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Message: <blockquote data-quote="CapnZapp" data-source="post: 4716017" data-attributes="member: 12731">I don't think returning to basic attacks is the solution. If at-wills are kept reasonably simple, they do seem to add something to game-play. Besides, if you want you can always spam one over and over (which makes you have to remember only that one).As for conditions that are placed all over; yes, it's possible the designers went a bit overboard with this. If fewer powers generated conditions the times combat becomes a mess would be reduced.Removing the assumption a grid is used is a good start. If as a designer you can't assume people are using minis and counters, you will have to get better at not spamming so many conditions.As for the grind and scariness: remember to throw the DM encounter guidelines out the window.I'm running a sandbox game where my PCs are currently third level. They've already fought (and won) against a level 8 Elite, and they've fought (and ran away from) a pair of level 10 Tomb Guardians. They've also started an argument with their boss at the time, a level 6 halfling who I gave sneak attack. The argument ended in violence, and the halfling won initiative: the resulting two sneak attacks brought the PC from good to three hp short of dead in two straight attacks. I think they got a healthy level of respect (and hatred) for him that day...I can't be sure of course, but I hope to have created a state of alarm not that much different from 3E. I have also proposed the "max dmg" variant (discussed here at ENWorld several times), but so far, they haven't taken the bait, preferring to roll their dice.Besides, if an encounter takes one and a half hour, none of us wants to waste time fighting "easy" encounters where the only suspense is "will I lose two healing surges, or can I manage using only one". Yawn.Also, don't be afraid to simply cut short any fight where it's apparent the monster's lost and the party's won. Simply say "and the remaining enemies die", give out full XP for these foes, and move on.But yes, "scaring" the players (or more accurately, having your players respect the power of the gameworld and its inhabitants) is a bit more work than in 3E.You might also want to check out the new initiative by Necromancer Games; "Classic 4E" which probably will end up fixing some of your issues! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Link: <a href="http://necromancergames.yuku.com/forums/81" target="_blank">4E "Classic" - General - Necromancer Games - Message Board - Yuku</a></blockquote>

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