GM Advice: Designing the non-epic encounters.

[Naedre]

So, I am about to embark on my fouth GM session ever, and first time I am not running a pre-made adventure (not a knock on pre-mades, I just have a fun idea I want to try out), and I'm slightly intimidated.

I'm not worried about the rules, I know those pretty well, and I am comfortable with Rule 0 if I don't. I'm not worried about my story, I have a rough outline of that in my head, and an open enough sandbox that I don't feel like I have to railroad my players past the group formation phase. I'm not worried about the BBEG fight(s) either. I look forward to designing challenging fights for the party. That's one of the reasons I started GMing.

What I am worried about are the non-BBEG fights. I don't want every fight to feel like an "epic" BBEG combat, because that diminished the impact of the big fights. But I am worried about creating combats that are both challenging enough to keep players focused, and interesting enough to keep players having fun, while balancing the amount of prep-time I put into CR-1, CR+0, and CR+1 encounters.

This is especially worrying at low levels, and because the first half-dozen or so combats the party will encounter will all be against humanoids. I would like some variation so that that it doesn't feel like they are grinding the same group of CR 1/2 human warriors over and over again.

[OberonViking]

Terrain. Give the bad guys some tactical advantage due to terrain. This should probably bump the CR +1.

Also, take another look at Teamwork feats with your GM hat on. Whilst they feel very meh as a player, if you build a party of bad guys with some teamwork feats things become very different.

[Owly]

OberonViking speaks true. Little variations like terrain (have your orcs coming down some stairs [+1], or your gnolls on the other side of a ravine throwing javelins), and you've got enough variation to make your players think.

Not every encounter NEEDS to be that important, in-fact there ought to be small encounters along the way that use up PC resources like potions, spells, hit points and such. Attrition is part of the game, and important to player resource management.

[Sethizar]

Adding flavour to those same CR 1/2 fights, like environmental hazards, makes a BIG difference.

So they're fighting 4 human thugs again? This time it's on a rooftop or bridge and they're trying to bullrush the PCs off. Stepping stones across a river, a narrow cave with little or no light, under a waterfall, a chamber who's floor is slick with blood...or something else...

The threat of falling into lava is enough to make any encounter, no matter how easy, scary enough for everyone to think hard about what they're going to do next.

Tried running a full combat amidst a rushing mob of civilians?

[OberonViking]

I didn't have any time this morning when I posted.
I like the running down stairs idea from Owly for +1 attack from higher ground.

Other simple ideas include:
Some rubble for difficult terrain
Boxes and crates to block charging lanes and provide cover
Weather - rain to impede vision and penalties to ranged attacks
- extreme heat or cold to force Fort checks against fatigue during combat
Combat on ice (attacking Disney characters or popular musicals) to hamper movement and deny Dex bonuses (not sure on the rules for this, but you can House Rule what you feel is appropriate, just let the players now as combat begins).

Also, let the NPCs use the terrain
- an obvious pit or bonfire, but the thugs have Bull Rush
- narrow twisty caves/passageways that the NPCs retreat through, creating choke points to their advantage and blocking ranged attacks
- water effluent waist deep and the thugs use overrun and/or trip. This may require a Fort save from ingesting the filthy water.
- thugs have an escape route: a knotted rope on a wall (Climb DC 0) which they cut after the last (or as the last) one climbed up.
- standard traps that are triggered as the PCs move through the terrain (the thugs know where they are)
- colour in some of the squares on the map and when the players ask what they are for say, "there's only one way to find out." Perhaps they teleport randomly, or to a square of the same colour, or 30' straight up (falling damage), or it is a trap.

Use the archetypes:
Three half-orc Phalanx fighters (lvl 4) with Power-Attack, Toughness, Combat Reflexes and Outflank can use reach weapons in one hand with a shield. Combine this with some heavy armour and you have a team that can block 35'
[OXOXOXO] with X being the fighters and O empty spaces and [ ] as walls.
Or [OXOOXOOXO] for 45'.
Give them 3 archers as support (Fighter 2 with PBS, Precise Shot and Rapid Shot) and you have an encounter that should be CR 6 but I think the synergy might bump it to CR 8.
But I suspect you don't need anything this high in level.

