Should Monsters use sneaky tactics in combat??

[gizmo33]

I don't agree that the clear choice for the 9th level barbarian, either from a tactical or roleplaying viewpoint, was to cower behind the cleric (who would instead be the proud recipient of 2 negative energy levels). I don't think the situation is as clear as you think when you're a player and you haven't looked at the dungeon like the DM has. (And a DM, with the ability to fudge the dice, tactical circumstances, and creature statistics, is not always in the best position to be claiming that he's a tactical genius.) I would prefer that the players in my campaign keep their minds on playing their characters, and deal with whatever adversity they must. Less time sulking and more time looking to get Restoration spells for the barbarian.

To return the favor, I, as a DM, will spend less/no time talking about what a bad player the barbarian's player is for not running away. Not only that, but I try to avoid designing encounters where I have a certain expectation of how the players will deal with it ("it'll be cool if the players run away at this moment"). That way, I'm less tempted to complain to the players when they don't do what I want them to. And also, everyone is polite to each other, spends their time thinking about the things that they're responsible for, and things are less adversarial so that there is less of a perception of DM-vs-players.

 

[Runestar]

This reminds me of a scenario I read in another forum.

Party was facing a beholder. Normally, it can only aim up to 3 rays at any 90 degree arc. But what the DM did was to position the beholder such that the middle of a semicircle (basically 2 arcs joined side by side) was bisecting the party. This effectively allowed the beholder to attack the entire party with 6 eye rays, rather than the usual 3 a typical party might expect. Boy did it get us crapping in our pants. We were like "Hey, it can't do that...", but the rules apparently allow this, because it does not state that all the targets have to be in the same arc.

What sort of devious/sneaky tactics have your DMs used on you?

 

[Delta]

This effectively allowed the beholder to attack the entire party with 6 eye rays, rather than the usual 3 a typical party might expect. Boy did it get us crapping in our pants. We were like "Hey, it can't do that...", but the rules apparently allow this, because it does not state that all the targets have to be in the same arc.

The real killer thing is to put it at the bottom of a pit so it can fire upwards with all 10 eyestalks. All that's spelled out explicitly in the 1E MM.

 

[Rechan]

I actually now have a more relevant experience for this. I have a new player coming in wiht a new character. And he's coming in because his character is an exiled noble.

So I am going to have assassins come after him. Which might be a bit harsh, the new guy getting a quartet of badguys bursting through the window after him.

Even more evil, a shapechanging assassin will join the group as a torch carrier, and during a particularly harsh battle, the assassin will shiv the character in the back when he's weak or being attacked.

I'm worried this might come across as being overtly mean.

 

[RangerWickett]

I don't think you need to play creatures with low intelligence as 'stupid.' Pack predators use intelligent tactics, and aren't particularly intelligent, compared to people.

Lions, for instance, send one or two of the pride to flush prey toward other lions laying in wait. (Of course, when was the last time PCs fled when monsters jumped out at them?)

Ogres are dumb as bricks, and would probably fight like bears, just rushing in until they realize they've bitten off more than they can chew. But grimlocks are also stupid, yet I can see them collaborating and cooperating with clever tactics, because no single grimlock is strong enough to just bludgeon through its foes.

 

[Rel]

I don't think you need to play creatures with low intelligence as 'stupid.' Pack predators use intelligent tactics, and aren't particularly intelligent, compared to people.

Lions, for instance, send one or two of the pride to flush prey toward other lions laying in wait. (Of course, when was the last time PCs fled when monsters jumped out at them?)

Yes but this behavior is instinctual and has evolved for hunting specific prey (who also act in an instinctual and fairly predictable way). Lions don't change tactics if they are met with an intelligent foe.

The ability to adapt to another foe's particular style of fighting is the hallmark of the cunning enemy.

 

[El Mahdi]

Yes but this behavior is instinctual and has evolved for hunting specific prey (who also act in an instinctual and fairly predictable way). Lions don't change tactics if they are met with an intelligent foe...

Except for the Tsavo_Maneater lions featured in (with some artistic liberties) The Ghost and The Darkness.

 

[Runestar]

The real killer thing is to put it at the bottom of a pit so it can fire upwards with all 10 eyestalks. All that's spelled out explicitly in the 1E MM.

Or I could have the beholder hover over the party, where it can fire downwards with all ten eye rays by dividing the party into 4 quadrants of a circle...

Wow...can't believe I never thought of that before. Suddenly, 10 eye rays/round seems too few...

 

[CleverNickName]

The real killer thing is to put it at the bottom of a pit so it can fire upwards with all 10 eyestalks. All that's spelled out explicitly in the 1E MM.

Or just have it float upside down, and position it over the party.

EDIT: Drat! Runestar beat me to it! (I should really read the whole thread before posting...)

I agree with what others have said...monsters should be as cunning and stealthy as their stats allow.

Int: tactics
Wis: judgement
Cha: self-awareness

Creatures with even a 3 in these stats would be capable of reason and rational thought (though probably not very good at it.) And any creature with a 9 or 10 would be no more or less cunning than we humans.

But some monsters are, frankly, brilliant. A monster with a high intelligence would be very cunning and make very few tactical errors. A creature with a high wisdom would plan lots of traps and ambushes. High charisma? Very stubborn or convincing, almost impossible to control or influence.

To do any less would be doing these monsters a gross injustice. A lich isn't dangerous because it casts spells...it is dangerous because it is highly intelligent, completely evil, and (worst of all) very patient. People who cross a lich should not be surprised to return home five days (weeks? years?) later and find their entire hometown burned to ash.

 

[justanobody]

Just have some kobolds stand at the end of a hallway with a torch looking all stupid for the party to charge them and kill them. Thing is the hallway is covered in green slime....and the kobolds are just far enough out of range....