Help a new DM with a party who curbstomps everything!

[StevenC21]

Hello playgrounders.

I am running an adventure, with Level 4 players. None of them are actively optimizing, though one seems to have realized the power of 1d6+2 STR damage..

We have a Rogue, Cleric, Dread Necromancer, and Ranger.

We roll max HP on dice, but I do this for enemies too.


The issue is that every fight I through at them, they just utterly wreck! I literally tried a 1v1 Minotaur vs Dread Necromancer. He killed it by keeping out of easy reach and handing out STR damage every round. He's not even exceptionally beefy, either.

The other characters are fairly standard. Do any of you have ways I might challenge this group?

[Cygnia]

Charm/Dominate rogue &/or ranger & have him sneak attack the necro.

[Falontani]

Juvenile Mercury Dragon is cr 6.
12d12+24=168 hp, 250 ft good fly speed. It casts spells as a 3rd level sorcerer, however this is supposed to be a threat, so grab Loredrake to push that to 5th level sorcerer. We only have a 12 charisma so we're not going to hit anyone with a dc spell, but we can still cast: ray of enfeeblement, escalating enfeeblement, ray of stupidity, ray of clumsiness, bull's strength, etc.
We have 12 bab, 5 feats, and superior maneuverability, and you can do well with the debuff war.

Make sure to use your flight, play keep away, zap them with rays to make them weaker, grapple the weaker ones and throw them to their death.

[StevenC21]

Geez! I want them to not just autokill it, not have it rip them into pieces!

[Falontani]

Sorry, mainly meant that there are creatures that can pose different styled threats. Dragons are good at this, but another option is 3 level 1 dread necromancers with 1 shadow. They bolster and heal the shadow using rebuke and charnel touch, use ray of enfeeblement on their strongest. If they use ray of enfeeblement on one of the necromancers show that the shadow is in charge by him dropping his friendly to create another shadow.

[Zombulian]

Echoing Falontani here, the way to address them is to present them with alternative challenges in fights, not just progressively beefier opponents (sure a Minotaur sounds scary, but really it’s just a particularly strong mook). Undead, Oozes, Plants. Groups of enemies that fight tactically. If the Rogue is doing too much damage, make them afraid to get into flanking position. Give 1 bulky enemy the Mage Slayer feat and have him try to keep threat on the Necro. Etc.

[Selion]

First of all, avoid a single big boss fight, d&d combat system depends on action economy, in a 4v1 scenario action economy is largely on favor of the party, add minions to the boss fight.
Use in a smart way characters weakness: do they see in darkness? Do they have a good defense against grapple/tripping/disarming? Are they good at casting or fighting in water? What if they are trapped without air with a foe who doesn't need to breath?
For example: put a big beast with darkvision in a dark room with small fissures all around, from which goblins shoot with crossbows. Remember that light spells have a radius and won't cover all the room. To avoid killing your players, place a secret/hidden passage to reach the nasty goblins, and watch them taking decisions.
Alternatively a pool with a giant octopus could hinder their capabilities and offer a unusual fight.

[Pippa the Pixie]

We will really need to know what your encounters are like.

In general:

1.Use terrain. Rocks, tress, holes, walls and such to block line of sight/travel/attack. And to block and hinder movement.

2.Use three dimensions. Have foes not just on the ground, but in trees, in the air and under ground.

3.Use less natural foes. Avoid ''alive" things and dig into the massive list of monsters that are anything else.

4.Tactics. Have the foes use them.

5.More aggression. "Try' and kill the characters.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

How is he doing 1d6+2 Str damage? Ray of Enfeeblement (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/rayOfEnfeeblement.htm) is a temporary penalty to strength, casting it multiple times doesn't stack. Only the highest roll matters, so it does a maximum of -8 Str, and it can't drop them below 1.

[StevenC21]

Well I'll be darned. I completely misread the spell, and I thought that it stacked. I'll have to, err, inform him of that.

Good for balance but he will be very disappointed. :smallfrown:

I think I'll give him a small magic item or something to compensate...

[PoeticallyPsyco]

Side note: you mention the DN kept out of range of the minotaur? In situations like that, have the monster take their whole turn to double move (or if possible, charge). They won't get to attack, but if the players try to retreat again they'll eat an attack of opportunity. If the monster is larger than them (and needs the help) make it a trip attempt instead of an attack. If it keeps being a problem, the feat Combat Reflexes is your friend, as is the Combat Expertise/Improved Trip/Knock-Down feat chain (note: Knock-Down in particular is very strong; use it wisely).

[Crake]

Well I'll be darned. I completely misread the spell, and I thought that it stacked. I'll have to, err, inform him of that.

Good for balance but he will be very disappointed. :smallfrown:

I think I'll give him a small magic item or something to compensate...

I think him having decimated the encounters so far is compensation enough.