Leveling an encounter with two opposing factions

[Rogin]

Hi,
I'm relatively new to DMing and I'm currently trying to level an encounter where my players will come across two waring factions.
I was hopping to get some suggestions on how to appropriately level the encounter considering that the faction will be fighting each other and the party isn't aligned to either side.

Happy to elaborate more if necessary.

Thanks,
Rogin.

 

[Ovinomancer]

Hi,
I'm relatively new to DMing and I'm currently trying to level an encounter where my players will come across two waring factions.
I was hopping to get some suggestions on how to appropriately level the encounter considering that the faction will be fighting each other and the party isn't aligned to either side.

Happy to elaborate more if necessary.

Thanks,
Rogin.

Trying to understand, here, but what's your goal? For the two sides to be even, or for both side together to be a good encounter for the party to defeat, or one side, or one side with help?

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. Just have two sides be thematic and fighting each other. Make them more or less powerful than the party as you wish -- more powerful, and party has a hard choice on whether or not to interfere. Whatever you do, you do not want to actually run the fight between the two sides as anything other than descriptive. Maybe a few die rolls to determine who has the upper hand at the moment, but don't break it out and run it as if it's a combat. Waiting for the DM to make all the rolls for a fight you're not it to tell you what happens is booooooring. Just narrate the events, and, if the party wants to jump in, slice off a few of the relevant faction and let the party take that piece on. That can be determined using the regular method for encounters. Run that fight, with the party, and have their success/failure influence which side is winning.

 

[AnimeSniper]

Reminds me of that Bruce Willis movie with the two gangster groups, prohibition era, and he basically worked for both sides... depending on your group you could have an equal/unequal amount of them join each sides and work to bring them down to save the town whilst taking the majority of the factions ill gotten gains for themselves.

 

[Quickleaf]

Hi,
I'm relatively new to DMing and I'm currently trying to level an encounter where my players will come across two waring factions.
I was hopping to get some suggestions on how to appropriately level the encounter considering that the faction will be fighting each other and the party isn't aligned to either side.

Happy to elaborate more if necessary.

Thanks,
Rogin.

Welcome to ENWorld

And yes, it's necessary, elaborate more.

 

[Rogin]

Hi guys and thanks for your response,

So the goal initially was to create an encounter that with both sides together would be a good and safe encounter for the party. My worries was that if total it all up for say a hard encounter that the casualty inflicted by each side could tern a hard encounter into an easy one. Or alternatively if the party decided to pick a side reducing difficulty by half.

I think that Ovinomancer idea should solve this issue though, not running the encounter as combat until the party are fully invested in what they want to do and then leveling the remain enemies accordingly.

Animesniper, probably would be going into more detail that this encounter requires, but the I do really like your idea and may very well steal for another part of my campaign!

thanks again, this has been my first ever post in a forum and it's been very helpfully.


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