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Message: <blockquote data-quote="S'mon" data-source="post: 8595057" data-attributes="member: 463">I mostly GM sandboxes and tend to use status-quo encounters with threat level defined more by the region, I don't build encounters on an XP budget. NPC enemies will often CDG, especially if they have seen fallen PCs get back up again. They certainly tend to  try to target squishy PCs, all else being equal, and they certainly tend to focus fire where possible, but they are rarely a perfect combat machine any more than the PC groups are. The average NPC group IMCs is probably a bit less well coordinated than a well coordinated PC group, but some NPC groups are better coordinated than some PC groups. Fighting veteran human mercenaries feels different from fighting a clan of low-INT hill giants or ogres.One well-coordinated PC group was defeated and lost two PCs when they were ambushed while deep in a dungeon and low on resources. One not very well coordinated PC group lost two PCs when they failed to pull off a fighting withdrawal while rescuing prisoners; their rear guard hung around too long and was overrun. They did get the prisoners out successfully.A frequent cause of PC death & defeat is enemy spellcasters equipped with AoE, especially Fireball, who have time to set up a coordinated defence and get more than one spell off. I see the same with PCs defending a position against NPC attack; with AoE they can kill huge numbers of attackers.</blockquote>