Improv 4: Enemies and Hazards
Improvising a D&D encounter might be simple, but it isn’t necessarily easy. It’s a few basic steps, with each step having a few things to unpack.
So far, we have:
Step One: Consider the Context and Environment
Step Two: Decide how the Encounter Feels
Now we’re on to Step Three - filling the encounter with things that can hurt the PCs.
When you understand the context and the vibe you’re going for, this narrows your choices considerably. Would ghosts be appropriate here or would they feel too out of place? What about trolls, bandits, angels or rival adventurers?
You can eliminate whole genres of foes before you get here, which is the point.
Choosing things that fit the circumstances is faster and cleaner. I’ve mentioned before that it can be fun putting creatures out of place - like, say, ghosts in a bustling town square - but that can make improvising encounters harder. Or at least slower.
Then again, it might force you to lift your creativity game.
Either way, I’ll assume you’re trying to choose things that are natural fits, if not obvious ones.
Some things to consider:
Level - do you want the enemies and hazards to be on par with the party? Weaker than them? Stronger than them? The power of the enemies go a long way to shaping the feel of an encounter.
If the party tries to rob an old, weary travelling salesfolk - who then proceeds to wreck their manure - well, that cries out for an explanation. The laws of storytelling almost demand it. If, instead, he puts up a fight before yielding his wares, that feels like business as usual.
It’s the same with hazards, which could be deliberate (such as traps) or incidental (like a bad lightning storm). Crafty traps imply there’s a worthy foe with something worth protecting, while a timely spot of bad weather implies a powerful mage - or even the gods themselves - don’t like what’s going on.
Interesting to run - if you’re in a hurry, you might not give this much thought.
Still, it’s worth at least considering. The encounter will be more fun if it’s fun for you. Is there a cool ability you want to try out? Or is there a cool concept, monster or situation you want to inflict on the party?
Interesting to fight - I made this mistake once, back in my 4e campaign. I found some monsters that looked awesome. They were abominations from beyond the stars, abducted humanoids who were now corrupted by the magics of deep space.
They fit the context (I think they were near a portal to the Far Realm?) and they matched the vibe I was going for perfectly.
Unfortunately, I skimmed their stats and abilities.
See, you’re not supposed to build an encounter with just these dudes. They were support monsters, capable of causing chaos to a party but not doing much harm directly.
They could swallow PCs whole, taking them out of the fight for a round or so.
What they couldn’t do was inflict much damage.
As such, it made for a fight that was slow even by 4e standards.
Which leads me nicely to…
Squadron balance - some monsters are there to soak shots. Others are melee aggressors, closing the gaps to deal damage up front. Others hit hard at range, ducking in and out of cover. Some cast spells to buff allies, while some cast spells to make the PCs reconsider their life choices.
Not every encounter needs to be balanced. Having nothing but melee attackers can make the sorcerer who knows Web look damn awesome.
Just be sure you know what the effect of your squad will be. A group of supporters will be a dull fight. Combining tanks with healers will lead to a long one.
Whatever you do, do it with purpose.
Now, a word from my sponsor, who happens to be me.
This series is all about improvising encounters that are fun and that fit. An Excel spreadsheet can randomise something for you, but a few seconds of thought can put your party in a situation that feels like you’d planned it for weeks.
I know because I do that all the time.
It’s a great feeling. It’s why I wrote this series and why I wrote Footprints.
Footprints is the same idea, only taken to the next level. The mighty pack of griffons roosting on the hill outside of town aren’t just blobs of XP. In a realistic setting, they’d shape the environment and culture for miles.
Do the locals try to appease these vicious beasts? Do they keep a low profile, hoping they’ll be ignored?
What about the wildlife? How will they respond to the presence of these superpredators?
Answer those questions and you have a world that lives and breathes, full of plothooks and opportunities for creative players.
You’re reading this series so you’ll probably love reading Footprints too: