Encounter Tactics

[@mcolville]

I think like 90% of the TPKs I've experienced have been in Jim's campaigns FYI. Jim hooked me on making goblins and orcs as bad guys and making them seem bad-ass and alien.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Matthew Colville I’m sure all those TPK’s were just an accident

[@Humorless_Wokescold]

A combination of rolling in front of the players and just naturally having a lot of great dice mojo?

[@theDMLair]

Julian Francisco AND coming from a wargaming background. 😁 Yep, that'll do it. Sounds like tons of fun!

[@fitzmac8504]

Jim Murphy great video again ! Good DM's do not TPK parties , PC's decisions ( or lack of ) do......So my first DM ( mind you we were 9-10 years old and my brother- in -law was 28 and a College Professor, but learn we did ) always told us :) Any how keep up the great videos !!

[@urdaanglospey6666]

It's Matt's fault I'm here. Thanks, Matt! :D

[@warrenschoberth7710]

"Goblins don't like fair fights" That advice alone is gold

[@jimmurphy1591]

Warren Schoberth 👊😈👿👊👁🤬✌️

[@dustintaub]

I first experienced this sort of low-level creatures vs high-level party in the classic AD&D boxed set called Dragon Mountain. The module was for levels 10-15 and obviously, it revolved around a dragon's lair, but the main antagonists inside this dungeon were kobolds! It explained that in a fair fight they were no match for the players but kobolds don't fight fair. They use traps and ambush tactics and the idea was to wear down the group. It was brilliant and changed the way I looked at monster encounters.

[@VerumAdPotentia]

Well said.

[@angerworm]

Great video! Time pressure and monsters appropriately fleeing for reinforcements are a real transformative thing for a DM to learn. (At least it was for me!) The Monster Manual becomes a far deeper resource when the low level monsters are behaving realistically: with the coordination and cunning you'd expect of anything surviving in a dangerous world. One of my DMs taught me this when we got our asses kicked being lured into a kobold layer filled with low tunnels, traps and, eventually, dozens upon dozens of kobolds pouring out of the walls. Felt like D&D Vietnam. We even lost our commanding officer on our first mission. RIP Jim's Warlord.

[@jimmurphy1591]

jarrodimusprime I makes a huge difference.

[@MrDunaengus]

Solid work. The biggest hurdle is trying to break players from their fight full rest fight full rest desires. Making time matter is the only solution I've found.

[@jimmurphy1591]

I agree

[@theDMLair]

MrDunaengus A full rest takes 8 hours and can only be done once every 24 hours. If my players were to try what it sounds like your players try to do, the dungeon would repopulate with reinforcements over that 8 hours or 24 hours. Then the players gotta fight it all over again. That might be tedious the first time they do that, but I bet they'll never try it again. 😁 Also, if they long rest in the dungeon, you can have a scout find them, report back to everyone else, and then mibilize the ENTIRE dungeon against the PCs. That will make them think twice next time. 😈

[@odiwalker3973]

i have some house rules for travelling that basically consist of tests per day of travel that may or may not result in then drifting away from the intended route, or having a random encounter (benign or otherwise). if they try a long rest while on the wild they'll have to run the same test and may very well result in them being surprised by beasts, monsters, bandits... now unless it's absolutely necessary they prefer trying to get as fast as possible to the next town

[@dane70]

Playing intelligent bad guys is always so much fun. Good video, thank you sir.

[@VerumAdPotentia]

I'm running the Tiamat arc, and have been having a member of the Cultists fall back when engaged, and start blowing their horn for 3 rounds to summon back-up. The third time my players saw the cultist with a horn, they didn't even give him a chance, but immediately all targeted him for a round 1 over-kill. Suddenly, my players are talking about how dangerous kobolds and cultists can be.

[@keenviewer]

That was really interesting and concise. I have a tendency to send in monsters without considering their motives. The harpy example was very helpful. Thanks.

[@jimmurphy1591]

keenviewer my pleasure

[@mordiveer5957]

This has sparked many ideas, evil wonderful ideas.

[@theDMLair]

Jim, this was INCREDIBLY helpful. Front-line dodging: never thought of that, but would be extremely effective. The only issue I see is that by level 5 most groups will probably have a wizard with fireball; and that will wipe out any number of kobolds or goblins even if they make their saving throws. However, waves of monsters, supported by a good narrative, always makes things more dramatic, for sure. Keep the videos coming! Love them!

[@jimmurphy1591]

the DM Lair unless the goblins have their own wizards with dispel magic. The escalation continues.

[@VerumAdPotentia]

Or they have found a strong leader, who has been holding them back for 2 or 3 years, and now the Great Goblin Hoard comes rolling through the vally, and just keep coming... ...and coming... ...and coming...

