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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 9617638" data-attributes="member: 29398">Thing is, those "trash encounters" still produce both xp and loot - maybe not in huge amounts each time but in the long run it all adds up - and for that alone, they're valuable.For me the encounter is what it is, regardless of the party that meets it.On this much, we agree.  If the dice say the PCs win easy, they win easy, even if I'm quietly disappointed as DM. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Where we disagree is when things go sideways, as in......this.  Sure the foes might be down to 30% of what they started with but if the PCs are down to 20% there's no way the rest of that combat should be handwaved.  And what do you do if it's the PCs who are down to 30% of what they started with but the foes are still rockin' - do the PCs get handwaved to a loss?Never mind there's always the chance, no matter how small, of the nearly-beaten foes making a mighty comeback (i.e. your DM dice roll smokin' hot for those that are left).  Further, there's also the chance even in the most trivial of combats of someone fumbling and breaking a significant possession - a weapon, a shield, whatever - and-or whaling on an ally, which IMO dictates the combat has to be played out.</blockquote>