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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zardnaar" data-source="post: 7934550" data-attributes="member: 6716779">In the last few sessions I have cranked up the difficulty. The players seem to complain a bit but are still standing. They seem to like it afterwards and come back for more, 1 session missed in 8 months on my end. Here's the two encounters I got through tonight.  I vary the amount if encounters, sometimes the PCs get to rest, sometimes they don't.Due to this they are going nova a lot less than what they used to. I'm focusing less in raw damage but more on long term debuffs by cherry picking the more stinker monsters with those abilities.I don't bother with the encounter guidelines or the wandering monster tables in Xanathars. They're useless. I can grind them down it just takes 3 or four sessions. Can't be bothered.5 PCs level 9.Encounter 1.4 salt golems.Salt Golems are in Tome of Beasts. Each time they get hit anyone within 5' have to make DC 17 dexterity saves or be blinded for 1d3 rounds.When they hit someone (2 attacks a round) DC 17 con save or gain an exhaustion level.They held back and hacked their way through. They sucked up 3 exhaustion levels. Made a few saves got lucky. Oh the battle also took place in a wild magic zone a'la 2E FR but using the PHB wildmagic tables.They long rested after this. In the situation they were in I couldn't really stop then without being heavy handed although I rolled some fake "random" encounters. Most if my real "random" encounters aren't so random and are used to drag them towards the 6-8; encounters. I don't want to kill then unless they get stupid I do want to keep them guessing and working for it.Encounter 2. Some puzzles, exploration and an anagram to solve- RA'S EVIL GRIN make an offering.Encounter 2 was an eye golem and some shadows. The eye golem has a blinding light ability and stuns everyone regardless of the save. They all failed the DC 17 con save, blinded permanently and stunned. Monk gets reduced to two strength.They struggled until the divine soul/cleric remembered her staff of healing could use lesser restoration and her necklace if prayer beads with greater restoration. They struggled but sure enough they all get cured. She got the beads from killing a dragon last week, RAW random treasure tables DMG.Even death isn't career ending although they lack resurrection. Blindness hurts Spellcasters. With everything else such as locating the dungeon that's all they did combat wise. We only get 3 hour sessions. Small dungeon but next week is a room of 6 doors plus traps, a few more stinker encounters and my Void Wraith. They're looking for an ancient Oracle.Any suggestions for them are welcome. I've got critters that ignore elemental resistance, undead desert remorhaz, energy draining undead and Spellcasters lined up.</blockquote>

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