Interesting encounters are short descriptions of encounters that GMs can use to build on. They combine unique aspects of different types of foes, terrain, skill checks, weather, combat, etc in order to provide more unique challenges than hit monster; repeat.
I am sticking this interesting encounter in as an extra because it is a short one. This encounter is also highly tactical and depends on the rules for your system. If you can't use it as is, there is probably a way you can adapt it to your system.
In this scenario, the party is wandering through a structure, dungeon, mansion, cavern, or other large structure with rooms and corridors. In my case, it is a dungeon. The PCs are fighting large numbers of a single type of enemies -- undead, orcs, goblins, kobolds, or, as in my case, warforged. Whichever location or type, the early battles in corridors and scattered locations will be easy.
Why are these early fights easy? Tactics won't matter in them. The enemies are spread out, they are easily surrounds by the PCs, and they they are outnumbered. Expect these early battles to start and end quickly with the PCs always victorious. Don't worry -- it's a setup.
At some point, the party is going to come to a room they need to cut through in order to get to their objective. This room, will be large enough to hold 6+ bad guys. They will be positioned in a U shape around the doorway, preferably with very dangerous weapons with reach. By reach, I mean the bad guys can strike someone walking through the door as soon as they enter without them being attackable by the entering PC. This is no random enemy. This is a coordinate group with a coordinated attack plan.
The PCs will likely not recognize the threat in this case. They open the door, see some enemies, and rush in. That first PC through the door is going to immediately get hit with maximum attacks from all of the bad guys at once. Compare this to earlier fights where a PC was lucky to get hit once, this 6+ strikes at once is going to hurt. In my case, the 6 warforged with glaives hit the party's barbarian so hard that he dropped and had to be dragged out by a fellow party member. Don't chase the party when they fall back. The tactic works until they break through the door and engage the enemies in number. That is the PC strategy that will work -- somebody takes the hit, then everyone runs in. Of course, there may be other options, depending on magic or other abilities at the PCs' disposal.
Now, sometimes it may be hard to get a U shape of enemies in position with enough oomph to take down a PC. In this case, consider adding a few ranged attackers at the back of the room to up with danger.
In the end, somebody is going to get hurt. That is OK. Hurt is not necessarily dead. Someone is going to have to take the hit in order to overcome the obstacle and get the party through. It will teach your players that they need to work together. Someones, what is good for the party, isn't good for the individual. This is one of those cases. That simple fact is the real challenge.
I am sticking this interesting encounter in as an extra because it is a short one. This encounter is also highly tactical and depends on the rules for your system. If you can't use it as is, there is probably a way you can adapt it to your system.
In this scenario, the party is wandering through a structure, dungeon, mansion, cavern, or other large structure with rooms and corridors. In my case, it is a dungeon. The PCs are fighting large numbers of a single type of enemies -- undead, orcs, goblins, kobolds, or, as in my case, warforged. Whichever location or type, the early battles in corridors and scattered locations will be easy.
Why are these early fights easy? Tactics won't matter in them. The enemies are spread out, they are easily surrounds by the PCs, and they they are outnumbered. Expect these early battles to start and end quickly with the PCs always victorious. Don't worry -- it's a setup.
At some point, the party is going to come to a room they need to cut through in order to get to their objective. This room, will be large enough to hold 6+ bad guys. They will be positioned in a U shape around the doorway, preferably with very dangerous weapons with reach. By reach, I mean the bad guys can strike someone walking through the door as soon as they enter without them being attackable by the entering PC. This is no random enemy. This is a coordinate group with a coordinated attack plan.
The PCs will likely not recognize the threat in this case. They open the door, see some enemies, and rush in. That first PC through the door is going to immediately get hit with maximum attacks from all of the bad guys at once. Compare this to earlier fights where a PC was lucky to get hit once, this 6+ strikes at once is going to hurt. In my case, the 6 warforged with glaives hit the party's barbarian so hard that he dropped and had to be dragged out by a fellow party member. Don't chase the party when they fall back. The tactic works until they break through the door and engage the enemies in number. That is the PC strategy that will work -- somebody takes the hit, then everyone runs in. Of course, there may be other options, depending on magic or other abilities at the PCs' disposal.
Now, sometimes it may be hard to get a U shape of enemies in position with enough oomph to take down a PC. In this case, consider adding a few ranged attackers at the back of the room to up with danger.
In the end, somebody is going to get hurt. That is OK. Hurt is not necessarily dead. Someone is going to have to take the hit in order to overcome the obstacle and get the party through. It will teach your players that they need to work together. Someones, what is good for the party, isn't good for the individual. This is one of those cases. That simple fact is the real challenge.
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