Quote:
Originally Posted by JMason
It isn't a lack of monsters. DF Monsters 1-3 and the excellent GUPRS Repository, have provided a ton of good enemies... but actually using them effectively is a whole other issue.
The monster books have some note on some strategies for those monsters, but even that advice seems limited. Most monsters can't go up against a diverse group of adventurers. One the of PCs is bound to have some way to take out the enemy quickly, even if there is a large group of that enemy.
I think what I would like to see is a book or article that covers building diverse encounters. Mixing and matching enemies and figuring out how they can be fun and challanging to various group types. What character types are they "strong" or "weak" against. How to prevent the mage from just nuking them everytime, etc.
Anyone else feel this way?
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Not to sound patronizing, but why not just mix and match yourself? If the PC's are a diverse party...throw a diverse party of monsters at them.
Just off the top of my head: Use a mix of Draug and Corpse Golems to challenge the melee focused PCs (the Corpse Golem being there to stop anti-undead Cleric tricks). They would guarding the Litch (and his minion sorcerer apprentices) who would be blasting magic over them (Make a counterspell dedicated sorcerer to provide a challenge for any wizard in your group). Then slide some Demons from Between the Stars to flank any Acrobatic/Ranged guys.
For added difficulty change the room they are in: Litch and Friends would be on a raised cliffside 1dx10 yards above the cave floor entrance the PCs are entering from. While Draug and Co would rush them from the sides in a fun pincer maneuver. Give it a splash of mechanical traps (Giant Rolling Rock (tm), Sluice Gate of Watery Death (tm), or the good old Boiling Oil Dump (tm)) or magical traps (Force Dome Cage, Teleport to Ceiling Trap, etc.) and you have an encounter that should challenge
any group of adventurers.
By creating a diverse challenge it removes the possibility of One Trick Ponies winning the day with the one I Win button they carry around with them.