Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Saagael" data-source="post: 5652145" data-attributes="member: 84839">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 <a href="http://angrydm.com/2010/04/the-dd-boss-fight-part-1/" target="_blank">The Angry DM's advice on solos</a> 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.</blockquote>