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<blockquote data-quote="D'karr" data-source="post: 6460807" data-attributes="member: 336">I would beware of higher defenses.&nbsp; This is one of the most challenging aspects of encounter/monster design and one of the main causes of pacing issues at any tier.&nbsp; I have become so aware of this issue that I purposely avoid using soldier type monsters, particularly higher level soldier types, in my games.&nbsp; The issue is one of tight exciting pacing.&nbsp; You want the combat to feel and run as an exciting struggle, but consistently missing and doing minimal or no damage to the creature makes the combat drag and become boring.&nbsp; When the PCs spend their encounter and daily powers missing the target, the combat drags on.&nbsp; The PCs will at some point only have their at-will powers left which do less damage comparatively.&nbsp; Therefore the combination of higher defenses as well as higher HP has a huge potential to become an unexciting grind.My gut feel on this one is to use a monster that they can hit on average rolls but keep the HP entirely variable.&nbsp; In other words, wing it!!!&nbsp; Have the monster do a lot of damage (even using the terrain to do so) for those &quot;Oh crap!&quot; moments, but the monster dies at exactly the moment the pacing has hit its crescendo.&nbsp; It is an illusionist's trick behind the screen, but IMO it might provide a much more exciting, satisfying, and memorable encounter.&nbsp;&nbsp; Good luck with the encounter.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="D'karr, post: 6460807, member: 336"] I would beware of higher defenses. This is one of the most challenging aspects of encounter/monster design and one of the main causes of pacing issues at any tier. I have become so aware of this issue that I purposely avoid using soldier type monsters, particularly higher level soldier types, in my games. The issue is one of tight exciting pacing. You want the combat to feel and run as an exciting struggle, but consistently missing and doing minimal or no damage to the creature makes the combat drag and become boring. When the PCs spend their encounter and daily powers missing the target, the combat drags on. The PCs will at some point only have their at-will powers left which do less damage comparatively. Therefore the combination of higher defenses as well as higher HP has a huge potential to become an unexciting grind. My gut feel on this one is to use a monster that they can hit on average rolls but keep the HP entirely variable. In other words, wing it!!! Have the monster do a lot of damage (even using the terrain to do so) for those "Oh crap!" moments, but the monster dies at exactly the moment the pacing has hit its crescendo. It is an illusionist's trick behind the screen, but IMO it might provide a much more exciting, satisfying, and memorable encounter. Good luck with the encounter. [/QUOTE]

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