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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ExploderWizard" data-source="post: 5285163" data-attributes="member: 66434">Stages put the PC's into a ' fight script sequence' that is too much like a videogame for tabletop play IMHO.  Part of the fun of tabletop play is the uncertainty of outcomes. A dangerous combat against a powerful foe is exciting only if the danger level to both the PC's and the monster are running high.  The action economy is the best place to fix solo problems. Stages may make players feel like they are wasting powers by expending resources on a useless buffer (which is what stages are) or they will quickly realize that they are in a staged fight. If that happens they will try and hold back the good stuff until the last stage when it really has a chance of ending things quickly. This will make the early stages frontloaded with extra long grind as the PC's try and peck the boss into later stages with at-wills.  I was thinking of trying something different with solos. We already have a selection of monster powers that vary in strength in the form of encounter, recharge, and at-will. Give actual solo encounter monsters a number of turns equal to the number of PC's -1.  Thus a party of 5 would face a solo boss that got 4 turns per combat round.  Each round the solo could use 1 encounter level ability, 1 or 2 recharge level powers (depending on # of PC's), and the rest at-will level powers.  The solo could use these powers in any order desired. Once initiative rolled back to the solo's 1st turn in the round, the action availability resets. The solo would have an initiative stagger so that it acted first on its rolled initiative then in between the PC's turns.  On the upside, damage per attack wouldn't have to be so high due to the increased action count and the effect of conditions on the solo wouldn't be so harsh due to said number of actions. I would only use this design for solos that are actually alone. They might be too deadly otherwise. I'm going work on statting up one of these bad boys and testing it in my campaign.  Thoughts? Ideas?  Thanks in advance.</blockquote>

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