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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Fanaelialae" data-source="post: 4939385" data-attributes="member: 53980">See, that seems odd to me.  I don't run a status-quo sandbox myself, though I usually have a general idea that the entrance to the underdark will be guarded by Crushed Skull orcs (to use your example).  However, in my games the PCs wouldn't ever go looking for the underdark at 2nd level because they'd be well aware that it's way out of their league (that's where drow and hook horrors live).  I like to give my players not-so-subtle hints so that they know ahead of time where not to go (until they're higher level).Additionally, if they did for some reason go, I'd be worried that by using over-leveled minions the PCs might get lucky in the first round and get the mistaken impression that they have a realistic chance of victory.  If I wanted to give the players the impression that the Crushed Skulls are elite, I'd probably have them encounter a lone Elite or Solo orc out on patrol that they can defeat with some real effort.  Then I'd point out that they see evidence that there are dozens more like this guy up ahead.  If they proceeded I'd probably just tell them to cut to the retreat unless they came up with a truly brilliant plan (though if someone complained I'd let them try playing out combat with a half dozen higher-level solos/elites).  Cutting straight to the escape is just my way of trying to keep them from dying needlessly in a battle that I know to be quite unfair (as I've stated before, I've found too frequent death tends to impede good role playing).I've never seen it come to anything like that though, since I make it abundantly clear that the underdark is a location that's out of their league, guarded by things that are also out of their league (for now) when they first seek directions to an underdark entrance.</blockquote>

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