Monster Reaction to PCs 4th ed

[HMS Invincible]

How should monsters react to the presence of PC's? Is every encounter a mystery? Can they not realize they are out gunned? Pretty much every encounter I've done or ran has been the same.
The monsters confidently/arrogantly charge them and fight til they realize they are going to lose.

Do monsters ever see PCs and realize, "they're too strong, we should retreat"?
Or does every monster see PC's as just like the last 5 humanoids who happen to be armed?

I guess this only applies if the adventurers are well known or are fighting a series of battles with a single group and when the monsters aren't just hungry animals.

[Quietus]

Are the PCs identifiable in some way? A group of low-level Orcs will certainly have the intelligence to realize that the group of humanoids walking through their land, with fancy-looking, glowing, rune-encrusted equipment, is probably not the greatest group to pick a fight with. Even that one with the robe covered in eyes, and seven rocks flying around his head, might be a bit rough.

Or if you've got a Ranger who's life goal is to eradicate the Kobold race. At low levels, the kobolds won't know what's going on. As said ranger advances, however, rumors of "The man with the scar" will spread through their warrens, and even to other warrens. None of these kobolds will want to be within this man's sight.

[Darwin]

It's really up to your own logic, trying to apply rules on a thing like never turns out good. As it's been said many times before; don't look upon the rules as rules, but as a guideline, if you feel there's something wrong with the game as a DM, change it!

[MickJay]

Pretty much every encounter I've done or ran has been the same.
The monsters confidently/arrogantly charge them and fight til they realize they are going to lose.

If that's really the case, it means your encounters are way too easy :smallbiggrin:

[JaxGaret]

This question is not edition- or even game-specific.

It's simply a question of your DMing style and what type of game your group wants to run. Is it more gamist or more simulationist? Answer that question, and you will answer the OP question.

[FoE]

This question is not edition- or even game-specific.

Yeah, what Jax said.

Are the PCs invading the monsters' home? Then they probably attack, or try to lure the PCs into an ambush or a trap.
Are the monsters looking for food? Then they attack or go hunting for easier prey.
Are the monsters guarding something, like a treasure chest? Yes, they definitely attack, unless it looks like the PCs are moving on and attacking might make them realize the treasure's nearby.

But, there are always other circumstances. If the fight is turning against the monster and they're capable of understanding that, why shouldn't the monsters run? Furthermore, if they're not hungry or guarding something, why should they be eager to pick a fight?

[Totally Guy]

When my party had entered an area they were level 1. On the way in Goblins attacked.

When my party left the area they were level 7 and had a group of about 30 adventurers with them with the same goal. This time the goblins jumped out to wish everyone a very nice day.

[Sebastian]

This question is not edition- or even game-specific.

It's simply a question of your DMing style and what type of game your group wants to run. Is it more gamist or more simulationist? Answer that question, and you will answer the OP question.

Yes and not, sure, the way you handle encounters is not tied to edition or games, but different rules or assumptions raise different consideration.

For example, in 3.x and previous even an easy encounter is consuming a little of your resources, if your 12 level wizard use a fireball to wipe out a group of low level monsters, well, he used a fireball, a 3rd level slot (and possibly a pinch of sulphur and bat guano) that he can't use in the next fight unless he take a nap before, in 4e, depending on how easy is the encounter the resources expense could be negligible or recoverable in 5 minutes making little to no difference between 'no encounter' and 'easy encounter', another consideration is treasure, in 3e every encounter have a chance to have treasure, if a monster surrender you still get its stuff, but in 4e only monsters that fight to the death, or so near to it that it make little difference, 'drop' their treasure parcels, else you would get 'free treasure and risk to break the game balance.

That is on the top of my head, I'm sure that thinking about it you can find other things that would be handled differently/would bring to different outcomes in different editions/games.

[Fishy]

Spirit of the Century has this to say about NPCs who think the PCs are awesome (http://www.crackmonkey.org/~nick/loyhargil/fate3/fate3.html#r-e-s-p-e-c-t). That's for a specific type of pulp/action game, but it's still a fun thing to do for your players.

(Anyone else played Metroid Prime? Remember those Space Pirate logs where everyone was panicking about The Hunter who was running around and trashing their base? Good times.)

But yes, variety is the spice of life. Some monsters will full out attack, some will scatter, some will try a fighting retreat, some will give you that 'I'm a top predator and if I wanted to I could take you' look and just go about their lives, etc, etc.

[Mewtarthio]

another consideration is treasure, in 3e every encounter have a chance to have treasure, if a monster surrender you still get its stuff, but in 4e only monsters that fight to the death, or so near to it that it make little difference, 'drop' their treasure parcels, else you would get 'free treasure and risk to break the game balance.

I haven't heard that rule. If you defeat someone without fighting to death, you've still cleared the obstacle, and therefore get the full reward.

[Oslecamo]

(Anyone else played Metroid Prime? Remember those Space Pirate logs where everyone was panicking about The Hunter who was running around and trashing their base? Good times.)


I've actually seen something even better. In mount and blade where you walck your army across the land and can find other armies at random this hapened when I entered an enemy country:

1st ecounter: "Muahaha foolish comander, I shall crush your puny forces like a horse crushes an ant!"

I defeat it and move on.

2nd ecounter: "Hmm, I heard you got some skill, but let's see if you can defeat me!"

I again defeat it and move on.

3rd ecounter: "I don't know if I'm a match for you but even so I must try to defend my country. Please turn back and spare us of your wrath"

I crush it, and after that I didn't find any more ecounters in that country. It's good to see my reputation spreads trough the land.

But yeah, there's plenty of diferent monsters in D&D. Some will fight to the death no matter the odds. While others will run away just from the party looking at them.. It's the DM wich should decide when each happens.

[chiasaur11]

Spirit of the Century has this to say about NPCs who think the PCs are awesome (http://www.crackmonkey.org/~nick/loyhargil/fate3/fate3.html#r-e-s-p-e-c-t). That's for a specific type of pulp/action game, but it's still a fun thing to do for your players.

(Anyone else played Metroid Prime? Remember those Space Pirate logs where everyone was panicking about The Hunter who was running around and trashing their base? Good times.)


Best bit was the morph ball testing.

Poor blighters.