It really comes down to the encounter setup, not the encounter level.
I ran one encounter with teleporting mobs and a giant trap that left the party split up and out of synergy. It was maybe EL+1. The controller died because he got separated from the rest of the party. Several characters got bloodied. I critted the tank three times, but he wasn't in any danger.
Another encounter I ran had many tactical elements, it was an EL+3 encounter that might look much nastier, but it wasn't. They basically used all their dailies but I only managed to get two characters bloodied. It was great fun for the players though.
There is a lot of synergy between characters in 4e and removing that synergy is really devastating. These encounters usually don't look so dangerous - there aren't necessarily that many critters. On the other hand there is usually some terrain feature and critter ability that makes the fight hard - for instance by isolating one or more characters in an awkward positions.
Making the healer heal the controller with 45hp and an 11hp healing surge instead of the defender with 60hp and a 15hp healing surge makes a huge difference.
I give my players a good selection of: EL+0 encounter with easy terrain, EL+1 encounters with hard terrain and EL+4 encounters with mobs coming in waves.
The EL+0 encounters is usually fun for the players in the way that they can see how kickass they are. They are usually very quick and makes for a lighter feel, and not the DM-is-trying-to-kill-us-let-us-run-away mood. They are in other words important.
Oh, and yeah, minions are usually worthless except as ranged mobs where they take some actions to kill. If the players just ignore them, the plunk away for some decent damage.
Oh, and keterys, his DM is probably in need of your table with kickass monsters and crappy monsters. I know I would referense it nearly all the time when making encounters. (I would probably buff the crappy mobs before the fight and be a bit careful with the heavy hitting ones).
There are a lot of resources around for Character optimization, but nearly none for DM optimization. One can get around it as a DM by adjusting things on the fly, but it is better to do it before you start an encounter. Having a reference telling you want monsters to look out for would be a great start.
Hmm.. that got me thinking about what environment the different monsters pwns in. For instance mobs that can teleport on a hit are very good if there is a lot of elevation difference (cliffsides, buildings/rooftops, castle walls, etc). Monsters with AoE effects are good if there is little room to maneuver, and ranged mobs are good if you can space them out a lot with lots of corridors 5-6 squares straight with 90 degree turns - and a central killing ground.
Having pits filled with swarms is just evil btw.
I ran one encounter with teleporting mobs and a giant trap that left the party split up and out of synergy. It was maybe EL+1. The controller died because he got separated from the rest of the party. Several characters got bloodied. I critted the tank three times, but he wasn't in any danger.
Another encounter I ran had many tactical elements, it was an EL+3 encounter that might look much nastier, but it wasn't. They basically used all their dailies but I only managed to get two characters bloodied. It was great fun for the players though.
There is a lot of synergy between characters in 4e and removing that synergy is really devastating. These encounters usually don't look so dangerous - there aren't necessarily that many critters. On the other hand there is usually some terrain feature and critter ability that makes the fight hard - for instance by isolating one or more characters in an awkward positions.
Making the healer heal the controller with 45hp and an 11hp healing surge instead of the defender with 60hp and a 15hp healing surge makes a huge difference.
I give my players a good selection of: EL+0 encounter with easy terrain, EL+1 encounters with hard terrain and EL+4 encounters with mobs coming in waves.
The EL+0 encounters is usually fun for the players in the way that they can see how kickass they are. They are usually very quick and makes for a lighter feel, and not the DM-is-trying-to-kill-us-let-us-run-away mood. They are in other words important.
Oh, and yeah, minions are usually worthless except as ranged mobs where they take some actions to kill. If the players just ignore them, the plunk away for some decent damage.
Oh, and keterys, his DM is probably in need of your table with kickass monsters and crappy monsters. I know I would referense it nearly all the time when making encounters. (I would probably buff the crappy mobs before the fight and be a bit careful with the heavy hitting ones).
There are a lot of resources around for Character optimization, but nearly none for DM optimization. One can get around it as a DM by adjusting things on the fly, but it is better to do it before you start an encounter. Having a reference telling you want monsters to look out for would be a great start.
Hmm.. that got me thinking about what environment the different monsters pwns in. For instance mobs that can teleport on a hit are very good if there is a lot of elevation difference (cliffsides, buildings/rooftops, castle walls, etc). Monsters with AoE effects are good if there is little room to maneuver, and ranged mobs are good if you can space them out a lot with lots of corridors 5-6 squares straight with 90 degree turns - and a central killing ground.
Having pits filled with swarms is just evil btw.
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