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Message: <blockquote data-quote="TikkchikFenTikktikk" data-source="post: 5514201" data-attributes="member: 67494">The D&D Encounters adventures have gotten pretty good at slow-rolling the players. There are generally 4-5 encounters with only short rests allowed. This slowly makes them use up their surges until they enter the last fight of the encounter with just a handful left across the party. It's important to note that Encounters is currently Essentials-only so most characters always have their strongest abilities at the beginning of each encounter.The classic way to suck up their resources in a dungeon is wandering monsters and interconnected--not linear--floor design so monsters can get between the party and the exits. To strip them of their big guns early on, have the party get a few rooms in when you surprise them with a boss-fight equivalent. They go nova trying to survive, but then realize they attracted the attention of an entire dungeon and they are trapped. There is no place safe to sleep/trance, the place is crawling with guards, and the exits have been sealed. The climax of the adventure then isn't killing the big, bad evil guy but finding the exit to fresh air and sunlight alive.I think one of the 3.5 WotC adventures did this pretty well. Maybe "The Shattered Gates of Slaughterguard"? I'll have to double-check this evening.tl;dr: Wandering monsters and non-linear dungeon design.</blockquote>