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How to speed up combat?
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<blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 8219254" data-attributes="member: 82106"><p>Yes, I know the CONVENTIONAL explanations of 4e monster types. I have run 1000's of sessions of 4e. While they are not particularly surprising or odd, my experience has shown me that they are also very often mistakes. That is it is often a mistake to do something simply because of convention. Basic 'boss' monsters "with goons" for example always being elites is a particularly unlikely one to result in good outcomes. You would be better off in most cases using a slightly advanced (+1 level) leader role monster, although if the 'boss' also happens to be really significant in size and combat power, you might go with the elite. In that case definitely do not up level it at all.</p><p>Likewise, the use of a single solo by itself is almost always a bad fight. Even MM3 grade dragons have a hard time being impressive opponents to whole parties. You're better off using either a fairly weak solo or even an elite, and then supplying it with plenty of minions and other accoutrements. Again, this is not always the case. Certainly if you want to create a scenario where the big bad almost definitely will not die, then a +4 level solo with appropriate measures is a nice idea! </p><p></p><p>Yeah, that is what I'm saying. You really don't want to stick to the 'conventions' too much. Really if you read carefully in DMG1 it wasn't trying to push those overmuch, but early 4e material certainly didn't do much in the way of exploring options... I'd note that MM3 gives some hints, like some elite type dragons (admittedly they are variants, but the notion is at least presented of 'fearsome singular elite monster'). Obviously you wouldn't use one of those by itself in a fight. Mated pairs of dragons are fun too. I did that once. How surprised the party was when TWO dragons appeared, they thought their goose was cooked for sure!</p><p></p><p>Minions are really best presented as literal cannon fodder. While I do use them in some encounters (and they can be pretty nasty if you get clever with them) mostly their purpose is to provide a simple mechanical way to represent exactly what they say they are, minions. All those black masked ninja dudes that guard the door and last exactly one blow when the hero comes knocking at the bad guy's door. Lots of times they are just 'notional' not even being worth breaking out dice and whatever for, or just getting a check in an SC to see if one slips away to raise an alarm.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="AbdulAlhazred, post: 8219254, member: 82106"] Yes, I know the CONVENTIONAL explanations of 4e monster types. I have run 1000's of sessions of 4e. While they are not particularly surprising or odd, my experience has shown me that they are also very often mistakes. That is it is often a mistake to do something simply because of convention. Basic 'boss' monsters "with goons" for example always being elites is a particularly unlikely one to result in good outcomes. You would be better off in most cases using a slightly advanced (+1 level) leader role monster, although if the 'boss' also happens to be really significant in size and combat power, you might go with the elite. In that case definitely do not up level it at all. Likewise, the use of a single solo by itself is almost always a bad fight. Even MM3 grade dragons have a hard time being impressive opponents to whole parties. You're better off using either a fairly weak solo or even an elite, and then supplying it with plenty of minions and other accoutrements. Again, this is not always the case. Certainly if you want to create a scenario where the big bad almost definitely will not die, then a +4 level solo with appropriate measures is a nice idea! Yeah, that is what I'm saying. You really don't want to stick to the 'conventions' too much. Really if you read carefully in DMG1 it wasn't trying to push those overmuch, but early 4e material certainly didn't do much in the way of exploring options... I'd note that MM3 gives some hints, like some elite type dragons (admittedly they are variants, but the notion is at least presented of 'fearsome singular elite monster'). Obviously you wouldn't use one of those by itself in a fight. Mated pairs of dragons are fun too. I did that once. How surprised the party was when TWO dragons appeared, they thought their goose was cooked for sure! Minions are really best presented as literal cannon fodder. While I do use them in some encounters (and they can be pretty nasty if you get clever with them) mostly their purpose is to provide a simple mechanical way to represent exactly what they say they are, minions. All those black masked ninja dudes that guard the door and last exactly one blow when the hero comes knocking at the bad guy's door. Lots of times they are just 'notional' not even being worth breaking out dice and whatever for, or just getting a check in an SC to see if one slips away to raise an alarm. [/QUOTE]
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