Pit them against a Master Summoner (or 2 or 4) of appropriate level (on the other side of a wall or river for extra evilness).

Make them all barbarians with Fleet and Improved Initiative. Have the combat start 90' apart. Let your barbarians charge the entire 90'.

Give them a Cleric with Selective Channeling and Extra Channel to prolong combat. And have him cast Bless and Bane and then Channel Energy every round.

Force the PCs to climb as wall as they are fired upon, or attacked rowboat to rowboat on a river (avoid the waterfall clichè, though don't tell the players that there isn't one).

Buy each thug some mundane gear. Alchemists Fire and Tanglefoot work great when all 6 enemies are throwing one or two (or both for extra evilness).

One of the best things to do with low CR enemies is to outnumber the PCs and use Aid Another and Flanking (or the Teamwork feat Outflank).

For something different have them Aid each other as they grapple the Small PC and attempt to run off with him/her (I did this to my all-halfling party, their low speed meant they couldn't keep up with the kidnappers).

Have all the thugs specialise in (or at lest attempt) one Combat Manoeuvre. Make them all identical just to keep things simple on you, but describe different clothing and/or races etc (but don't tell the players that the stats are identical).

Use Daze (my favourite spell). Use a Magus to confuse the players (I thought you said he had a long sword). Use four Magi. Have the Magi use Spell Combat (or Spell Strike at level 2) with Daze. Give the Magi a Trip Weapon and use Daze for extra evilness.

Think of your favourite thing to do as a player, and make a small team to synergise that.

[OberonViking]

Whoops, forgot to -1 from the CR of the Phalanx fighters and archers.

Beware of giving the NPCs gear that is too good. Only give them MW gear, wands with 2d6 charges remaining, or one shot items like potions or scrolls. Give them obscure mundane gear - grappling arrow, disguise kit, MW stonemason's tools, block and tackle, manacles. Sovereign Glue is good too.
Give more of this sort of gear than coin to get the players to think more creatively about using gear rather than selling it for only 50%. Enjoy the innovative solutions they have using this new gear.

[Douglas Muir 406]

At low levels: terrain has already been mentioned. Weather -- check out the weather rules. If you're using them, encounters in heavy rain or snow run differently!

Also, look at the party composition. Does the party lack a ranged fighter or long-range blaster? Goblins with shortbows up in trees can give them what-for. Does the party lack a rogue? Goblins lurking quietly in the shadows, waiting for the PCs to come into range before launching a flight of javelins. Sure, most will bounce off the PCs high AC. But the goblins run away (small, but 30' move). Chasing them leads to tripwires and pitfalls, which the party won't detect because, hey, no rogue. And so forth.

Throw in a few character levels. A group of orcs with a bard roaring a war song while banging on a drum; a hobgoblin with a level or two of antipaladin; a goblin who can throw a Grease spell.

Also, ROLE-PLAYING. The group of six goblins who are giggling insanely while setting fire to a stray cat? They're the same CR as the two alert half-orc barbarians who are guarding the dungeon entrance -- but the flavor is going to be completely different, even though both are "humanoids". Have foes who are on their guard, and foes who are drunk. Have some that want to talk, and others that charge immediately, screaming a war-chant. Honestly, with a little thought you can probably come up with six goblin encounters that play out completely differently simply by changing what the goblins are doing.

Doug M.

[Douglas Muir 406]

Most humanoids have darkvision. Most PCs (except half-orcs and dwarves) do not, and nobody ever takes Blind-Fighting. So, turn the PCs' lights out.

How to do that? Man, how do I count the ways. Guy holding the torch hits a muddy patch that's really slippery -- Reflex save or fall, torch/lantern goes in the water. Ssst. Goblin ambush targets the light source first. Fzzt. Spellcaster with Darkness, Quench, or Pyrotechnics. Blip. Party is going through a dungeon, hits a patch of flammable gas. Boom!

"But the sorceror can cast Dancing Lights..." Not if he's grappled, he can't. Or if one goblin has held an action to shoot him as soon as he starts casting. Or if he's just fallen into a 10' pit full of foul water and is trying to make a Swim check. Or if the creature that was stalking them, and that has just charged as soon as the lights went out, is now threatening him.

