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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Helldritch" data-source="post: 7925666" data-attributes="member: 6855114">Again I have to agree with those who say that lethality is in the hands of the DM. 5ed makes healing a bit trivial when you can rest. But the fights are no less dangerous. I have seen more TPK in this game than in 3.xed. The easy healing overnight can get some player really cocky in their play styles. But once they get with a DM worth its salt, it changes a lot.Again, if you want your games to be challenging then you have to do the followings.* 4-6 encounters per day. Enforce this bazooka style. Avoid the 5MWD at all costs. I personnaly allow only two short rests per day with only one long rest at night. If the long rest is disturbed for more than a minute, it starts over again. If the players are trying to rest (even on a short rest) I roll if there is a random encounter (once per hour) until the 4-6 encounters per day is met.* Avoid the whack a mole play. If a character falls and the enemy is intelligent and see the character getting back up because of a small heal, then smash that player and if he falls, then FINISH HIM! The players are doing it, so should you. Don't over do it tough, animals and dumb monsters are... well dumb and rarely use tactics beside hitting the current threat. Use your logic.* Never allow the players to leave and adventure site like a base/temple/fortress where the enemies are organized without having Seek & Destroy party going out to search for the PC. And do not have these S&D parties do not count towards the total enemies in the base/temple/fortress. In addition, they should be hard to deadly encounters. Have them have dispel magic (in cases where the players use Tiny Hut like spells.)* Never put a BBEG alone after the players have gone away to rest. Either have the BBEG gone or make him get reinforcement. * Have more that one type of enemy in encounters. Mono type enemy encounters are a great way to facilitate players' life. It is also, IMHO, a lazy way to DM. Why sent 6 orogs at your party when you can send them 5 with one shaman/cleric? A bless spell on the orogs makes them much stronger.*Change the equipment on certain monsters. Some monsters were strangely designed, with suboptimal equipment. A veteran should have a shield or give him a great sword instead of a long sword. It is as if the creator had weapon specialization in mind then decided against that but forgot to review the equipment. Why would a Hobgoblin captain be less armored than his troops? Give him a better armor and a shield and that hobgoblin becomes much more dangerous.*Change the spell list of some monsters. Again the logic of the equipment change apply here. The different shaman/priest do not have sacred flame. This is a flaw where I automatically give them my own equivalent Unholy Flame (fire/necrotic damage instead of holy). Putting bless on this list is a no brainer.* Players develop a reputation. Yep the higher they rise in level, the more they are known. Especially if they are venturing in a small area. Intelligent monsters will know of them and some will spy on them to learn their tactics and habit. They like to boost themselves before a combat or they boost one character? Then the main villains will know and will act accordingly. I have seen a lot of gaming groups over the years. Be it OD&D, 1ed, 2ed, 3.xed, 4ed or 5ed some were saying the game was too easy, others too hard. It is almost an art to achieve balance between too easy and too hard.</blockquote>

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