Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ondath" data-source="post: 8640379" data-attributes="member: 7031770">This is an area on which I tried a lot of approaches, primarily because... to be compeltely frank, I'm not good at tactical combat. I run games to create interesting stories and explore strange new worlds, and I do enjoy a good setpiece battle, but most of the time I won't be able to run monsters to their full efficiency. That said, here are some things that worked:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Stealing 4E's monster roles to design monsters with specific combat roles which then allow them to use some basic tactics. Things like a Guardian monster blocking the way for the players while glass cannons in the backlines harangue the players with annoying missile attacks/spells.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Adding some sort of puzzle element to the encounter. At some point I tried reworking Legendary Resistances so that they weren't just a limited "I succeed the save" button, but instead allowed a monster to succeed all saves until the puzzle element in the encounter was handled. For a fight with a Green Dragon, for instance, I said that the green dragon had an aura of poisonous clouds surrounding him, and the players either needed to find a way to disperse the cloud (any wind-creating spell would do), or break the green dragon's power as the embodiment of betrayal by making a coordinated attack and make their teamwork metaphysically rattle the creature. The need to find a different gimmick for every boss battle got a bit tiring though, so I returned to the usual LRs for now. I saw MCDM add a new spin to this by adding in-fiction explanation for the monster's LR (their not-beholder sacrifices an eye anytime it succeeds on a save, for instance), so I might try that.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Either designing a monster with a specific tactical algorithm or using monsters that have that has also been helpful. For instance, A5E's Lich entry in their Monstrous Menagerie has a Tactics section that explains how the Lich would fight, which spells it would select given the circumstances and so on. Having a set algorithm like that for the monster to follow during the encounter is usually really helpful.</li> </ul></blockquote>

Verification