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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lord Zardoz" data-source="post: 701410" data-attributes="member: 704">How to be EvilIf you want the fights to be more dangerous, there are quite a few things you can do.  And although harder to pull off, it is possible to create encounters that are likely to engage the players.How to fight Dirty1)  Use the terrain.  If you have traps in your dungeon, it stands to reason that the denizens therin know where they are.  Lets say you have a 10ft deep pit in front of a door.  You could have some Orcs pull a door off the hinges, and use it as cover while using missile weapons on your players.   Someone will charge into melee, and then fall into the pit.  (However, undead are not the tactically thinking sort, but a good tip for later).1a)  Create defensive obstacles.  It never hurts to put archers on a balcony with only one ladder leading up.  And dont forget to put a defender on the ladder to knock them off for falling damage.  Dont forget to trap the ladder.2)  Use Leutenants.  If you have undead, then throw in some low level clerics to direct them, or bolster them.  If you use Orcs, throw in an Orc Barbarian of 3rd level, or an Ogre.  A Leutenant should generally be stronger, and should compliment the minions. 3)  Exploit Immunities.  Undead do not breath.  So have some of them grapple and hold someone under water.  If your using fire based monsters, then fight in a burning room where everyone suffers fire damage.4)  Divide and Conquer.  Split your attackers into two groups.  If the fighters go after one of the groups, have the other group go after the ones that hang back.How to Engage the players1)  Trap some of the party.  Have one of the players dragged into a room with some other monsters in it, and then have another creature close and lock the door.  The players outside the room can either try to smash in the door and save him, or leave him to his fate.  I dont think that one of the players will let the others abandon him.  You can also use spells to great effect to accomplish this.  Casting a Web between the one who charges in and the rest of the party will cut off the fighter from help.  You can also do this with any Wall spell.2)  Make their lives depend on it.  Saving the world from an insane archmage is one thing.  Saving themselves is quite another.  When failure means death, the characters (and by extension the players) are much more driven to take action.3)  Keep things in the here and now.  Its one thing to tell the players that they should stop the rampaging escaped demon, or people will die.  Its quite another if the demon is 20 feet away gnawing the faces off of 5 year old girls while the girl screams for her mommy.  If you need the players to take an intrest in what is going on, then make the consequences as immediate as possible.4)  Put them on the clock.  It may help to let the players know that some NPC's are also looking into seeking the same treasure.   If the players take too long, then the NPC's get the treasure.  And on top of that, they will get all the rewards that the players were hoping to get.END COMMUNICATION</blockquote>

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