Level 8 PCs pound my Level 12 Solo

[Storminator]

I don't use that many solos, but run a lot of over-EL encounters. Recently, the PCs in my game took on the following sequence of encounters without an extended rest:

*Comp 2 L14 skill challenge (as a result of which each PC lost one encounter power until their next extended rest);

*L17 combat;

*L15 combat;

*L7 combat;

*L13 combat;

*L15 combat;

*Comp 1 L14 skill challenge;

*L16 combat;

*L14 combat;

*L13 combat;

*Comp 1 L15 skill challenge;

*L16 combat (the L15 solo was defeated by being pushed over a bridge down a waterfall);

*L15 combat (the solo returned later in the night, having survived the fall and climbed back up).​

The PCs started this day at 14th level, and finished it at 15th.

Admittedly some of the encounters involved waves/split opposition rather than a unified force; but equally, in some of the encounter the PCs were split and couldn't bring all their power to bear simultaneously or in a co-ordinated fashion.

I continue to find 4e PCs very resilient.

That's a long run. We haven't seen anything like that yet, but we're Heroic Tier. I've heard Paragons are a lot harder to drop.

PS

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

And Epic is even harder...

Late Paragon my group went through a 14 encounter 'day', in which there where three 'big' fights. It helped that I was clear up front that they were in for the long haul.

In a recent Epic adventure, the group literally went to hell and I told them it was a single encounter day.... they went seriously Nova and slaughtered the opposition {and then ran away from Orcus }

I am finding in Epic that it is much harder to challenge the PCs. Last session they faced a two elite Crystal Dragons, and despite the high MM3 damage those critters dealt out, the PCs wrapped them up in less than 5 rounds of combat.
I just looked over a possible replacement character that is a Warforged Knight. At 25th level he has 223 hit points, 19 healing surges, resist all 9, and dishes out the pain with an at-will 2D10+16 attack... heck of a defender!

I used to stick pretty close to the encounter templates from the DMG. More and more I am setting up things like an Elite with 6 standard monsters supporting it.

Oh.. in the 3 year campaign I have had 3 PC 'deaths'... I put that in quotes because the first was a voluntary change of character and the other two were raised in combat courtesy of Epic Destiny abilities. And I have been trying to take the PCs down!

 

[Mithreinmaethor]

Despite its name a Solo is not meant to be used alone. It either has other creatures with it or has some type of terrain advantage or traps with it as well.

For example: "Level 13 Encounter (XP 3,950)
✦ 1 stoneborn dracolich (level 11 solo soldier)
✦ 1 eladrin twilight incanter (level 8 controller,
MM 102)
✦ 2 eladrin fey knights (level 7 soldier, MM 102)"

 

[keterys]

Also, if you're solo, how do you get the Domination to create OAs? You can't take them on your own turn, right?

Example: Bard is dominated next to the dragon. It's now the bard's turn, not the dragon's - the dragon orders the bard to do a vicious mockery on the fighter, which is a ranged attack, and provokes.

Alternatively, the fighter charges the bard (movement provokes).

And that's without even doing the really nasty actions. Like making a ranged attack with the fighter. With his improvised ranged weapon, aka, his longsword.

 

[Storminator]

Example: Bard is dominated next to the dragon. It's now the bard's turn, not the dragon's - the dragon orders the bard to do a vicious mockery on the fighter, which is a ranged attack, and provokes.

Alternatively, the fighter charges the bard (movement provokes).

And that's without even doing the really nasty actions. Like making a ranged attack with the fighter. With his improvised ranged weapon, aka, his longsword.

OK. I was playing it as you got the dominated action immediately, but that makes more sense (and is also probably right. . . )

PS

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hey Storminator!

UK, you might want to test out that encounter of yours. Over-leveled solo brutes can dish out a bunch of damage. Even with controller damage and other tasks I dropped a PC.

I'd also say its a very tough Level 11 Solo. I am a tad concerned about it.

I have twelve encounters detailed for suggested Levels 5-6 divided into four locations.

EL 5, 6, 7
EL 6, 7, 9
EL 6, 7, 8
EL 8, 9, 11

The two middle locations can be tackled in either order. That said the PCs would have an artifact that would make the last few encounters a bit easier. But its tough to gauge how much easier.

I'll probably use the pdf release as the playtest and then based on feedback I can make whatever tweaks are necessary for the print release.