MrStabby
2015-11-23, 08:11 AM
As a DM I look for a few things in an encounter - excitement, either in terms of a genuine threat to life and limb, a threat of failure to the quest, or in smaller encounters a threat that too many resources will be used up/stealth given away etc..
The second think I look for is for the encounter to be distinctive and to have a character that can make it memorable.
Finally to be fun I don't want players sitting around with dead or incapacitated characters with nothing to do, no impact on the fight but still not feeling the fight hangs in the balance.
With this in mind there are a few spells, even at low levels that I think are fantastic to add to monsters or hostile NPCs.
1) Slow.
This can hit a whole party so no one feels victimised, it is saves every turn so no one sits out the fight and the way it changes what can be done and how quickly makes new plans/tactics important.
2) Fireball.
A classic spell. This has again benefits of hitting a party so not singling out any individual. Evasion gets some value so you are giving players some benefits for their class features. It does a lot of damage for its level and it can leave the party feeling that a fight might be pretty close as it lowers a lot of hitpoints (whilst not taking individual PCs out of the fight.
3) Armour of Agathys.
Creatures being tougher than they look is pretty good for disrupting tactics alone. The extra damage generally goes to PCs that can take pain (hence they fight in close combat). This also has the advantage of being streamlined and taking little session time to administer.
4) Major image
Illusions can be overdone and can be a real boring pain for players but in moderation I think that they can convey that hostile casters are more than just mindless arsonists that want to burn everything. It raises the wider question about what else is misdirection and can work to raise tension.
5) Compelled duel
This isn't a big effect. I don't like forcing my players to take specific actions most of the time but to help lure PCs into traps (or make the worry that you might be doing so) this is a great spell. Like slow it can raise the stakes a bit by making it harder to retreat.
6) Moonbeam
This spell is pretty good for making players make choices, both tactical and character based choices. Often you can block a corridor or doorway with this and make the PCs chose to attack a target on the far side (and take damage passing through). It is also pretty good for letting PCs get value out of niche spells and abilities such as mist step.
What other favourites do people have for making exciting encounters?
The second think I look for is for the encounter to be distinctive and to have a character that can make it memorable.
Finally to be fun I don't want players sitting around with dead or incapacitated characters with nothing to do, no impact on the fight but still not feeling the fight hangs in the balance.
With this in mind there are a few spells, even at low levels that I think are fantastic to add to monsters or hostile NPCs.
1) Slow.
This can hit a whole party so no one feels victimised, it is saves every turn so no one sits out the fight and the way it changes what can be done and how quickly makes new plans/tactics important.
2) Fireball.
A classic spell. This has again benefits of hitting a party so not singling out any individual. Evasion gets some value so you are giving players some benefits for their class features. It does a lot of damage for its level and it can leave the party feeling that a fight might be pretty close as it lowers a lot of hitpoints (whilst not taking individual PCs out of the fight.
3) Armour of Agathys.
Creatures being tougher than they look is pretty good for disrupting tactics alone. The extra damage generally goes to PCs that can take pain (hence they fight in close combat). This also has the advantage of being streamlined and taking little session time to administer.
4) Major image
Illusions can be overdone and can be a real boring pain for players but in moderation I think that they can convey that hostile casters are more than just mindless arsonists that want to burn everything. It raises the wider question about what else is misdirection and can work to raise tension.
5) Compelled duel
This isn't a big effect. I don't like forcing my players to take specific actions most of the time but to help lure PCs into traps (or make the worry that you might be doing so) this is a great spell. Like slow it can raise the stakes a bit by making it harder to retreat.
6) Moonbeam
This spell is pretty good for making players make choices, both tactical and character based choices. Often you can block a corridor or doorway with this and make the PCs chose to attack a target on the far side (and take damage passing through). It is also pretty good for letting PCs get value out of niche spells and abilities such as mist step.
What other favourites do people have for making exciting encounters?