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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mengu" data-source="post: 5537115" data-attributes="member: 65726">Level 2 knight at 24 AC seems off. And make sure you are using MM3 damage expressions.Most difficult thing as DM, is to not forget stuff that monsters do. I end up helping out a lot of DM's as player, so they don't forget monster auras at the beginning of a PC's turn, they don't forget to recharge abilities, they don't forget immediate actions when monsters are bloodied, or killed, etc.Also a bit of rules mastery to keep players in line is somewhat required, or the players (especially less experienced ones) will get away with murder, taking immediate actions during their turns, making opportunity attacks while dazed, forget conditions on them like weakened and give you full damage, etc.Once those issues are out of the way, you should be able to start threatening them reasonably well. Keep in mind combat at low levels is somewhat swingy. If monsters get a surprise round and initiative on PC's, the PC's can get hosed pretty bad, riddled with conditions, bloodied and near death, and trying to dig themselves out of a hole the entire encounter.Monster tactics 101, focused fire. Ignore the defender if you must. Monsters have a healthy reservoir of hit points, they can take the defender punishment. And throw everything you have onto one PC, preferably the healer if you can get to them, but any squishy opportune target will do. If you take down the thief, they are suddenly down 4 or so healing surges at the end of the encounter, likely going into the next encounter with 2 surges. Their rest of the day will be quite challenging, trying to stay safe. They might still steamroll through some encounters, but that's great. They have to. Otherwise, they'll quickly run out of surges and have to rest.One other great way to challenge PC's is time pressure. Have to finish up an encounter in 5 rounds, or the boat is sinking, or the bomb will go off, or whatever other pressure element. Next way is challenging their action economy. Use monsters that grab in the middle of difficult terrain. Make them climb to get to an artillery enemy on a ledge playing peek-a-boo. Have enemies close doors on them, and hold those doors while their artillery uses arrow slits to harass them. Yet another way to challenge them is tight quarters and blasts. Healing suddenly becomes scarce in that environment, and when everyone is suffering conditions, it's harder to hand out saves.There are some subtler DM monster tactics too. I'll often use bait to gather PC's around a creature, then drop bursts on them. I'll have the monster with 3 hit points left, go engage the massive damage dealing rogue, and send minions at the rogue. I'll send a soldier or lurker after the mage, and grab them. I'll blind, daze, immobilize defenders.Basically when you want to challenge them as DM, you use their vices, and exploit them. It's important however not to overdo this. Balance in challenges is key to keeping them on their toes. Make them look for mobility powers on those occasions where they find themselves challenged getting to the enemy. Make them look for the emergency heal option when their leader goes down.A well coordinated party is a party with a wide variety of options and solutions for every problem. They will eventually adapt to the challenges you are providing them, but when they get used to your curveballs, you throw a fastball at them.And last but not least, as mentioned don't be afraid to add an extra standard creature, if they are having too easy of a time. You can even do this on the fly. They attack a room full of orcs, and their alpha strike is so strong (or lucky with some crits), you don't think the encounter is going to mean much, have a beefy orc walk out of the john, asking what's going on? Then reach back, rip off the toilet seat and start attacking with it.</blockquote>

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