What's the WORST type of encounter you hate to write up?

[amysrevenge]

All of mine are here.

NPC parties (in 3.x) and 3D encounters.

I wrote a few RPGA adventures in 3.x edition. More than one included class-level NPCs, often with templates, who had to be individually statted out for level 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 versions.

Oy, I wrote one adventure with 3 different types of unique lycanthropes with class levels. Or the one where it was the same level 15 wizard at each level, but he was at different levels of hurt/dead/spent at each one (the very low level groups got to fight just his improved familiar). Or the one with the pair of flying awakened octopus barbarians...

 

[Leatherhead]

I have never understood why 3D combat was considered a pain, but then again I also like making racing encounters. High level npc encounters were more tedious than difficult.

For me, I cannot do a romantic or sexual encounter.

 

[Ktulu]

Specialized encounters - anything where 1 or 2 players have X skills (thievery, athletics), and the the other players sideline themselves. I always try to keep situations open for interpretation, but it's very easy to get sucked into a spot where stealth is what's needed.

Other than that, I don't usually have much to hate about encounter design.

 

[kitsune9]

Encounters involving a high level 3e spellcaster. "so, I have selected his 1st and 2nd level spells, only 6 left to go !". What a pain... 4e is so much better for that...

So here's a little funny story..

I have to restat and make the BBEG at the end of Demon God's Fane tougher and higher level because the PC's were playing at a higher level. The guy had spellcasting abilities and I had to make him epic too. It took me four hours to build him from scratch. It was a major headache too because I remember that I didn't want to restat him from scratch, but I needed to.

One of the players casts some 8th level spell that was save or die in the first round and I rolled a 1. End. Of. Game. yaaaay.....

I look back on this and laugh every time I think about it.

 

[Woas]

All of them. I realized writing up encounters is like trying to nail jelly to the wall. So I stopped.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The ones I hate the most are "mirror image" matches.

I'm not necessarily talking about a force that is the exact polar opposite of or mirror image to the party, just one in which each combatant is equivalent in power and capability to a PC in the party.

This is because you really need to put in as much thought into that group as your players have into theirs, if not more...and you have much less time in which to do it.

I have to restat and make the BBEG at the end of Demon God's Fane tougher and higher level because the PC's were playing at a higher level. The guy had spellcasting abilities and I had to make him epic too. It took me four hours to build him from scratch. It was a major headache too because I remember that I didn't want to restat him from scratch, but I needed to.

One of the players casts some 8th level spell that was save or die in the first round and I rolled a 1. End. Of. Game. yaaaay.....

My friend, I welcome you to the club.

I had a powerful necromancer who was PWNED that way...

The Paladin walked up to him in the marketplace as he was on the way to his master metalsmith (who had a piece of masterwork to show him)..."M'lord, I have something important for you..."

And quickdraw stabbed him with her Longsword, scoring a maxed out crit. This was followed up by ranged strikes from other partymembers (while his guards were caught completely flat-footed), ultimately forcing a save vs. massive damage. He failed the roll, dying (of course, he only had 4HP after the alpha strike anyway).

The last act in the round was the party Druid's casting of a spell that turned the party into a flock of Ravens...who were able to fly away before a single guardsman could even draw a weapon.

F.L.A.B.B.E.R.G.A.S.T.E.D.

I had to cut short the evening's game, commending my players for their innovation while suffering their maniacal giggles.

 

[kitsune9]

I had a powerful necromancer who was PWNED that way...

The Paladin walked up to him in the marketplace as he was on the way to his master metalsmith (who had a piece of masterwork to show him)..."M'lord, I have something important for you..."

And quickdraw stabbed him with her Longsword, scoring a maxed out crit. This was followed up by ranged strikes from other partymembers (while his guards were caught completely flat-footed), ultimately forcing a save vs. massive damage. He failed the roll, dying (of course, he only had 4HP after the alpha strike anyway).

The last act in the round was the party Druid's casting of a spell that turned the party into a flock of Ravens...who were able to fly away before a single guardsman could even draw a weapon.

F.L.A.B.B.E.R.G.A.S.T.E.D.

I had to cut short the evening's game, commending my players for their innovation while suffering their maniacal giggles.

That really is a cool story.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

You were one of the maniacal gigglers, weren't you?! WEREN'T YOU?!

It all went well, though- I had the Necromancer's consort to work with...I beefed her up nearly to his level of proficiency and had her fill the role of the BBEG(irl) in the encounter I had written up for the Necromancer hiz own bad self.

That fight lived up to its billing, thank goodness...and no, I didn't cheat by having her anticipate their tactics, since the attack occurred later the same day.

 

[kitsune9]

You were one of the maniacal gigglers, weren't you?! WEREN'T YOU?!

It all went well, though- I had the Necromancer's consort to work with...I beefed her up nearly to his level of proficiency and had her fill the role of the BBEG(irl) in the encounter I had written up for the Necromancer hiz own bad self.

That fight lived up to its billing, thank goodness...and no, I didn't cheat by having her anticipate their tactics, since the attack occurred later the same day.

No maniacal giggling, just outright laughter.

At least you had a back-up BBEG. Me, it was a total washout.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

Any battle with a lot of enemies for the PCs to fight. I have a habit of losing track of whose turn it is.