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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zimbel" data-source="post: 2504769" data-attributes="member: 29912">Challenges I ran a party up to LV 22 (3E).Yes; around LV 20, a bunch of 9th level barbarians should be mincemeat regardless of the number (there's a reason the XP chart dosen't give XP for creatures that low); I'm surprised that the dragon caused them significant problems - the average damage on a failed save should be something that even the party wizard should be able to survive.Problems:1) They could take inordinate amounts of damage, and keep on coming.2) Crits were common, and they often killed.3) 100+ results on damage were not uncommon for a single round for a PC.4) They could go anywhere.5) Numerous unbalanced spellsIn 3.5, I should note, that a few of the above problems are not as bad.Solutions:1) Time-limit the adventures. With unlimited time, it's almost impossible to challenge them at this level (without deliberately nerfing a number of their abilities).2) Assume teleport. I mean assume that they'll use it during the combat. For that matter, design combats that are nearly impossible to solve without the copious use of teleport/Dimension door.3) Assume Fly. I mean assume that everyone can fly, and create some encounters where it isn't an advantage (ex: entire room is in the reach of a creature). For that matter, create encounters where it's a disadvantage every once in a while (because being on the floor is an advantage).4) Assume that your big creature will die, possibly before it gets to go. This is why you rarely want to uses a single creature any more; use 2+, each with significant power. If mass damage effects are common, consider having them spread wide apart.5) If you want to use a lot of low-level creatures, design the encounters to be mean. 8 10th level wizards should be no threat. 4 iron golems should be no threat. However, if you use the iron golems as cover (or even armor) for the wizards, the encounter starts to be more interesting. Again, if the wizards are ordering the golems to grapple the weak characters, again the encounter starts to be more interesting. Simuarly, beholders are weak, but they're great for creating antimagic areas for a combat.6) Their rogue can disarm any trap, and find it given two rounds, possibly less. Great. Now's the time to integrate traps directly into the encounters. Even better, those who set up the traps will know exactly where they are, and what they do (and will either be immune, or try to avoid it). Immunity is even better than avoiding for area-effect traps- imagine how that red dragon encounter would have fared had it set off a delayed-blast fireball trap or two every round (say, with its wings- which do trivial dmaage normally).7) Immunity is also nice against large, environmental effects- fighting on the lava, in a tornado, or 3 miles under water can cause difficulty for even high-level characters. For appropriate creatures, it's no problem at all.8) Animated objects can be big. I mean really big. If you plan to have them go through a dungeon, consider making the dungeon a creature. Consider one of the Epic Golems as a base template.9) Use active opposition. A carefully staged ambushed, prepped ahead of time can be pretty nasty. Keep it up.</blockquote>

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