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Message: <blockquote data-quote="delericho" data-source="post: 2683938" data-attributes="member: 22424">I try very hard to always play NPCs/monsters to the limits of their capabilities and character. So, when the PCs invade a kobold lair, they will find the kobolds to be extremely devious, but also cowardly. When they face a dragon, they're going to face a very different challenge.I do not inform a player how his character should react to something. In fact, even when domination magic is involved, I try to avoid taking control of the PC away from the player. I do, however, expect my players to have their characters react appropriately, and my players are aware of this, and generally do so. (On occasion, I have had to mention to players that, while dominated, their character would act differently than they are playing him, but such cases are rare.)I also do not generally set the NPCs up specifically to take down one or more PCs, and don't tailor the NPC tactics to counter the PC's favoured tactics in advance (although an intelligent opponent is, of course, likely to change his tactics to suit as an encounter goes on). The only exceptions to this are where an NPC logically would do such a thing, as in the case of an NPC who has spent months studying the PCs ready to take his revenge. Even then, the attack doesn't come out of nowhere - the players will be aware that there is some danger, provided they've been paying attention.Finally, I don't just play NPCs to their strengths, but pay attention to weaknesses as well. I've deliberately had NPCs miscalculate in the heat of battle and provoke attacks of opportunity, because they aren't hardened warriors, or are mindless undead, or whatever. I've had NPCs use cool-looking but suboptimal tactics because they are too arrogant to consider that they might lose, and so on. Not every opponent is as deadly as he could be. (Plus, dice hate me, so my NPCs are rarely as deadly as they could be <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> )Where Bluff is concerned, one of three things happen. Either I'll make a secret Sense Motive roll for the PCs, and then inform the players that "something about this doesn't ring true", or quite often my players will ask to make Sense Motive checks, or (if we forget either of the first two options), I just describe the action and let the players draw their own conclusions.Where Intimidate is concerned, either the mechanical effects of the Intimidate skill are applied (for the demoralise use of the skill) or I just describe the NPC as being particularly menacing. My players generally pick up on this, and have their characters react accordingly.In all things, my goal is to challenge the players and their PCs, not the 'beat' them. I'll play enemies to the hilt, to be sure, but the game is more fun for everyone concerned, myself included, if the PCs win most of the time. Besides, if I really wanted to 'win', I'd just send an army of Invisible Stalker assassins or equivalent against them. 'Cos, as DM, I don't have any shortage of those.</blockquote>

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