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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nyeshet" data-source="post: 3440461" data-attributes="member: 18363">Wasn't there a spell in 3e that was in effect a Wall of Dispel or some such, whereby any creature walking through it was hit by a dispel effect? Honestly, I cannot see a BBEG not warding his sanctum with such - especially whenever he has reason to suspect trouble may be coming (such as hearing of attacks occurring in another part of his dungeon complex). Cover it with an illusory wall to remove any sign of its presence (ie: an illusion of nothing being there), and the party takes a hit just as they enter the room for the final show down. Nothing wrong with that. BBEGs are suppose to be fiendishly cunning and devious. As for foes arriving buffed - if they can hear the party in combat a couple rooms away, I would expect them to be buffed. Indeed, even if they have only heard that combat took place nearby the day before I would expect them to be buffed - or have a buff prepared for usage at a moment's notice (perhaps in the form of a potion or two they can down as they approach the room or hear the party approaching). I generally play by the rule that what is available to the PCs is also available to their foes. This includes buffing, magic items, PrCs, etc. I also tend to play by the rule that foes live longer by playing smarter. They *will* retreat if their numbers fall too far or they are too injured. They will plan ambushes, use tactics, swarm the PCs with fodder troops first (such as zombies, etc) to wear them down, make them start up their buffs early so they wear off not long after engaging the true foes, and so forth. I do this - and I expect the same from the players. Blindly rushing into combat is a sure way to get your character killed. And no one can really argue that any of the foes in the MMs cannot use tactics - except perhaps the Int -- (ie: mindless) vermin and occasional construct or undead or plant. After all, even the animals with only Int 2 are sometimes described as using ambushes, flanking, and tactics such as tripping, seeking out the weakest, etc. If an Int 2 creature can do all this, then any creature with Int 2+ can do this (which is well over 98% of the creatures in the MMs).</blockquote>

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