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Scaling Phandelver for 6 PCs
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<blockquote data-quote="Jer" data-source="post: 6363331" data-attributes="member: 19857"><p>I can't speak for 5e, but given previous experience with past editions of D&D I would be very leery of increasing the AC on anything. And I definitely wouldn't both increase the AC and increase the hit points. It tends to overpower the monsters to do both because the PCs miss more often AND they have to dish out more damage total to defeat the beastie. If I wanted to boost the solo creature to let it live longer in a fight with more characters I would just boost the number of hit points. Boosting the AC means that they miss more often, which is more frustrating than anything else. Boosting the hit points means that they're hitting it but it won't go down - much more terrifying IMO.</p><p></p><p>But I'd probably be more likely to scan through the monsters I have available and see if I could find a CR 1/2 or 1/4 creature to throw in as a buddy for the nothic instead. Something to harrass the PCs a bit and tie up a couple of them taking care of it instead of being able to focus their all of their fire at the nothic. If there's nothing suitably thematic to pair with the nothic available I'd reskin an orc or something into some horrible aberrant servant-thug. Probably with tentacles and a single eye because why not?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jer, post: 6363331, member: 19857"] I can't speak for 5e, but given previous experience with past editions of D&D I would be very leery of increasing the AC on anything. And I definitely wouldn't both increase the AC and increase the hit points. It tends to overpower the monsters to do both because the PCs miss more often AND they have to dish out more damage total to defeat the beastie. If I wanted to boost the solo creature to let it live longer in a fight with more characters I would just boost the number of hit points. Boosting the AC means that they miss more often, which is more frustrating than anything else. Boosting the hit points means that they're hitting it but it won't go down - much more terrifying IMO. But I'd probably be more likely to scan through the monsters I have available and see if I could find a CR 1/2 or 1/4 creature to throw in as a buddy for the nothic instead. Something to harrass the PCs a bit and tie up a couple of them taking care of it instead of being able to focus their all of their fire at the nothic. If there's nothing suitably thematic to pair with the nothic available I'd reskin an orc or something into some horrible aberrant servant-thug. Probably with tentacles and a single eye because why not? [/QUOTE]
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Scaling Phandelver for 6 PCs
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