WanderingJester wrote:
Basically, I'm asking all the wonderful dms here for advice on what to do to create so awesome combat. What size should the rooms be for certain fights? How should I use difficult terrain? How can I implement traps? How to I make fights hard but enjoyable and not just boring? My players enjoy the rping but I want them to be talking about that bad ass fight the week later. Thank you for your help everyone.
I am not the king of interesting combat, but I can add a few suggestions. First off, if you have interesting RP then combat instantly becomes more interesting as the PCs are actively invested in defeating the opponent. Attributing a villains RP theme into combat isn't always noted but can serve as a basis of inspiration. If the villain was hard to get to because of a lot of underlings running interference in game than add the same to combat. If the villain led the PCs into moral or RP traps, add a trap to his combat encounter. Say the bad guy was a blunt bruiser, force the PCs into close quarters so they will never be more than a charge away, and let them fear is strength.
Now, more chunky stuff. Terrain is a tricky card to play. Use height advantage for weaker mooks so they can be a greater threat to the PCs, and are not just ignored for the boss. Difficult terrain again to create more distance out an encounter to protect weaker big bads. Cover can be used to make mooks harder to deal with, and total cover can be used to allow the main villain to be present but not confrontational until some of the bodyguards have been beaten (i.e. the party is weakened). However, terrain should work both ways, allow some cover to protect casters in close quarters, or shadowy concealment so rogues can stealth around a battlefield before it begins. If terrain is only an obstacle and never a benefit, the party will stop thinking about how to interact with it, and only how to bypass it.
Traps are easier to integrate. Aside from a basic skill challenge, traps in combat are less difficult to implement. Often have the trap be known to the enemies, and have them use it to threaten the PCs. For instance, a pit trap on one side of the room, and the monsters use push and pull mechanics or snatch and drop to push PCs into the trap. Still keep the save DC, so the PCs can dramatically hang from the edge, but have the monsters get them there. There is another secret for making a "weaker" monster much more dangerous. Combining environmental traps and resistant monster also works. For example, a salamander with a flame jet trap. However, give the rogue access to the trap mechanism during combat, this allows them to use their skills in an efficient way during battle. Final example, opening the door to a room activates a magical Tesla coil which shoots the closest thing to it for a small amount of electrical damage every 1d4 rounds. The thing which starts closest to the coil is a flesh golem who starts getting temp hp from the initial blasts. Here the rogue can disable the trap at the trigger, in this case the door, while the others hold the monster at bay, and may start absorbing lightning attacks to keep the golem from getting too strong.
Finally, how to make fights memorable and not boring. Break the rules. Not in a way that the fight is unwinnable, but in a way that is noticeable enough for the PCs to think about. Also, give them a way to stop the rule breaking and help them to figure it out or find it. I once did something like this with a villain I made immortal. Kind of like a lich, no matter if you beat him, he would just heal and get back up after a few minutes. Eventually, they found his weakness to be his feet. If they removed his feet after he was beaten then he would die (drove them a little nutty after they had unsuccessfully beheaded him). However, one of the PCs had infected the guy with lycanthropy so he had damage reduction silver. Having beaten the villain one last time, they were running out of ideas and eventually used an alchemical item to coat a nearby meat grinder in silver and feed the villain through feet first. A memorable quote still comes from the player who cranks an imaginary meat grinder while murmuring to himself, "This can't be working, this can't be working, this can't ....."
