In a couple of D&D Offical modules, there are battles that are too hard on the level of the players. A good example is the fight with the bandits at the start of "Balders Gate - Descent into Avernus". Looking for help, tips & tricks to help make these types of battles actually possible to win. All comments are very much appreciated.
In that fight, we went up to the top floor and used the stairs as a choke point so that only one bandit could attack us at a time. Our armored Paladin held the line and then swapped with the Cleric when his health got low. Meanwhile the ranged characters could freely move in to attack behind the Paladin, then retreat to avoid crossbow fire.
That's sort of the default tactic in D&D. It works in a lot of situations. Sometimes you have to Disengage and fall back to a position where it works.
There's a lot of incredibly effective tactics to use at low levels to massively increase power, and then there's power creep. But in the case of keeping new players alive, Decent into Avernus isn't a soft pitch game, and the beginning of a campaign is often the deadliest... I don't know if you need to take that threat away from them, but as the DM, it's always easy to handicap enemies. They may knock players out rather than slay them, they may grapple rather than attack, they may shove prone but not dogpile, they may waste turns insulting and taunting the players when they are ahead. Knowing the diversity of universal tactics can help you not only choose different actions which might be less potent, but also teach players neat tricks they can be using. Like, checking with a defender that dodges while allies rely on projectiles, helping to give an ally advantage on an attack, two attacks are naturally stronger than one attack with advantage... but it is a method and can demonstrate the possibility, you could have them do strange things like turn over a table and use cover, engaging the environment rather than having a square off. And those are things that are universal to all creatures, so you can season your roleplay with richer encounters and give martials in particular curious and exciting ideas on how to interact beyond "do damage".
In that fight, we went up to the top floor and used the stairs as a choke point so that only one bandit could attack us at a time. Our armored Paladin held the line and then swapped with the Cleric when his health got low. Meanwhile the ranged characters could freely move in to attack behind the Paladin, then retreat to avoid crossbow fire.
That's sort of the default tactic in D&D. It works in a lot of situations. Sometimes you have to Disengage and fall back to a position where it works.
Well, it's sort of a default tactic if the monsters cooperate; intelligent enemies actually being played as intelligent aren't going to attack into a choke like that unless they really have no other choices. It sort of depends on what tactical limitations the bandits have, the traditional solution would be setting the tavern on fire and waiting for the PCs to come stumbling out but they may have reasons they're unwilling to do that.
In that fight, we went up to the top floor and used the stairs as a choke point so that only one bandit could attack us at a time. Our armored Paladin held the line and then swapped with the Cleric when his health got low. Meanwhile the ranged characters could freely move in to attack behind the Paladin, then retreat to avoid crossbow fire.
That's sort of the default tactic in D&D. It works in a lot of situations. Sometimes you have to Disengage and fall back to a position where it works.
Well, it's sort of a default tactic if the monsters cooperate; intelligent enemies actually being played as intelligent aren't going to attack into a choke like that unless they really have no other choices. It sort of depends on what tactical limitations the bandits have, the traditional solution would be setting the tavern on fire and waiting for the PCs to come stumbling out but they may have reasons they're unwilling to do that.
Sure. But I mean, while Baldur's Gate is a pretty lawless place, I don't think you can get away with THAT.
These fellows ran off after they took a couple of losses. They weren't expecting us -- they were after the NPC we came to meet, and figured she'd be alone.
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In a couple of D&D Offical modules, there are battles that are too hard on the level of the players. A good example is the fight with the bandits at the start of "Balders Gate - Descent into Avernus". Looking for help, tips & tricks to help make these types of battles actually possible to win. All comments are very much appreciated.
In that fight, we went up to the top floor and used the stairs as a choke point so that only one bandit could attack us at a time. Our armored Paladin held the line and then swapped with the Cleric when his health got low. Meanwhile the ranged characters could freely move in to attack behind the Paladin, then retreat to avoid crossbow fire.
That's sort of the default tactic in D&D. It works in a lot of situations. Sometimes you have to Disengage and fall back to a position where it works.
There's a lot of incredibly effective tactics to use at low levels to massively increase power, and then there's power creep. But in the case of keeping new players alive, Decent into Avernus isn't a soft pitch game, and the beginning of a campaign is often the deadliest... I don't know if you need to take that threat away from them, but as the DM, it's always easy to handicap enemies. They may knock players out rather than slay them, they may grapple rather than attack, they may shove prone but not dogpile, they may waste turns insulting and taunting the players when they are ahead. Knowing the diversity of universal tactics can help you not only choose different actions which might be less potent, but also teach players neat tricks they can be using. Like, checking with a defender that dodges while allies rely on projectiles, helping to give an ally advantage on an attack, two attacks are naturally stronger than one attack with advantage... but it is a method and can demonstrate the possibility, you could have them do strange things like turn over a table and use cover, engaging the environment rather than having a square off. And those are things that are universal to all creatures, so you can season your roleplay with richer encounters and give martials in particular curious and exciting ideas on how to interact beyond "do damage".
A lot of great tips. Thank you! I will use these when I run my games!
Well, it's sort of a default tactic if the monsters cooperate; intelligent enemies actually being played as intelligent aren't going to attack into a choke like that unless they really have no other choices. It sort of depends on what tactical limitations the bandits have, the traditional solution would be setting the tavern on fire and waiting for the PCs to come stumbling out but they may have reasons they're unwilling to do that.
Sure. But I mean, while Baldur's Gate is a pretty lawless place, I don't think you can get away with THAT.
These fellows ran off after they took a couple of losses. They weren't expecting us -- they were after the NPC we came to meet, and figured she'd be alone.