Hey, so I’m preparing situations where my party may enter combat encounters with certain enemies who may be fighting amongst each other. Are there any tips or quick ways to calculate the difficulty in these mulilateral combat situations?
I don't think there's a general rule. If possible, the simplest way is to figure that some critters are distracted by fighting each other, and only count the enemies who can be expected to turn around and start attacking the PCs when the PCs arrive.
Is it in-fighting between the same race or two races fighting each other that either one or both are also enemies to the PCs?
If it is in-fighting between the same race you can have far more than the PCs should fight but make it clear that the majority (especially ones further away from the PCs) are too busy with their own problems to care about the PCs but an appropriate amount for CR stop their quarreling and take on the PCs.
If it is two different races fighting each other and one is friendly to the PCs (or an enemy of my enemy deal) do the same as above but the "friendly" NPCs watch or have them fight alongside and then increase the number of unfriendly enemies. Or keep the number of unfriendly lower and have the "friendly" who were just watching come in and try to take out the PCs after they're weary.
If you have it, Storm Lord's Wrath have some tips on running a 3-sided battle. (There is one in that campaign that happens in Phandalin)
The main thing in determining difficulty is all in how you run it. If both sides attack just the PCs, it's too difficult. If they just attack each other and ignore the PCs, too easy. You'll have to switch the flow of the battle on the fly. You can start with both attacking the PCs, then switching to focus on each other if the PCs are struggling, then back to the PCs, etc.
Thanks for the advice. I have them stumbling upon the fight currently in progress so I'll go with both parties fighting each other unless my party does something attention worthy. I don't have that book but this is more than enough. Appreciate it.
Be careful that your party doesn’t just wait it out. If I walk in on two enemies fighting, I’d just slip back around the corner and wait for them to finish beating on each other before I clean up a few tired and banged up survivors.
Hey, so I’m preparing situations where my party may enter combat encounters with certain enemies who may be fighting amongst each other. Are there any tips or quick ways to calculate the difficulty in these mulilateral combat situations?
I don't think there's a general rule. If possible, the simplest way is to figure that some critters are distracted by fighting each other, and only count the enemies who can be expected to turn around and start attacking the PCs when the PCs arrive.
Is it in-fighting between the same race or two races fighting each other that either one or both are also enemies to the PCs?
If it is in-fighting between the same race you can have far more than the PCs should fight but make it clear that the majority (especially ones further away from the PCs) are too busy with their own problems to care about the PCs but an appropriate amount for CR stop their quarreling and take on the PCs.
If it is two different races fighting each other and one is friendly to the PCs (or an enemy of my enemy deal) do the same as above but the "friendly" NPCs watch or have them fight alongside and then increase the number of unfriendly enemies. Or keep the number of unfriendly lower and have the "friendly" who were just watching come in and try to take out the PCs after they're weary.
If you have it, Storm Lord's Wrath have some tips on running a 3-sided battle. (There is one in that campaign that happens in Phandalin)
The main thing in determining difficulty is all in how you run it. If both sides attack just the PCs, it's too difficult. If they just attack each other and ignore the PCs, too easy. You'll have to switch the flow of the battle on the fly. You can start with both attacking the PCs, then switching to focus on each other if the PCs are struggling, then back to the PCs, etc.
Thanks for the advice. I have them stumbling upon the fight currently in progress so I'll go with both parties fighting each other unless my party does something attention worthy. I don't have that book but this is more than enough. Appreciate it.
Be careful that your party doesn’t just wait it out. If I walk in on two enemies fighting, I’d just slip back around the corner and wait for them to finish beating on each other before I clean up a few tired and banged up survivors.
Oh thanks for the heads up but that won’t be a problem. At least a cult fanatic will spot them and call out.