I've recently come back from a DMing break, but now that I'm back, I've decided I'd like to try running a more difficult and unforgiving combat-style.
For background context: the current campaign I'm working on is going to go into pretty high level, but I'm starting the party off at level 5, and the party is around 5-6 people. As for the campaign's setting; the party were all villains in their lives, though eventually being slain by a nondescript "hero's party." Soon after, they inevitably found themselves in their eternal resting place, the Underworld. However, they were now missing both memories and powers of their past lives, with only small wisps of their old selves remaining (just to be clear, I do know that amnesia campaigns can often feel like the DM's controlling much of things, but I managed to work this out already with all my players, so it isn't an issue. Their actual sheets were made by them, and they have a sort of "core" memory they keep that tells them about themselves, which they each wrote themselves, and then I just built off that). They now hope to regain their former identities, and then manage to escape the Underworld.
For specifics on the combat for the campaign; a neat idea a thought up was that as already lost souls, the party doesn't really "die" in the literal sense anymore. Rather, they will always resurrect in a sort amount of time, though now possessing a curse or other issue. With this, I'm trying to make the combat far more challenging, as my previous combat encounters have usually ended with all the enemies being killed in only a handful of rounds. I'd also like to add some more strategies added to combat, as I think traditional combat in Dnd is usually "hit __ until it dies or you do."
I've already come up with a few minor changes that honestly do a lot for changing the gameplay, though not substantially, which I've liked. But, I think outside perspectives are always fun to have. Could anyone help brainstorm a couple ideas with me?
I like allowing my players a reaction of dodging a attack were they can decide to try and dodge befit they know if the attack hits and then the player makes a dexterity saving throw against what the opponent rolled to hit. This does make your players more powerful
Also give enemies the ability to have more actions or unique actions, or don't suck yourself into a homebrew rabbit hole until you're too deep to escape.
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"I have advantage on dex saving throws what could go wrong?"
Another good Idea for a monster that I found as a DM and a Player that are great to do is
1) Give your monsters abilities that they can reasonably do as extras on bonus action reactions etc, to make them strong, BUT make that if they have certain conditions, they can't use them, to incentivize the party to come up with clever ways to try to debuff the monster to a beatable fight.
2) If your monster doesn't already have it, give them more reactions and reaction features. A good one for mini boss's and the like is one that Izak had, Indomitable Trigger, which is if a party member got really got hit or something, you can force the turn to end. And prevent that massive damage.
3) Increases the monster's speed and give it a movement ability that both moves and disengages, make sure they cant do this forever, but can do it enough to make it annoying for the melee fighters.
4) And if its a really challenging fight, just add legendary resistances.
Edit: Also if they dont already give them an AOE attack, so that if they do dumb manuever decisions and get all together, you can punish em'.
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I've recently come back from a DMing break, but now that I'm back, I've decided I'd like to try running a more difficult and unforgiving combat-style.
For background context: the current campaign I'm working on is going to go into pretty high level, but I'm starting the party off at level 5, and the party is around 5-6 people. As for the campaign's setting; the party were all villains in their lives, though eventually being slain by a nondescript "hero's party." Soon after, they inevitably found themselves in their eternal resting place, the Underworld. However, they were now missing both memories and powers of their past lives, with only small wisps of their old selves remaining (just to be clear, I do know that amnesia campaigns can often feel like the DM's controlling much of things, but I managed to work this out already with all my players, so it isn't an issue. Their actual sheets were made by them, and they have a sort of "core" memory they keep that tells them about themselves, which they each wrote themselves, and then I just built off that). They now hope to regain their former identities, and then manage to escape the Underworld.
For specifics on the combat for the campaign; a neat idea a thought up was that as already lost souls, the party doesn't really "die" in the literal sense anymore. Rather, they will always resurrect in a sort amount of time, though now possessing a curse or other issue. With this, I'm trying to make the combat far more challenging, as my previous combat encounters have usually ended with all the enemies being killed in only a handful of rounds. I'd also like to add some more strategies added to combat, as I think traditional combat in Dnd is usually "hit __ until it dies or you do."
I've already come up with a few minor changes that honestly do a lot for changing the gameplay, though not substantially, which I've liked. But, I think outside perspectives are always fun to have. Could anyone help brainstorm a couple ideas with me?
I like allowing my players a reaction of dodging a attack were they can decide to try and dodge befit they know if the attack hits and then the player makes a dexterity saving throw against what the opponent rolled to hit. This does make your players more powerful
Making disengaging a bonus action and giving enemies actual brains when it comes to battlefield hazards is always enjoyable.
My beloved Beholder weaponizing stalactites to funnel the party into a group where it can abuse its death rays.
"I have advantage on dex saving throws what could go wrong?"
Also give enemies the ability to have more actions or unique actions, or don't suck yourself into a homebrew rabbit hole until you're too deep to escape.
"I have advantage on dex saving throws what could go wrong?"
Another good Idea for a monster that I found as a DM and a Player that are great to do is
1) Give your monsters abilities that they can reasonably do as extras on bonus action reactions etc, to make them strong, BUT make that if they have certain conditions, they can't use them, to incentivize the party to come up with clever ways to try to debuff the monster to a beatable fight.
2) If your monster doesn't already have it, give them more reactions and reaction features. A good one for mini boss's and the like is one that Izak had, Indomitable Trigger, which is if a party member got really got hit or something, you can force the turn to end. And prevent that massive damage.
3) Increases the monster's speed and give it a movement ability that both moves and disengages, make sure they cant do this forever, but can do it enough to make it annoying for the melee fighters.
4) And if its a really challenging fight, just add legendary resistances.
Edit: Also if they dont already give them an AOE attack, so that if they do dumb manuever decisions and get all together, you can punish em'.
Just Your Friendly Animated Armor :3
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