to set up in a useful way... so, just tell me your thoughts instead. Are there features of an encounter that I've forgotten. What do you think of the features I've identified?
Personally, I think that if an encounter is in a room against 4 goblins, without anything else interesting in the room, it's a waste to use the Tactical Encounter format. It's useful for new DMs (thus I don't object in Scourge of the Howling Horde), but for more experienced DMs, I think those sorts of encounters are a waste.
Groups of rooms, however, are great things to call out with the Tactical Encounter format.
Perhaps one of the big design features is to *not* design "boring" combats - make sure all the combats require the Tactical Encounter format.
If you have Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk handy, consider the difference between the encounter on page 86 (General's Quarters) vs a lone Vrock, and that on pages 80-81 (Guarded Elevator) which uses multiple rooms, terrain and monster types.
Cheers!
