Running Monsters

[lordhack]

Hey everyone. I've been GMing games for almost 15 years now, but I've had a long break from D&D itself, and after running my first 5E game last night, I noticed myself falling into a bad habit I thought I broke years ago. Looking at advice for running any individual monster, emphasis is always placed on that monsters mobility options. Monsters that can fly are much more deadly if they're willing to grapple players, fly up, and drop, burrowing creatures are far scarrier when they strike at the wizard and drag him underground, and fast monsters with breath weapons can kite PCs just as well as PCs can kite them if the PCs need to get by them. Fights where the monster just stands and attacks the nearest PC are boring. But for some reason in D&D, that's exactly how I run most monsters.

I'm not sure if its that I'm afraid of attacks of opportunity, or if using a withdraw action when I only have one monster in an encounter feels like a waste or what, but in D&D my monsters tend to stay static unless I have a very specific tactic for them in mind before the encounter starts. So my question for DMs is, when do you decide its a good time for monsters to move? How do you determine when its worthwhile for a monster to lose his action or take an AoO to gain a tactical edge?

Second mostly unrelated question. What are Arcane Focuses actually used for in 5E. I assume they're needed for spells, but couldn't find where it actually said that in the PHB.

[DragonSorcererX]

Hey everyone. I've been GMing games for almost 15 years now, but I've had a long break from D&D itself, and after running my first 5E game last night, I noticed myself falling into a bad habit I thought I broke years ago. Looking at advice for running any individual monster, emphasis is always placed on that monsters mobility options. Monsters that can fly are much more deadly if they're willing to grapple players, fly up, and drop, burrowing creatures are far scarrier when they strike at the wizard and drag him underground, and fast monsters with breath weapons can kite PCs just as well as PCs can kite them if the PCs need to get by them. Fights where the monster just stands and attacks the nearest PC are boring. But for some reason in D&D, that's exactly how I run most monsters.

I'm not sure if its that I'm afraid of attacks of opportunity, or if using a withdraw action when I only have one monster in an encounter feels like a waste or what, but in D&D my monsters tend to stay static unless I have a very specific tactic for them in mind before the encounter starts. So my question for DMs is, when do you decide its a good time for monsters to move? How do you determine when its worthwhile for a monster to lose his action or take an AoO to gain a tactical edge?

Second mostly unrelated question. What are Arcane Focuses actually used for in 5E. I assume they're needed for spells, but couldn't find where it actually said that in the PHB.

Arcane Focuses: Adventure Gear, page 150.

[Laserlight]

Second mostly unrelated question. What are Arcane Focuses actually used for in 5E. I assume they're needed for spells, but couldn't find where it actually said that in the PHB.

See Components section, PHB p203.
If a class can use an Arcane focus, it's mentioned in their class features (eg for warlocks, it's right before the section on Eldritch Invocations).

[Laserlight]

Fights where the monster just stands and attacks the nearest PC are boring. But for some reason in D&D, that's exactly how I run most monsters.

I'm not sure if its that I'm afraid of attacks of opportunity, or if using a withdraw action when I only have one monster in an encounter feels like a waste or what, but in D&D my monsters tend to stay static unless I have a very specific tactic for them in mind before the encounter starts. So my question for DMs is, when do you decide its a good time for monsters to move? How do you determine when its worthwhile for a monster to lose his action or take an AoO to gain a tactical edge?

I concur that the most interesting fights are the ones where the PCs (not necessarily the monsters) have to move a lot.

Two parts to this: cost and benefit. If it's a solo monster who only gets one Action per Round, or the monster has so few HP that one AoO will kill it, then the cost of disengaging is high. If he can disengage at will, or as a bonus action, or has multiple Actions per Round, or his movement lets him move without provoking (forex: Giant Owls, monsters with a few levels of Swashbuckler, or moving by teleport), or just has a ton of HP, then the cost is low.