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

OR the Goblins (or who ever... I like to employ kobolds)... have run into a fireball before... and know the secret with an AoE against a hoard is "Spread out"... OR they can find some clever chap who doesn't mind trading a "useful magic item" for some oddity that they might find in their various undergrounds... gold, rare minerals, lost jewelry dropped in the sewer, whatever... I like to blame Tinkergnomes for being absent-minded enough to randomly trade all manners of weird and interesting (Pain in the ass to PC's) technology to kobolds for "useful crap"... all in the name of some new and wonderful invention... They're just too busy being inventive to think the kobolds might have ulterior motives for the stuff they get or learn... books of tactics (for instance) are only for defending the kobold village against horrible monsters that come to kill and eat the little guys... right? Well, it makes for some interesting conversation when the PC's finally manage to track enough of the details down... It's also satisfying when the "Big Bad Evil Guy" is... not so much evil as "intellectually distracted" on a more "scholarly pursuit" than the politics of kobolds. ;o)

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Well, Fabius Maximus {unless you prefer first names...lolz} That falls under my usual "umbrella-ish category principle" of not leaving "shiny sh*t" just laying around... OR maybe more appropriately, employ magical items with purpose. A lot of GM's just put some loot somewhere as a blanket reward system for the PC's "doing stuff" or "going places"... AND when you just search some cool things up in the DMG or make stuff up on your own, the coolness factor can often outweigh common sensibility... Employing it in-game "with purpose" allows the GM to take agency with the item first, test-play it... AND (most importantly?) SEE the consequences... mechanically as well as story-wise. Now, a fairly common +1 Sword isn't usually a very big deal, it's a step up from a "normal" weapon, but nothing to get too excited about unless (of course) you've been running a "magically starved" campaign... I have no problem tossing a monster or minion (even a group of them) into the game armed with "anti-fireball" items of various sizes and designs, just to put the team-wizard in a quandry... until the rogue steals the damn things... (usually a Lolz)... It puffs up tension temporarily, and grants a certain license for the party to use or wear something (usually comical, embarrassing, or even humiliating) to avoid being parbroiled the next time the magic-user(s) panic... On the other side, I very rarely plop a deck of many things, or Vecna's Eye into some clever looking jewelry box (even musical) without having seriously thought about what's going to happen in the game... AND anytime I'm in question of a magical item's design (I make a LOT of them up myself) I try teasing the useful purpose and mechanical headaches out before letting the PC's at the thing... Even causing it to "self destruct" with a splash of clever narrative if I foresee something awful as a consequence. It's just a bit "more advantageous" a system in my opinion... even if I ain't too humble about it. ;o)

[@Giganfan2k1]

I kind of like the idea of a Goblin Cavalier, warg mound ala Alexander the Great. The PCs are level 8 and they have no idea what hell will be unleashed on them. XD

[@reallyangrysnowman]

Fantastic video. Thanks for the insight.

[@MelRiffe]

Thank you for this video, Jim. I'm going to watch, and re-watch because I want to run encounters like you do.

[@JonathanHafner]

Thanks so much for this! Some of my players are more tactically minded than I am, and I think what you've said here will help me challenge them more effectively. I would heartily welcome anything further you may have to share on this topic! :D

[@jimmurphy1591]

Jonathan Hafner will do

[@HowtoRPG]

Tactics in combat are important. Also having objectives can have a major affect, if it is more than just killing each other. I look forward to your next video.

[@Soren015]

This isn't really specific to this video, but as an avid fan of Matt Colville, and also the whole critical role-empire (at this point), it is so much fun to hear differing opinions and completely different approaches to DMing and running games, from someone so accomplished in this sphere. I really like the videos so far, I hope you make a lot more. Greetings from Denmark!

[@jimmurphy1591]

Soren015 good to hear from Denmark 🇩🇰. Now you just combine the ones you like and you have your own evil style.

[@fitzmac8504]

Jim Murphy you are almost @ 5,000 subscribers ! Congrats ! Great Success , Onwards and upwards ! Slainte~

[@jimmurphy1591]

Fitz Mac thanks for the support. More heroes talking about the games

[@Jetwolf]

Inspirational as always. Thank you, Jim. My pending weekend game just got rougher!

[@JoshuaMeehan]

thank for the video Jim! I stand by this and my players really enjoy the push. yet I usually forget to allow the retreat option for the npcs. btw they enjoyed the initiative system and we are continuing to use it.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Joshua Meehan awesome 😎 thanks for the feedback

[@gengar1187]

Also: this has been a very timely video. I have a superpowered 10th level team, crazy high stats and all the artifacts from White Plume Mountain, so I'm gonna figure out some good troll tactics, maybe throw in a couple of boss trolls from Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes, which I highly recommend for anyone, and the special edition cover is better in person than in a twitter thumbnail. The lore is killer, if you liked volo's, you will like this one fer sure

[@VerumAdPotentia]

Did anybody get the black ray pistol?!? AWESOME module!

