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faun
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Location: Seattle, WA, USA

Re: Monsters too easy?

Fri 25 Oct 2019, 01:05

When the PCs go full nova and blow a lot of Willpower on activating their talents.
Immediately bring in a demon when 5+ WP are spent, perhaps multiple if 7+ perhaps greater if 10. You might even keep count in the battle and that may have consequences.

While there isn't a specific rule that allows for this there are hints that you can see in some of the magic item descriptions and demon abilities, even spells themselves. So using overpowered spells/talents/kin abilities have consequences.

If a permanent detect magic ritual were to be cast on a scrying device with a Hex or 7  it would give a ping if a large amount of magic was cast in a single area. This could be useful for a demon who feeds on that sort of energy or anyone that wants alerts about high power threats in the area.

The reason why this is devastating is they just blew a huge buffer of WP and now may be vulnerable. While it maybe is meta-gaming, I believe it is still fair considering the Forbidden Lands and the demons/sorcerers present.
 
SpandexAndy
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Re: Monsters too easy?

Fri 25 Oct 2019, 07:33

Monsters have two actions like everybody else and if they don't have a skill, use the attribute.
Hmm. Most monsters have pathetic agility. The most agile of them all, the gryphon would be rolling a measly 5 dice against an incoming PC attack which usually has 10 dice (5 stat + 3 skill + 2 gear).  And if using normal actions they can only Dodge once, but there are 4-5 PCs. Some of those PCs use WIllpower to activate multiple attacks.
So although I have not been Dodging for monsters so far, I do not believe it will really change their survivability if I did.
Immediately bring in a demon when 5+ WP are spent, perhaps multiple if 7+ perhaps greater if 10.
Hmm, I think you are right. Multiple monsters, or monsters accompanied by minions may be the next step to increase their difficulty. I feel this is walking a knife-edge. The line between (exciting and challenging fight) and (total TPK) is very narrow! I had not considered that Willpower use was somehow detectable by supernatural beings. I can understand for big spellcasting, but not for Fighter path talents or other skill-based talents.
 
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faun
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Re: Monsters too easy?

Wed 30 Oct 2019, 05:13

The way I think about WP use to that I consider any use of willpower as essentially changing reality to fit what the PCs are asking for. So this is what is being detected. The greater the change to more it pings to those sensitive to that.

If you feel that a creature is more than just naturally agile, that they are actually known for their ability to not be hit even though they are a large, huge, or gargantuan creature then give them a skill much like the PCs would have. It doesn't have to be in the book to work for you. Tell us when you try it and how it worked.

Monsters could attack with all their natural weapons as a single action and then also use a special like breath, fear, tail spikes, or other attack rather then just the one that type that is shown.

Monsters much like characters should run away and then come back in force if outnumbered. 

Design the monster without any worry to killing the party. Create some very Dark and Grim FbL encounters. FbL players have to get out of the DnD mentality and realize that survival isn't helped by running into battle and expecting CR crafted level appropriate combats. 

If that behavior is plaguing you, you might do a couple of things, either let them be killed (a warning to the next group they quickly roll up) or have a lookout who succeeds on their rolls with a couple of successes be able to see the action of a particular creature as it destroys a group with all of its beautiful attacks/ group tactics, or whatever. The successes mean they see it from far enough away to realize what they are seeing, but are unable to get to combat before it is over and the creature is gone, and when they come upon the devastation use some colorful ways of describing the destruction and the types of attacks the creature can be seen to have used. This method worked for me, and now i have some cautious characters, who only act foolhardy when the odds are with them.
 
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lupex
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Re: Monsters too easy?

Wed 30 Oct 2019, 10:40

Part of the problem has been that most of the scary monsters are single creatures that the party can gang up on, and dispatch in short order.

I haven’t really tried a pack of monsters, but that will be my next challenge I think.

If all goes as expected, which it never does, my players will soon be attacking a crazed Ent, which won’t be much of a challenge on its own, but it is also protected by a large group of villagers and that is where the nuance of the encounter will come from.  The Ent will also be doing two attacks each turn if the party manage to close the distance.
YZE Bestiary - https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/320924/The-Servants-of-Memory

My Blog - https://is-it-a-monster.blogspot.com/

Instant Session - https://perchance.org/fl-session-generator

Monsters - https://perchance.org/fl-monster-generator
 
SpandexAndy
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Joined: Wed 31 Jul 2019, 19:12

Re: Monsters too easy?

Sat 02 Nov 2019, 08:27

IN SUMMARY OF THIS THREAD
Pg. 73-74 of the GM book outlines how to run monsters, and this thread has started because GMs are finding that running monsters RAW results in fights that are too easy. I am finding the same thing in my game. Posters in this thread believe, in order to be a real threat to PCs who have accumulated some XP, GMs need to ...
  1. expand the powers and abilities of monsters, e.g. give new defensive or offensive powers.
  2. have monsters appear with allies.
  3. have more than one monster appear at once.
  4. let monsters have more than one action.
 
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Valyar
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Re: Monsters too easy?

Sat 02 Nov 2019, 11:09

Also increasing the attribute and skill values for bigger pools is a method that shouldn't be ignored. A lot of pain can be caused with bigger pool :D
 
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Ebrim
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Re: Monsters too easy?

Sun 03 Nov 2019, 17:42

Don’t forget to wear down the party with conditions before the monster even appears for a more difficult encounter.

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