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Message: <blockquote data-quote="3catcircus" data-source="post: 2074500" data-attributes="member: 16077">It can't be overemphasized enough the virtues of using LOTS of lower CR monsters in combination with the main baddies of the encounter.This works wonders without having the players end up whining that the EL was too high (well, they'll whine anyway, but at least they won't have a leg to stand on when they do...)I was running my party through a modified A1-4 Slavelords supermodule set in Faerun.  They had become quite cocky about their abilities and I felt an attitude adjustment was in order.  There is an encounter in the woods where the party is attacked by raiders - lots of orcs, goblins, and others.  Well - I made the leader NPC a bit tougher (he was Clr/Ftr) - by picking a good Faerun Regional Feat - Knifefighter - and gave him lots of close-combat/grappling skills'n'feats.  I used the lower level goblins and what-not to maximum effect - a group of 24 goblins lobbing arrows from the woods, across a pond and muddy field into the PC's is highly effective - they've got cover, and the PCs movement will be reduced through the mud and the pond...  Then the orcs and (ogrillons?  I forget) flanked the party from both sides and started lobbing javelins, as some other lower-level baddies (wolves and their bugbear handlers?) went on the offensive in one-on-one melee.  This slowed down the party (while the goblins are still launching volleys of arrows) and forced the party wizard to expend all of his fireball spells on the groups of flankers while the hidden BBEG is busily casting all kinds of nastiness (BoVD is quite handy!)  Did I mention the BBEG's two ogre (ettin?) bodyguards, who can stand there and take up 10x10 spaces, eating up PC movement?  By the time the party got to the BBEG, they were worn down - and then the most gung-ho player got the surprise of his life as he charged to the BBEG and got grappled and got a knife in the ribs many many many times before the rest of the party was able to get past the bodyguards, mop up the remaing goblin archers, and come to his aid.Granted - I didn't want them to die in this encounter - but it was *much* tougher than they expected, and was *still* the right encounter level for them.  Use the terrain to maximum effect.  Use the baddies natural abilities to maximum effect.  Use sound tactics - flankers and archers will tie up the PC's resources while the BBEG remains in a protected position.  And - if need be - be a rat bastard and give the BBEG a good combination of feats and skills.</blockquote>

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