[@ethanbest9110]

I love videos like this. I never really enjoyed combat until very recently thanks to some pretty talented friends, and I have been playing for nearly a decade now. Because of that I haven't invested enough in combat encounters, but I need my own trademark death trap because that's crazy fun.

[@theDMLair]

Ethan Best Yeah, combat done well in D&D can be amazing fun. Of course, comabt done poorly can suck, too. 😁

[@VerumAdPotentia]

May I suggest, instead of a trademark death trap, a "Death Test" instead? inthelabyrinth.org/the-fantasy-trip/solo-roleplaying-for-the-fantasy-trip-part-iii/attachment/death-test-1-800x400-2/

[@LakeVermilionDreams]

Nice shirt, Jim! I never got the chance to earn one myself. Lost in the top 8 of PTQs but never could break through!

[@christopherscottc]

I know this is an older video, but I just discovered your channel. (you can thank Matt Colville) I have been working on tactics and "smart" game plan/strategy into my games. My players are struggling to pick it up, by the way they love the strategy part of the encounters and have asked for more "realism." I did an encounter that required some serious thinking, and I helped coach them through it. Example, they were moving down a mine shaft that once was worked by dwarfs, now Orcs call it home. The Dwarfs commissioned the adventures to weed out the Orcs, with the promise of personalized armor and gold. The beginning was your standard kill the orcs on the first level. Then, because they wanted more realism, I thought, they are making lots of noise, so the Orcs started to barricade themselves, and set traps. I warned them of this, and coached them through what could be awaiting them, and they handled it great. Then the next encounter, that required some thought, I was sure they would be more prepared with out me needing to coach. However, they got to the next part and it was as if they forgot everything I coached them on and went into hack and slash murder hobo mode. They got lucky with rolls, and i was unlucky, and ended up "winning" the encounter. My question for you is how can I train my players to keep the mindset that the monsters, and me, will not be playing a "stupid" game/encounter?

[@jimmurphy1591]

Christopher Christensen just play smart they will adapt. The ones that take longer!, well that is why I have a reputation 💀💀💀

[@xuetheviewer3897]

This was immensely helpful, thank you.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Xue theViewer my pleasure

[@kossowankenobi]

Those opportunities to use organized tactics as you describe are why I've always enjoyed hobgoblins. Goblins tend to be little fury balls that don't use a lot of unit cohesion. Unless, ya know, they were trained by hobgoblins.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Jason Kossowan always trained and lead by hobgoblins

[@VundalI]

I really like this approach. I can imagine 4 goblins using human sized shields to block players, using bashing attacks, while another uses a spear to stab... WoW actually did this pretty well (back in its oldest form) when intelligent creatures got low, they would run for about 10 seconds. This was pretty nuts in a dungeon, and you can bet your ass your monster would come running back with that extra pack of creatures(and back then sometimes 1 extra 'pack' of creatures was enough to tpk a party) It actually started to be the job of casters and ranged classes to crowd control or execute the low hp targets. very fun mechanic.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Vundal creativity better than brute force

[@shaneflickinger]

Wow! Really good video and a great tactic for running a dungeon!. Sadly, I have to admit that I'm one of those DMs who goes easy on players as they crawl through a large dungeon, letting them rest frequently, and pretending the monsters in the next room didn't hear the last four rounds of combat. It always bothered me, but I never came up with a good solution.Your idea however, is brilliant! Thanks!

[@jimmurphy1591]

Shane Flickinger there is a twelve step program for that.

[@ScribbleKith]

Solid advice, really want to start running combat in this style.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Dodnet3 if there is whining, remember it’s “my fault “

[@ScribbleKith]

I'll keep that in my back-pocket if there's ever a TPK. ^^ "Blame Jim Murphy."

[@trooks40]

Excellent recommendations, very similar to my own style. I always try to find a way to put time pressure on the party, from a slowly collapsing cavern, to a nest of kobolds awaking from slumber, to rumors of enemy reinforcement arriving at any time. These all lend tension to my games to make them more interesting. That being said, I also like to alternate between fear and hope.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Excellent 👊👿😈👊👁🤬✌️

[@jonrichardson652]

Awesome video! Thanks for the inspiration!

[@jimmurphy1591]

Jon Richardson my pleasure

[@robertfaer4522]

I think another thing worth pointing out is that running for help may make the goblins seem smarter and make the game more fun, but if you want that feeling of immersion then goblins would have horns or ways to communicate over distance other than runners. Personally, I use the "Shatter" spell because it's deafeningly loud and does damage to the party while also serving as a warning to the other goblins.

