Reduced HP for monsters: Approved.

[Klaus]

Just ran a 3.5 hour session for 4 players involving two areas of KotS. Every damage they dealt, I increased by about 30% (so 9 damage became 12). The fights lasted long enough for everyone to act, without being too dragged out.

IMHO, the monster stats formulae in the DMG could stand to be reduced by one die size (8s become 6s, 6s become 4s).

 

[GamerRay]

I have found myself doing this arbitrarily, especially in situations where the PCs have a guaranteed win, and all they are doing is going through the motions of killing.

Although I'm curious has to how you would be able to change the enemy's health in a reliable way so that they die before boredom sets in, but they live long enough to let the PCs feel a bit of pressure and, possibly, even fear of a PK.

 

[Klaus]

Even with the increasing of PC damage output by 30%, I still managed to get half the party Bloodied in a fight against 3 goblin sharpshooters and 2 guard drakes.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Do your monsters fight to the death, or do they run away at some point--such as after getting bloodied?

TS

 

[Klaus]

Do your monsters fight to the death, or do they run away at some point--such as after getting bloodied?

TS

One sharpshooter tried to run and get reinforcements (he didn't know they were already dealt with) and got cut down running.

The hobgoblin torturer, with his bloodcut armor, made the PCs quiver in fear as he absorbed a huge ammount of damage from both the ranger and the warlord.

 

[Obergnom]

Our campaign is know 20 sessions long, and I started reducing Enemy HP after the 4th or 5th session.

I reduce the HP by (Level+1)*2... exactly what you propose... it works great.

 

[Spinachcat]

I have intelligent monsters often flee when bloodied. There is no reason that all (or most) fights should go to the death.

Encourage players to use Intimidate vs. Bloodied foes. Instead of the +10 Will defense bonus, give +5 (or even +0) if they are bloodied to make combats end quicker. They get full XP for defeating the foes.

 

[keterys]

I've been playing with standard hit points... and things are obliterated very, very quickly.

If I were to consider reducing the hp of monsters (which I have, though for slightly different reasons than some others I suspect), I'd have to upgrade their damage to keep challenge remotely close. As it is, when I play or DM I almost always feel that the poor monsters are doomed with not enough challenge.

At least, not within standard suggested xp.

Or except for one group. I've got one group that has all kinds of problems, even for what would be easy fights for another group. Really troubling.

 

[Mengu]

I do this in an adhoc manner. I don't reduce HP's from the start, but toward the end of the battle, if the PC's have all but guaranteed victory, the monsters either try to flee, surrender, or if those are not options, they just drop dead the next time someone hits them.

I've also on occasion knocked monsters over when they really had 1-5 hp's left, if they weren't important monsters.

I find another thing that speeds up monster death is opportunity attacks, so my monsters don't care too much about provoking opportunity attacks, or combat challenge attacks, or eating divine challenge damage. If it gives them a chance to maul a squishy striker that's been stinging them, they'll take the risk. It is also not infrequent that I catch my own monsters in my own AoE's. Evil guys don't care about friendly fire. If I'm catching a respectable number of PC's in the AoE, a few grunts can suffer the consequences.

 

[Orcus Porkus]

I find another thing that speeds up monster death is opportunity attacks, so my monsters don't care too much about provoking opportunity attacks, or combat challenge attacks, or eating divine challenge damage. If it gives them a chance to maul a squishy striker that's been stinging them, they'll take the risk. It is also not infrequent that I catch my own monsters in my own AoE's. Evil guys don't care about friendly fire. If I'm catching a respectable number of PC's in the AoE, a few grunts can suffer the consequences.

I do that too. These actions add a lot of flavor and excitement to the end of a fight, when it could as well just drag on with the monster being beaten to death. If a monster tries to run away, and provokes opportunity attacks, the players get very excited, and the challenge to kill it or let it escape adds nice drama to the end of the encounter. The monster goes down anyway, so make it fun.