Solos and Action Points

[Riastlin]

A question for you DMs out there: When do you like to use the action points on your solos?

Normally I try to use one early and then save one for when the solo becomes bloodied, but I'm curious to see what others think. In my experience, its often too easy to recover if the solo pops them early on in the fight as the party generally has a lot of resources left (easier to decide to use dailies and the like), but using one early should at least siphon off some of the healing resources and then a later AP can be used to help bring down a PC (this of course assumes an intelligent monster).

As I said though, still not positive that I run them as effectively as I could be (though MM3 math is certainly helping)

 

[Saagael]

For me, it depends. My usual tactic is to use action points as a handicap in the battle. If the players are doing well, I'll use action points towards the end of the combat to increase tension. If the players are getting wailed on, I'll casually "forget" to use them.

Though in recent combats with solos, I've been following The Angry DM's advice on solos and splitting my big bads into 2 or 3 monsters and give each monster 1 action point. I prefer this style, as then action points are split up fairly evenly, and I can control the tension in each individual "phase" of the fight more easily.

General advice I give to new DMs: If the monster is going to flee, save one for the end of the combat. If the monster is not going to flee, use one in the first or second round, and the other around the half-way point of combat. Reason being that monsters that don't flee have all their "bloodied only" powers to raise tension of the second half of the fight, and don't need the action points so much.

 

[Riastlin]

Aye, the Angry DM's advice on the boss fight is excellent. Sadly, I have yet to employ it, though I do have an idea for one coming up.

Thanks for your thoughts on APs, they do largely gel with my ideas (though I'll admit I'm more likely to forget to give an Elite an AP than a solo). The idea of using an AP to flee is also great, particularly when the players hit higher levels they just have so many options for locking down a monster that fleeing may not be all that easy otherwise. If though you can work in a triple run on the solo's turn, odds are it will usually get away.

 

[mudlock]

On running: I've found that every DM ever always has their monsters run one round to late. If you're going to run, run as soon as you're bloodied.

As for action points, I think it's more exciting to use them when the solo (or elite) bloodies a PC, rather than after the PCs have bloodied them. (Nothing says excitement like "death save"

 

[catastrophic]

Yeah, I tend to load an AP in when and opportunity presents itself, like as a follow-up to a crit, or to fire off a special combo attack. It doesn't always work, and I tend to modify monsters such that for isntance, their encounter 'sthick' powers are reliable, and stuff like that.

 

[S'mon]

I tend to heavily front load use of APs; especially as I halve monster hp so if they don't use them quickly they might die before using them at all. Recently I killed a Wizard PC in round 1 - she was the only PC to beat monster (wolf) init, moved forward and Burning Hands'd them, killing a small wolf. On their turn most of the pack then leapt on her, the 2 big wolves bit her, AP'd and bit again, she was down & dying, a small wolf beside her with a readied bite then finished her off. The other PCs managed to kill or drive off the wolves after a tough fight, and luckily it took place right beside the tower of a friendly ritualist with Raise Dead - adapted from first encounter of 'The Slaying Stone'.

 

[Riastlin]

I tend to heavily front load use of APs; especially as I halve monster hp so if they don't use them quickly they might die before using them at all. Recently I killed a Wizard PC in round 1 - she was the only PC to beat monster (wolf) init, moved forward and Burning Hands'd them, killing a small wolf. On their turn most of the pack then leapt on her, the 2 big wolves bit her, AP'd and bit again, she was down & dying, a small wolf beside her with a readied bite then finished her off. The other PCs managed to kill or drive off the wolves after a tough fight, and luckily it took place right beside the tower of a friendly ritualist with Raise Dead - adapted from first encounter of 'The Slaying Stone'.

Aye, opportunity is a good way to do it too. With Elites I tend to have it easier since its easier (at times) to gauge when an opportune moment arrives, but its a little more difficult (in my experience) with the Solo. The bloodied PC is a nice signpost though. Nothing gets the attention of the party like seeing one of their allies lying in a heap.

BTW, kudos on having the wolves attack a downed PC. Too many DMs (in my experience) will pull that punch, but for certain creatures (like the wolves here) it just makes sense.

 

[Jack99]

I usually save one for when a player says: Woaw, that was close, almost dead, need healing guys! - Or something along that way.

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Usually I use APs ASAP, because I have a bad tendency to forget them otherwise.

But recently I've been thinking about monster design, because I write most of my own. And I realized that all these APs and minor actions and immediate actions and auras and whatnot are a way of beating around the bush. All those things exist in upper caste monsters in order to give the monster enough actions to multiply its damage output.

Unfortunately my memory during a big fight isn't the best, so I decided to cut right to the chase. So instead of APs and all kinds of weird attacks, I'm about to try giving my upper castes extra standard actions. Elites have a 50/50 chance per round of getting a second standard, while solos always get a second standard. Shameless plug.

 

[MarkB]

I tend to fire off at least one almost immediately, in the first or second round of combat - hit them with an extra action to get them off balance, so the solo can start taking the initiative.

I have tended to save the second for after bloodied, but I've learned to be swift in using it if I do so - with many solos, by the time they're past bloodied the party will have the upper hand tactically, and it frequently takes no more than a round or two to bring the combat to a conclusion, often with some combos thrown in that will prevent the solo from attacking effectively on at least one of those rounds.