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If you're having trouble with tactics, almost nothing WotC can do will help. I've had to redo the tactics of a ton of encounters in their modules because they don't maximize the capabilities of the creatures they use. If WotC module designers are poor tacticians, why would I believe that WotC designers will be any better?
I ran both Rivenroar and am running Heathen, both dungeon modules. I have had to redesign the tactics of several encounters because the module designer either did not take into account the map he was designing the encounter for or did no take into account the capabilities of the monsters.
If you cannot intuitively see how a power works on a given map or for a given creature, then you will have trouble creating sound tactics for your creature. I have never had that trouble, so I find it difficult to give you good advice as tactical encounter design will vary from encounter to encounter.
I'll drop some guidelines that I use for encounter design:
1. Think about how your monsters can work together. How their powers can assist another creature to make the entire encounter stronger.
Example: Hobgoblin warcaster and three bugbear warriors.
Hobgoblin warcaster has a Force Lure ability that does damage and slides a character three squares.
Most ideal use of this ability given no advantageous terrain like a pit or cliiff? Slide a character (preferably a soft in the middle controller) into a flank with two bugbear warriors so the bugbear warriors can strike with a hit advantage and use their predatory eye ability for extra damage.
You should be thinking this way all the time when using your monsters. How can they help each other with their powers? When is the best time to use their powers?
2. Location, Location, Location: Think about how the creatures you are running can best use the terrain in which they find themselves. If they have bushes to hide in, then use them. If they can get cover behind trees or tables, then use them. If there is a pit in the area they can throw someone down, then use it. If they move across difficult terrain, but the players can't. Then have them use difficult terrain to their advantage.
3. Intelligence of the creature: This isn't so much tactical as it is a gauge for the DM on how advanced tactics should be. Fighting a group of mindflayers should be far more difficult than fighting a group of ogres in terms of what tactics they use.
I would vary tactics based on the intellgence of the creature. Sure some stupid creatures are cunning or have learned simple, but dangerous tactics due to some experience. But for the most part something like an Ogre might just rush forward and try to use brute strength to win whereas an organized group of hobgoblins would attack like a military force and a highly intelligent group of Mind Flayers might use tactics no other creature would even begin to think of such as picking a particular ambush spot of great advantage to them or creating an ambush spot of great advantage to them.
4. Know your players: Know their tendencies. Know how much you have to plan to challenge them. Know they can handle what you are throwing at them. Know what options and magic items they have at their disposal. Know their chance to hit and their damage potential.
You should be able to learn all this over the course of play. I often know a player's to hit bonus and bonus damage by heart as well as all their encounter and daily powers and what they do. I also know their magic items and what their magic items do. I look at their to hit roll and can tell them their total before some of them figure it out.
A key to good tactics is knowing what your players are capable of and thinking about how your monster can counter it (if it is even possible).
That's about all the advice I can offer. You may also want to post some encoutners that you want to be challenging on this board and ask for advice on how to run it. Alot of DMs on here are good tacticians. I imagine you could get alot of good advice.
But as far as a book on tactics, that would be difficult because each encounter is different. And each player may deal with each encounter differently. Then the randomness of die rolls can ruin the best tactics or make poor tactics seem great.
DMing is very intuitive. Tactics is a combination of knowing all of what I post above with having the intuitive ability to shift tactics on the fly. With practice you will be able to do this without a tactical book.
If you're having trouble with tactics, almost nothing WotC can do will help. I've had to redo the tactics of a ton of encounters in their modules because they don't maximize the capabilities of the creatures they use. If WotC module designers are poor tacticians, why would I believe that WotC designers will be any better?
I ran both Rivenroar and am running Heathen, both dungeon modules. I have had to redesign the tactics of several encounters because the module designer either did not take into account the map he was designing the encounter for or did no take into account the capabilities of the monsters.
If you cannot intuitively see how a power works on a given map or for a given creature, then you will have trouble creating sound tactics for your creature. I have never had that trouble, so I find it difficult to give you good advice as tactical encounter design will vary from encounter to encounter.
I'll drop some guidelines that I use for encounter design:
1. Think about how your monsters can work together. How their powers can assist another creature to make the entire encounter stronger.
Example: Hobgoblin warcaster and three bugbear warriors.
Hobgoblin warcaster has a Force Lure ability that does damage and slides a character three squares.
Most ideal use of this ability given no advantageous terrain like a pit or cliiff? Slide a character (preferably a soft in the middle controller) into a flank with two bugbear warriors so the bugbear warriors can strike with a hit advantage and use their predatory eye ability for extra damage.
You should be thinking this way all the time when using your monsters. How can they help each other with their powers? When is the best time to use their powers?
2. Location, Location, Location: Think about how the creatures you are running can best use the terrain in which they find themselves. If they have bushes to hide in, then use them. If they can get cover behind trees or tables, then use them. If there is a pit in the area they can throw someone down, then use it. If they move across difficult terrain, but the players can't. Then have them use difficult terrain to their advantage.
3. Intelligence of the creature: This isn't so much tactical as it is a gauge for the DM on how advanced tactics should be. Fighting a group of mindflayers should be far more difficult than fighting a group of ogres in terms of what tactics they use.
I would vary tactics based on the intellgence of the creature. Sure some stupid creatures are cunning or have learned simple, but dangerous tactics due to some experience. But for the most part something like an Ogre might just rush forward and try to use brute strength to win whereas an organized group of hobgoblins would attack like a military force and a highly intelligent group of Mind Flayers might use tactics no other creature would even begin to think of such as picking a particular ambush spot of great advantage to them or creating an ambush spot of great advantage to them.
4. Know your players: Know their tendencies. Know how much you have to plan to challenge them. Know they can handle what you are throwing at them. Know what options and magic items they have at their disposal. Know their chance to hit and their damage potential.
You should be able to learn all this over the course of play. I often know a player's to hit bonus and bonus damage by heart as well as all their encounter and daily powers and what they do. I also know their magic items and what their magic items do. I look at their to hit roll and can tell them their total before some of them figure it out.
A key to good tactics is knowing what your players are capable of and thinking about how your monster can counter it (if it is even possible).
That's about all the advice I can offer. You may also want to post some encoutners that you want to be challenging on this board and ask for advice on how to run it. Alot of DMs on here are good tacticians. I imagine you could get alot of good advice.
But as far as a book on tactics, that would be difficult because each encounter is different. And each player may deal with each encounter differently. Then the randomness of die rolls can ruin the best tactics or make poor tactics seem great.
DMing is very intuitive. Tactics is a combination of knowing all of what I post above with having the intuitive ability to shift tactics on the fly. With practice you will be able to do this without a tactical book.