And we also consider benefit. Pushing the Red Button that will blow up everything / summon the Dread Lord, or paralyze the whole party, is a high benefit. Less important but still worthwhile would be Getting out of Darkness, a damaging Zone, or such, or going over to attack that caster who failed his Dex save and is prone or restrained. If it's just to make room so one more kobold can get in to make his 1d4 dagger attack, then meh.

[AvatarVecna]

Hey everyone. I've been GMing games for almost 15 years now, but I've had a long break from D&D itself, and after running my first 5E game last night, I noticed myself falling into a bad habit I thought I broke years ago. Looking at advice for running any individual monster, emphasis is always placed on that monsters mobility options. Monsters that can fly are much more deadly if they're willing to grapple players, fly up, and drop, burrowing creatures are far scarrier when they strike at the wizard and drag him underground, and fast monsters with breath weapons can kite PCs just as well as PCs can kite them if the PCs need to get by them. Fights where the monster just stands and attacks the nearest PC are boring. But for some reason in D&D, that's exactly how I run most monsters.

I'm not sure if its that I'm afraid of attacks of opportunity, or if using a withdraw action when I only have one monster in an encounter feels like a waste or what, but in D&D my monsters tend to stay static unless I have a very specific tactic for them in mind before the encounter starts. So my question for DMs is, when do you decide its a good time for monsters to move? How do you determine when its worthwhile for a monster to lose his action or take an AoO to gain a tactical edge?

Couple pieces of advice.

1) AoOs don't trigger unless you leave the PC's threatened area, so even melee brutes can sidestep and tumble around their opponents, unless they get surrounded. Which leads to...

2) Don't get surrounded. A monster that gets ganged up on by the PCs is a dead monster; even if it's a solo creature by design like a big dragon, it's choices are "escape and suck up several AoOs at once" or "fight to the death". Most monsters designed to solo the party are smart enough to not get backed into a corner like that, while most other monsters will have friends to back them up.

3) If you have to take an AoO, try to arrange for the PC to have disadvantage on the attack roll. Whether from blinding them, tripping them, stunning them, or what have you, most monsters should have some way to debilitate their attacker. If nothing else, anything with an attack can try and substitute in a Shove for an attack, allowing them to knock the PC prone before they make their escape from the 1 on 1 fight they were trapped in.

4) PCs only get one reaction per round in most circumstances, and they can't use it for movement (again, in most circumstances); if a PC is surrounded by enemies who all want to get away, have all the enemies push the PC prone before running for it; the number of Shove attempts should make it more likely that the PC winds up on the ground, and then they'll have disadvantage on their one attack roll. Even if they don't though, they won't be able to take down the whole group.

5) IIRC, you don't get reactions when you're surprised. Ambush tactics, or hit-and-run stuff like the "burrowing up to grapple the wizard and drag them underground" is a good way to avoid those pesky AoOs.

6) Throw a couple of Rogue levels on an ambush predator monster and watch the players lose their minds. It's an extra d6 DPR, which is minor at most levels of the game, but Expertise on Stealth (and another skill like Perception, Athletics, or Acrobatics) and most importantly Cunning Action goes a long way towards creating a truly mobile threat, especially if the monster was already fast.

7) Strafing/Kiting tactics work well if you've got the range and mobility for it, which more than a few monsters do. For example, a dragon could do a lot more damage per round if it landed among the PCs and ripped into them with its natural attacks (especially bigger dragons with legendary actions to throw around), but it has no reason to place itself in danger if the PCs can't affect it enough to matter; that what its breath weapon (and lair actions) are for. This changes the conflict of the encounter from a simple "see who can DPR the other to death first" to "get the bruisers into beatstick range of the dragon before the dragon strafes us to death with its breath weapon). When a creature has great mobility, and that mobility is used, the encounter becomes just as much about locking down or catching up to the monster as it is about defeating it, and that makes the fight more interesting.

