Monster Optimization

[Nebulous]

I've found that a good trap can be the tipping scale in an encounter, no matter how tough the PCs are. Especially a trap they can't escape or deactivate and that does not harm the monsters but hurts the PCs. I would use such a combo sparingly, but if you want to kill players "legally" without throwing Orcus at them, that's a good way to do it.

Also, expecting to kill 4e characters at full strength, all Dailies and all HS is just about impossible. I would wait until they're down on resouces before you spring the nasty stuff.

And coup de grace. Players will whine and moan and bitch about this, but given that a PC can spring up the next round and be just as dangerous when he/she was dying 6 seconds ago is incentive for *smart* monsters to make sure that PC doesn't stand up again.

I see players say "But why would that hobgoblin attack the downed rogue when there is a fighter right beside him?" Well, is it abusing metagame knowledge to know that the leader will give that rogue a two HS boost within seconds if i DON'T try to kill him?

 

[wedgeski]

Was awesome. Heroes should be heroes due to what they can do, not due to the magical items they have.

Hear hear! That was exactly my thought as I read the middle part of your post.

 

[Pbartender]

I ran a combat where I told them the monsters fought as if they were in a dance, a ritual dance, as if they were summoning something and the combat itself was part of it. Then I had the monsters start by whispering something they couldn't hear, in unison, and every round they would get louder until they were SCREAMING the name SHAR with all their might.

Those kids went into a panic. The machine that is their combat crashed and burned. They were all standing up and running about as if their hair were on fire.

It reminds me of the time my group was exploring a step-pyramid temple in a 'Valley of the Lost'.

I had described the temple as being built of, "Immense greenish grey blocks of stone, with seams so perfectly joined they can hardly be seen." The entrance to the dungeon part of the temple was, "A round well with three circles of ancient and indecipherable runes ringing the hole. Every few seconds, you can feel a faint breeze pulse up out of the well."

When they finally reached the monster that they had to defeat, they found a room with a pool of water. Six huge tentacles emerged from the water, each tentacle being made up of thousands upon thousands of tiny tentacles.

Without another thought, they ran for their lives and never went back.

Funny thing is, it was just a Pseudonatural Giant Squid and well within their abilities.

 

[jasin]

Please forgive the initial following comments. I happen to be in a very good and silly mood. Which sometimes leads to me breaking into Marxism's.

You're apologizing in advance for irreverent humour?

Isn't that a lot like doing-something-Eric's-grandma-doesn't-want-to-hear-about for virginity?

Surprise, as I have learned over time, is always the best way to take someone unawares.

Now that's quality humour!

 

[Nebulous]

Last night, they ran into the teleport trap which drops off all their items in Acerak' lair. Despite being virtually naked, they decided to proceed. Later on, armed only with a rusty longsword, a silver dagger and nothing else, they still managed to beat a pretty hard encounter. Sure, they were lucky to survive the encounter, but still. I had not expected it.

Heh. I had that happen to a 3.x monk when i ran Return to the Tomb of Horrors. The teleport trapped stripped her buck ass naked and dropped her alone and shivering in a remote part of the dungeon. She was hardly phased. Still, i'm somewhat surprised your 4e party did so well. What about all those powers that key off certain weapons and implements?

 

[nicholasgeorg]

My party freaked when they got stripped of items. Totally freaked.

 

[Nifft]

I'll bet. But is it legal where you guys live, that's the question...?

What do you have against Canada, and the Navy?


@ Nebulous: Implement powers can be used naked, but you don't get any enhancement bonus to hit, and some class features require specific implements.

Cheers, -- N

 

[AllisterH]

Heh. I had that happen to a 3.x monk when i ran Return to the Tomb of Horrors. The teleport trapped stripped her buck ass naked and dropped her alone and shivering in a remote part of the dungeon. She was hardly phased. Still, i'm somewhat surprised your 4e party did so well. What about all those powers that key off certain weapons and implements?

Frankly, most of them work still. Sure, it's a non-magical, regular longsword. That doesn't mean you can't use the 29th level daily martial power.

It just won't be as effective.

 

[Jack7]

You're apologizing in advance for irrelevant humour?

I suspect Jas I wasn't being entirely serious when I said that. But lacking any real proof I'm gonna stick with my first story for the time being.

What do you have against Canada, and the Navy?

Hey! I like the Navy.
Besides, Canada is pretty far north of me. That's worth something, right?

Implement powers can be used naked

Nifft, I'm not touching that one if you don't mind, but if you say it leads to optimization, then I'll take your word for it.

 

[SlyFlourish]

stay on target....

what are some powerful monster combinations you've seen?