This one doesn't get used nearly enough. Seriously: turn their lights out.

Doug M.

[Douglas Muir 406]

Also: look at the PCs' character sheets. (This is a DM protip that doesn't get used nearly enough.)

Look at their sheets, and then design encounters around them. Did the Rogue max out on Acrobatics? Great -- design an encounter that's easy (like, CR-1) if someone can make a couple of Acrobatics checks, but much harder (say, CR+2) if not. Did the barbarian take Blindfighting? Wonderful -- have him taking point when the magical darkness hits and the goblins close in. And so forth.

Low-CR, non-boss encounters are a chance for your players to have some fun with their characters. Let them.

Doug M.

[Derfmancher]

When in doubt change it up. Perhaps the humanoids are from opposing factions and BOTH factions hate the PCs for different reasons.

I know with my group, combat is combat. They love every second of it and eat it up no matter the target. That's with several guys mixed in that love the non-combat stuff.

Make the fights interesting. Perhaps the boss of one bandit group is able to use scrolls and has one of some particularly nasty spell, or a "lets all run away" spell that he can cast if he starts to lose.

There are always different ways to mix stuff up.

I agree with most of what the others have said as well. Look at the PCs sheets, and note down their AC, health, saves, etc. I showed my current GM this tool and he has come to rely on it. Makes a lot of the work go by faster. Just have to update it sometimes.

There is another thing to use for the baddies. Cover! Perhaps they are on a dock and can hide behind crates, or perhaps the attack itself is an ambush on the PCs in the middle of the night. (Hate those.)

[Douglas Muir 406]

Once in a while, you can have a CR- encounter just to let the PCs feel their oats.

I had a recurring antagonist a while back who came out of such a situation. He was... oh, gosh this was 2e... today he'd be something like a Destined bloodline sorceror with Cha 20, Int 8, Wis 7, and max ranks in Diplomacy and Intimidation. When the PCs first encountered him, they were APL 4. The sorceror was 2nd level, but he'd manage to terrorize an entire village (all low level commoners and experts). He had only recently manifested sorcerous powers, had gotten lucky with a few low-level encounters, and had convinced himself that he was on track to be the next Dark Lord.

So, the PCs hear that there's trouble in the village... and when they show up, there's this gangly young fellow with pimples and a scraggly beard who starts yelling. "No weapon can touch me!" [casts Mage Armor] "My minions shall crush you!" [half a dozen nervous, demoralized peasants with clubs and pitchforks edge forward towards the PCs] "Now feel the awesome power of arcane fire! Burn! Buuuurrrrn!" [casts Burning Hands]

The good-aligned PCs took pity on the guy and handed him over to the authorities... so I brought him back a bit later. Now he was 4th level and running a small gang of ragtag bandits, a dozen low-level warriors and rogues. The PCs were APL 8. "My power has grown beyond your comprehension! Now I can bend reality itself, and reach across the very planes to summon the spawn of darkness to my aid!" [casts Summon Monster II]

Incredibly, the PCs spared him again... so much later, I brought him back one last time. He was now 6th level (behold the power of FIREBALL!) and was finally old enough to grow a half-decent beard; the PCs were now all 10th. Another short combat. But the PCs did seem to enjoy it...

Doug M.

[Choon]

I'm going to be DMing my first campaign (homebrew) in a few months and this thread has really helped me out. Please keep the advise coming! :)

[Matt2VK]

I'm a big fan of something happens (or doesn't happen) after a certain amount of time goes by. As in more trouble showing up for the party. This can be anywhere from the Town Watch being alerted to fightin,g to a gang member running off to get re-inforcemnts,to the goblen army being alerted after you've stumbled upon one of their patrols.

If you do decide to do something like this, allow the party to make some free skill checks during the fighting to try to figure out something is going to happen. Puttig the DC check for this skill check at a reasonable level should allow at least one party member to figure something is going to happen. This can be used to help build up tension during the combat.

[SmiloDan]

I'm a big fan of running battles through a series of inter-connected chambers. Ideally filled with interesting furniture and features. Best if it has some kind of alchemist lab.

I did this once with three 3rd level PCs against four 1st level skeletal champion alchemists, and it was really fun. I wish I knew about cognatigens back then....