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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Imaculata" data-source="post: 8224814" data-attributes="member: 6801286">I never present my players with encounters where they have to run. Because presuming an action on the part of the players is likely to result in the opposite.Instead, I foreshadow the difficulty of an encounter, so they can make their own choice. After all, just because an encounter is hard, does not mean they are guaranteed to lose.If an encounter proves too tough, fleeing is always an option. But I never presume that my players will do as I intended.In my sandbox play style, most encounters will be level appropriate, or appropriate in regards to the strength of the party. Challenge Ratings can only get you so far. I mostly rely on my knowledge of previous battles and how the players handled them. In my designs for battles, I also try to include alternate strategic options that can improve their chances. Simply playing smart can make even the toughest fights a little easier.However, it is possible for my players to run into opponents that are too strong. Too strong in this case, means likely to result in a casualty or two, or a severely wounded party, but never unbeatable. I try to drop enough hints in regards to the difficulty of the challenge, so the players can make an informed decission.The best way I've found to teach my players when to run, is to show early on that some opponents can be lethal. In our very first session, I had a crocodile rip a poor npc ro shreds while the level 1 party watched. They learned right away to be mindful of their hp pool, and they kept their distance from this foe. They also learned the value of seeking out alternate strategies, when their druid befriended a crocodile and turned it against their foes. As a DM I cannot stress enough just how important it is to reward your players for clever strategies. Start doing it right from the very first session and you'll teach them to do it more often.</blockquote>

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