Tag: Fighting an Opponent You Can’t Beat

Designing Encounters That Can’t Be Beat (Part 2)

Post author By Wimwick (Neil Ellis)
Post date March 4, 2011
11 Comments on Designing Encounters That Can’t Be Beat (Part 2)

Sometimes we want to challenge our players. Other times we want create an interesting story element. Occasionally, we even want to try to kill our players’ characters, though this occurrence is a rarity. No matter the reason, sometimes we simply need to design an encounter that can’t be beat. In Designing Encounters That Can’t Be Beat (Part 1) we discussed the questions surrounding why a DM would decide to create an encounter that his players couldn’t defeat. The reasons range from story driven motivations to simply wanting to challenge your players.

Today we take a closer look at how to design this type of encounter. How to implement and describe the encounter so that you get the desired effect. At the end of the day you can never predict player behaviour, they will always do the one thing you never expected, but you can plan for them.

Tags 4e, creating an unbeatable encounter, D&D, D&D Encounters, DM Resources, DM tools, Dungeon's Master, Dungeons and Dragons, Fighting an Opponent You Can't Beat, Fighting One Monster, Skill Challenges

DM Resources

Designing Encounters That Can’t Be Beat (Part 1)

Post author By Wimwick (Neil Ellis)
Post date March 2, 2011
24 Comments on Designing Encounters That Can’t Be Beat (Part 1)

Rarely should the DM intentionally design an encounters that can’t be beat. However, there are times when the DM finds it necessary. I am not stating that all encounters should be designed as a player killers or deliberate total party kill encounters. Nor am I talking about introducing a villain that the characters will fight in ten levels, only to have them attack him at first level. This series explores the reasons behind why the DM might feels it’s necessary to design an encounter that can’t be beat and how to pull it off.

Tags 4e, combat, D&D, DM Resources, DM tools, Dungeon's Master, Dungeons and Dragons, encounter design, Fighting an Opponent You Can't Beat

Editorial

Greatest Hits 2010: Fighting an Opponent You Can’t Beat

Post author By Ameron (Derek Myers)
Post date December 24, 2010
5 Comments on Greatest Hits 2010: Fighting an Opponent You Can’t Beat

While the Dungeon’s Master team enjoys some well-deserved vacation time, we’re breaking out the greatest hits and shining a spotlight on a few of our favourite articles from 2010. We’ve searched for hidden gems that our newer readers might have missed and our long-time readers will enjoy reading again. Enjoy a second look at these greatest hits from Dungeon’s Master.

This article was a reaction to something that happened in one of my games. Although it seemed like a really big deal at the time, this remains the only instance where I’ve faced and opponent I couldn’t beat since I began playing 4e D&D and I think therein lies the real issue.

Players feel that they should be able to defeat everything thrown at them. The D&D Open Championship held at this year’s GenCon is a perfect example. The big opponent was Orcus, arguably one of THE most powerful creatures in 4e D&D. Yet every table of five was not only capable of defeating him, everyone expected that they would.

So the big question is whether or not DMs should – on occasion – remind players that they are not at the top of the food chain. Should the DM put the PCs into situations where they may end up fighting an opponent they can’t beat? If done properly, I think this kind of situation hold tremendous educational value.

Unless players try and fail, they’ll continue to think they’re the best there is. And as true as that is in most circumstances it never hurts to remind players that this isn’t always the case. Just try not to kill off too many characters in the process. D&D players tend to see this as something that needs to be avenged rather than a hard learned life lesson to take away and think about.

Tags 4e, D&D, Dungeon's Master, Dungeons and Dragons, Fighting an Opponent You Can't Beat, Greatest Hits

Editorial

Fighting an Opponent You Can’t Beat

Post author By Ameron (Derek Myers)
Post date April 12, 2010
50 Comments on Fighting an Opponent You Can’t Beat

As PCs you think that you’re invincible. You assume that no matter what the DM puts in front of you, you can defeat it. After all, you’re the heroes. Sure some fights may be tougher than others, but if the DM’s read the DMG and set up the encounter according to the rules then every fight is beatable. But what if that’s not the case?

In a recent game my DM created a super-monster that was significantly tougher than the PCs. The intent was to give the PCs an opponent that they needed to work up to. The problem was that the party (me included) assumed that if and when we found the monster that we should fight it immediately, just like we would with any other combatant. When we finally found the creature we (predictably) ran headlong into battle.

After two grueling hours of combat we still had no clue that we were in way over our heads. In fact, we thought we were doing a pretty good job of killing the monster. And then one of my companions said to the DM, “Since we’re down to just our at-will powers, are you willing to call the fight, otherwise this could drag out for a long time?” to which the DM replied, “This monster is no where near dead. I’m not calling the fight.”

Tags 4e, D&D, Dungeon's Master, Dungeons and Dragons, Fighting an Opponent You Can't Beat