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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Shadowdweller00" data-source="post: 6961060" data-attributes="member: 6778479">Evidently, you are unfamiliar with the concept of "cave".  They are filled with boulders and debris, jagged rocks, multiple levels and ledges, cave floors that rise and fall several feet at irregular intervals, winding turns.  Even smoothish lava tunnels are like this.  Even if you presume an underdark that is filled with dim illumination from faerzress and lots of phosphorescent fungi, there are still giant mushrooms, fungal groves, patches of darkness, and plenty of other terrain features that a predator can take advantage of.  In some percentage of encounters, the party will outmaneuver the enemy and score an easy win.  That's a good thing - it lets the PCs feel their strengths.The warlock's flying, invisible imp - which they took in place of a magic weapon and/or the ability to cast more spells - is a decent scout.  But has a poor perception ability on its own and only middling stealth.IF the imp spots the ambush and IF the ambush occurs in open terrain where the PCs can target the enemy from far away with ranged attacks and IF there aren't still sufficient terrain features for the enemy to approach safely or even lay low until the PCs approach...then yes, the strongly ranged PC party has an advantage.Of course, to take a counterexample - in an oddly bare cave tunnel with a simple turn some distance ahead.  The invisible imp spots the ambush.  Good.  The PCs can buff themselves, run away, or take preparatory measures - but they still can't kill the enemy from far away unless they have attacks that travel around corners.  Or can draw the enemy out somehow.Nope.  It's called "passive perception" and/or "group stealth".  Look them up.   No, that's precisely what the rules lead to.  Many adventures and adventure paths are written with this concept in mind.  The 60 foot limitation on darkvision is no accident.  Many spells and abilities have surprisingly short range.  The PHB's wording on surprise strongly implies that perception checks to avoid it happen at the moment the enemy jumps out.  Several class/character options reference this. Not to mention monster abilities - like false appearance - that provide no specific mechanism of being seen through.  I could point out that it's also more realistic and believable this way, but you've already stated that you don't actually care about realism or verisimilitude.  If you don't like stealth or cover, you're certainly free to handwave them in any way you choose.  If you want to treat perception like X-ray vision that's also your prerogative.  But don't pretend that you're not creating artificial conditions when you do so."In your FACE" keeps the party tank from feeling useless and prevents that entire slough of personal defensive buffs that casters get from being meaningless.  "Keeping your distance" only works when you have foes approaching from known and very limited directions, when you don't have party members that need close-range support, and when you don't have obstacles hemming you in.If you don't imagine that a dedicated melee combatant can hack through simplistic encounters with equal speed and proficiency, you're not thinking very hard on the matter.</blockquote>

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