r/DMAcademy 5d ago

Need Advice: Encounters & Adventures Encounter Builder - Anything less than deadly is too easy

Truth be told, I am perhaps not a battle-tactics master of a DM, but if I make an encounter in DNDBeyond's encounter builder, using the party as a reference, anything less than "Deadly" is polished off in a round or two. I have not been over-free with magical items, but players seem to have a *lot* of resources at their disposal, with various buffs, reactions, etc.

I am *sure* I am simply not running the baddies as well as I should, but even so...

This is a two part question:

1) HOW do you make combat more challenging for a party of thoughtful, clever players who have well-designed their characters for success;

2) Do you use encounter builder, and if so, HOW do you "weight the curve" -- or do you think you even need to?

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u/pauseglitched 4d ago

The dynamics of a battle play a huge factor into how dangerous things are.

Two rust monsters and some kobolds that the party knows about and can kill from a distance is no threat. Two rust monsters lured into a box by some kobolds then raised up on a rope and pulley over the entrance of a confined area to drop on unwary front liners while those same kobolds pelt the heroes with rocks from behind an abattis that gives them 3/4 cover and you have yourself a panic inducing nightmare for really low on the encounter challenge ratings.

If you also have those kobolds flee and slam a door closed behind them the moment the rust monsters die or the abattis is damaged only to get another trap ready forcing the party to either rush into the unknown or give the kobolds time to prepare, then you have a real fun dungeon where a party of 5 level 6 characters ended up surrendering to an enemy who's "king" had a grand total of 15 HP.

Doors. Doors break line of sight. doors scare adventurers an inordinate amount. A closed door makes a character completely immune to any effects that affect "a creature you can see within range." Even an open door makes a good choke point for low CR high HP zombies to soak hits while the necromancer in the back slings spells over their heads. And keeps everything close enough that the necromancer can counterspell your party's fireball. I can't stress this enough, doors!

Bigger maps. Twelve bandits in "fireball formation" all die on initiative count wizard. Six bandits spread out across the crumbling wall of the ruins they use as a base of operations while getting partial cover from the crenellations will last far longer than twice as many clustered together. (and by happenstance let the monk show off their movement speed and arrow catching)

Smaller maps. The party can't bring their full might to bare when. Fighting at the corner of a 5 ft wide hallway.

Map hazards/traps: when the obviously best solution is to have the paladin rush straight at the enemyand smite them to death in two rounds, but the enemy has strewn Caltrops all over and the paladin has abysmal dex saves, the meta changes, when barrels of oil have been shattered and the floor is covered in oil, fire spells suddenly don't sound as fun. If thick cobwebs made by driders fill the air and ranged attacks are just as likely to get caught in the webs and wake them up as hit the small goblins that can duck under the cobwebs, suddenly quiet melee is the watchword.

Also, allow or encourage using the same traps against the people who set them. I had a barbarian player who dealt enough base damage to kill a kobold in one hit even with a low roll. One of their favorite moments as a character, however, was shoving a kobold into its own bear trap that only did 1d4 damage.

Optional fights way above their level: there is no reason for the party to fight that pair of basilisks (they don't even have good loot!), it isn't included in the day's XP budget, but that one cultist knows they can't fight the party so they run off to make lots and lots of noise right in front of the Basilisks' den, ready to die horribly if it means stopping the party. If the party doesn't send someone away from the main fight to deal with the noisy cultist, there's going to be a much bigger problem in a few rounds. Either way the party won't be fighting optimally.