Appropriate Encounter Challenges for Pet-Heavy Parties?

[Calybos1]

(Heh, almost called it "heavy petters.")

What sort of encounters would offer a good challenge to a party with lots of animal companions, trained pets, and summoning spells? There's usually a HUGE crowd charging at the baddies, and I want to mix things up a little without being overpoweringly lethal.

[I Hate Nickelback]

Something that can either dispel summons or, better yet, dominate people. Or necromancer with undead horde.

[Calybos1]

OK, but how about the animal companions? I don't want to kill them off, but they're just PILING on the bad guys and making most encounters a stampede more than a battle.

[blackbloodtroll]

I thought this was about heavy petting parties.

[Claxon]

Utilize walls of force and pit spells. You can neutralize the pets by doing so.

[Blackfell]

Entangle, Grease, glitterdust.... anything to slow/break up/debuff the mad rush. If only a 1/3 of the PC and their 'friends' get their at once, it's a lot easier to deal with.

[David knott 242]

Are you enforcing the rules for communications and control? The owner of an animal (including an animal companion) must make Handle Animal checks to get the animal to do anything it isn't trained for. Summoned creatures will only attack your enemies to the best of their abilities unless you can communicate with them (which requires sharing a known language).

If your players are doing everything right in that regard, you could always try using spellcasters with several Dispel Magic spells prepared or otherwise available. You could also make the terrain restrictive enough that the party cannot send masses of summoned creatures against the enemy because there just isn't room.