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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Primitive Screwhead" data-source="post: 5781069" data-attributes="member: 20805">I have been running a striker/leader party since 4e came out.. and let me tell you it can be really challenging to set it up right. You run a very fine line between total annihilation and cakewalk. The good news is the higher level they get, the wider that line gets. For instance, game last friday night at 24th level.. I had only 4 of the 6 players present {striker/ranger two weapon, striker/invigorating build, leader/warlord, leader/bard}  They went up against a boss fight in which the main bad guy was dishing out 50 to 60 points of damage per turn to at least two targets. Latter when he was bloodied, he upped that to 60 to 90 on average.  The Fighter went below zero three times, the bard went down twice, and the ranger and warlord were both bloodied.That was to give you an idea that this isn't just random advise.  <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=":)" />For 4e encounters I follow Stalker0's guide to the Anti-Grind and a couple of standard practices: 1) Use the hard encounter template as written in the DMG and ignore XP value. 2) for each player above 5, add a standard monster to the mix 3) Alter the stats for standard monsters to match the character levels, plus or minus 4 4) Elites and Solo's should be within 2 levels of the PCs 5) In Paragon, standard monsters should not exceed 2 levels above the PCs and Elites and Solo's should not exceed the PC level 6) In Elite, standard monsters no not exceed the PC level and Elites/Solos do not exceed 2 levels lower7 )Use MM3 damage expressions!8) Use terrain, traps, and in-combat skill challenges to mix it up. Use stunt items {like a Ballista} that both sides can use and fight over9) Make sure your bad guys have enough space! My experience with Delve nights was that the rooms tended to be too small to allow maneuver tactics. I often doubled the size of the rooms for mobile bad guys.10) Minions for the win!!!!  and demi-minions {with a threshold of 5 + 1/2 level or hit points equal to a standard monster bloodied value and normal attack damage {this kinda punishes your strikers and favors your controllers.. so be wise with using this}  I use 5 and 6 because strikers and leaders tend to be squishy and higher level monsters hit ratios are mean. The BBEG on Friday could hit the Bard on a 6 or better. {of course, he could only hit the Ranger on a 15 or better... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f641.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":(" title="Frown    :("  data-smilie="3"data-shortname=":(" /> }  I use 10 because I have two focused strikers and the leaders often just sit in the back and wait for the blood to finish flying. They have taken an Elite out in one round before</blockquote>

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