8) If you don't have a way of avoiding/mitigating/lessening AoOs, ask yourself "what would this monster do in this situation?". Is the monster smart enough to know when it's facing overwhelming odds, and to head for the hills before it gets in over its head? Is the monster arrogant enough to believe it has no reason to run? Figure out what the monster would do, instead of thinking over optimal tactics.

[mephnick]

First off, I'd never run a single monster unless it has legendary actions or the much better Paragon system (http://theangrygm.com/return-of-the-son-of-the-dd-boss-fight-now-in-5e/).

Otherwise, it's best to have a variety of monsters and have them play off each other so that a "wasted" movement by one maybe sets up another for a greater effect. Like goblins that tumble and dash to flank for their hobgoblin masters who now get Martial Advantage. Or weaker skirmisher enemy taking the AoO to get behind beefier enemy lines in order to rush in and attack a different target safely. To be honest, at the point where one AoO would kill a monster is when the monster should be retreating. Nobody fights to the death unless they have to, if a monster is one hit from death it should risk an AoO to get away or else they will definitely die. On the plus side, PCs love killing enemies with AoOs when they try to run away so even if the monster goes down it's still good fun.

[RickAllison]

One option could be to take a page from the Pokemon games, randomization. While acknowledging that some tactics will be used when the time is right (Recharge attacks, spells, etc.) and that time is usually apparent, at-will options are the ones that are usually trickier. One solution is to fill out four or so cards (index or whatever) with different options and then draw when one isn't apparent.

Take an adult black dragon with Innate Spellcasting. His options on any given turn could include Multiattack, taking flight (and potentially dropping a PC from the sky) and/or heading to water, and casting a spell. So you might have the four cards be (Multi)Attack, Grab a PC (then either fly and drop, or take them underwater to drown them), Cast a Spell, and Take a Better Position. Attack turns may involve crushing the PCs by whatever means necessary (but probably Multiattack). Grab turns could spice up the encounter by changing the status quo (a non-aquatic wizard is rather hampered when suddenly they can't cast verbal components). Spells are very effective at changing up the combat. Finally, tactical positioning may include diving under the water to prepare for a breath weapon or spell, drawing the PCs into a trap, or any number of other strategies.

[Gastronomie]

Take an adult black dragon with Innate Spellcasting. On this note: Consider giving Misty Step to all your dragons. It really works.

Giving Rogue 2 to your monsters can also make them interesting opponents.

[Regitnui]

First off, I'd never run a single monster unless it has legendary actions or the much better Paragon system (http://theangrygm.com/return-of-the-son-of-the-dd-boss-fight-now-in-5e/).

That's interesting. I'll keep it in mind for future bosses.

I've got a variation on the multiple monsters in an encounter. A mission I plan on throwing my PCs into is clearing or capturing a den of shifter thieves. Being only 1st level, the number of monsters I can throw at them is low. So I've taken the safe amount of bandit NPCs from the MM, and applied two different shifter subraces; the two that attack from the front are beasthide shifters and the other two, who are at range, are razorclaws. They get two different initiative counts as well. In essence, using the variant and subrace rules to spice up the encounter.

[Gastronomie]

I've got a variation on the multiple monsters in an encounter. A mission I plan on throwing my PCs into is clearing or capturing a den of shifter thieves. Being only 1st level, the number of monsters I can throw at them is low. So I've taken the safe amount of bandit NPCs from the MM, and applied two different shifter subraces; the two that attack from the front are beasthide shifters and the other two, who are at range, are razorclaws. They get two different initiative counts as well. In essence, using the variant and subrace rules to spice up the encounter.I also find this method both easy for the DM and interesting for the players. Giving minor special traits to the monsters really does help a lot.

Another method is to give the monsters different weapons (one has a greatsword, another has two shortswords), as well as perhaps give them a Fighting Style (or if the monster is special, a Feat). Doesn't take much thought or work and turns out to become a pretty interesting encounter.