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Message: <blockquote data-quote="KarinsDad" data-source="post: 6595048" data-attributes="member: 2011">I just had a fight with a Red Dragon (half way between a young one and an adult one in every category) with double the Cha spells of the MM against 5th level PCs. It had superior spells/abilities: Invisibility, Fireball (the PC wizard is multiclassed and will not get this until level 7), traps, terrain, breath weapon, even Feather Fall.The force advantage is not on the spells being superior (the Dragon actually had as good or better spells and breath weapon), it's that of HP attrition.The Dragon cannot heal itself (typically, I have had Dragons in the past with a cleric template). The PCs can.The Dragon dies at 0 hit points. The PCs do not.In the case of solos like Dragons (assuming no underlings, in this case, the PCs killed all of the Ogre underlings before making it to the Dragon), it doesn't necessarily always have allies that can buff it or heal it or run interference for it.Much of the force advantage that you talk about can easily be given to monsters as well (and I often do, the PCs fight PC-like NPCs typically at least once a level in my game). A Dragon with evil NPC cleric followers and wizard followers and a small cadre of Ogre front line fighter types. NPCs can use choke points and terrain and all of the other force advantage options as PCs. Every single one.Except those that are PC specific. The NPCs still typically die at 0 hit points. The NPCs are handled by one person who is mentally handling a lot of activities. The PCs are typically handled by one person each who have time to think up tactics or look at options on his character sheet when it is not his turn. The NPCs are typically not optimized and are typically not designed to improve over time. The PCs are often optimized and are designed to shore up weaknesses and build upon strengths over a long period of time. The NPCs are not always designed as a team. The PCs are often designed as a team (rarely do you see 5 PC wizards at a table, but you see 5 NPC goblins or 5 other single monster types a lot).Much of the force advantage that you speak about can be done by NPCs as well, it's just that most NPCs do not have these few force advantages that nearly every PC or group of PCs has.</blockquote>

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