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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FormerlyHemlock" data-source="post: 6931193" data-attributes="member: 6787650">One way to do this:There are never "orc #1, orc #2, and orc #3" or "pirates #1-10". Every fight is always against "the fat orc, the orc who's a little balding, and the orc with the ripped tunic" or "Ned, Fred, Ted, Glen, Larry, Harry, Barry, Johnson, Ed, and Scary."Also, if Ned, Fred, Ted, and Glen are all down and bleeding after six seconds of combat, Larry, Harry, Barry, Johnson, and Ed should throw down their weapons and try very hard to look like they're not with Scary, who is still fighting tooth-and-nail (while holding a thermal detonator!). BTW, as DM, if you know the enemies aren't going to fight to the death this also frees you up to use larger groups of enemies, which in turn encourages players to let enemies surrender so that they don't end up fighting those oversized groups of enemies to the death every time. Virtuous cycle.Encounter: Around midnight, a DC 12 Perception will make a PC notice a soft splashing sound from off the bow, and a DC 12 Investigation check lets them know it is the sound of oars. Two rounds later, ten pirates scale the side of the ship. Their goal is to steal as many valuables and slaves as they can (five or six unarmed civilians for slaves would be ideal) and then retreat back into their rowboat, but if discovered by sailors or PCs on watch, they laugh maliciously and draw their weapons. Ned, Fred, Ted, Glen, Larry, Harry, Barry, Johnson, and Ed all have Pirate (NPC) stats and will throw down their weapons in dismay if either Scary or four other Pirates are killed or captured, and Scary has the stats of an Gladiator (NPC) and a 6-beaded Necklace of Fireballs, which he is loathe to expend (it's part of his mystique) except in a dire emergency, such as if the other Pirates have all surrendered or look like they're going to. Cowards!If captured, a pirate can lead the PCs back to their base and show them where to sneak ashore without grounding the ship, but they will remain cooperative only as long as they are scared. If they start to feel more secure they will begin to abuse the sailors, children, and other civilians on the ship.</blockquote>

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