[@jimmurphy1591]

robert faer and they have a mage

[@ryanpratt6993]

I had a Lizardman Swamp Druid in a recent hand who let off spores whenever he got hit, which did poison damage. This tactic would have been a good way of dealing with him (we were playing through Sunless Citadel). I recently had my first TPK, too, and I feel like it was from a mistake I made. The Dragonborn Warlock of the group kept using his telepathy to scare the goblins, and I had them fall back and get help, so when the party got to the Hobgoblin King’s throneroom, him and his guards were gone. What the party didn’t know, was that there was a passage behind the throneroom that led back the way they had come. The Goblin king set up an ambush there, and the party died. It was my first time dming 5e (they had all dmed before) and they tried to give me some tips about keeping challenge rating about the level of the party. We fell out for a few weeks after that, and I actually thought they didn’t want to play anymore. Fast forward to a couple months later, I pitch a different game to the group, and it turns out they still want to play the previous one. I guess they were just a little frustrated on the night. I asked them if they still wanted to play their old characters, and only one of them did. So they sold him and the Kobold Rogue NPC that was with them to a Drow prison camp underneath the Sunless Citadel. I’m going to use the Drow prison camp in Out of the Abyss, including some of the NPC prisoners, but then bring them back into the Sunless Citadel after their prison break.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Ryan Pratt evil abounds. A TPK always feels like you mistake, it’s hard to know what players will do and what they perceive. Just have to plan well and have an escape valve. But sometimes thinks just go wrong.

[@ryanpratt6993]

Thanks for responding, Jim. It means alot that you're so responsive to my messages, and I hope to one day be half as good a dm as you.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Ryan Pratt Your welcome, keep at it you will be, a lot less wilderness to hack through now.

[@d1morto]

I really like this topic. It would be cool if you showed terrain set pieces in your videos. Use the visual medium to illustrate your points! Then, you could walk us through various ways to make different set encounters more interesting! Plus, we could see all your cool minis.

[@jimmurphy1591]

d1morto good idea

[@domranson5222]

Great idea yes please!

[@theDMLair]

d1morto That's an awesome idea! Visuals to support the explanations would rock. And, yeah, since Jim is an awesome painter, seeing his minis would be super cool. 😁

[@edwardp4417]

Wow this video seriously changes everything for me. I really want to watch Jim stream a game.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Ed Pizzella maybe Matt might indulge me

[@4ltimit1]

Yes, full xp. They don't have to chase down the routed foes and it is not always wise to press on. Contrast, yes? Sometimes you need to rest up rather than charge headlong into a trap. They have to read the situation. We have to clearly explain what the foes scream as they run, which way, what they drop, and so on. If they didn't drop their weapons I would expect the fight to still be on. (I really want a don't run with scissors campaign)

[@HankCarver]

Really cool to see you played in a PTQ!

[@jimmurphy1591]

Hank Carver of course, Game Methuselah

[@kyrnsword72]

That sounded awesome. A TTRPG system that is like many of my favorite systems is a game I love called D100 Dungeon by Martin Knight.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Always fun to find rules you lije

[@Blindeyes1431]

I have a couple stories. I had a patrol of kobold minions running to a home after spotting the part and the barbarian and fighter charged at them, slayed them instantly. I had the real fight in a manmade cave they ran past and a swarm of organized kobolds ran down the backline while the frontliners watched. It caused a lot of infighting but the squishy backline actually defended the way I played that, blaming their other two party members. I was pretty proud of that. Sunday, I finished running the Rahasia module in a 4E campaign. Long story short, it had me face the 'main' villain (the Rahib) off with the party early and they were defeated. This created a chain of events that had me skew wildly off the course of the module, which was very clunky and I didn't really like using to be honest. I'll reply with more details of how it went as a reply to this comment if anyone is interested in reading it. But it was great to have this totally beatable bad guy make the party feel powerless just by having him be prepared. He used the natural deadliness of the temple (to which he was also susceptible to, just had prior knowledge to avoid) against them. Two of the six man party thought it was a little unfair while the others began to understand the nature of the temple and how they needed to adapt. Most of the players aren't used to playing with each other so it forced them to forge better bonds by one part rationalizing and another part trying to point blame. I think it's good when it is mostly directed to the DM because there is enough time for the offended to be calmed by the other party member and then be given constructive criticism on what actually went wrong and how everyone could have made better decisions. Giving my players that feeling of having to improve as a party I think makes every encounter feel special and I might even call it crucial to having encounters at all, at least for the way I run D&D.

[@Blindeyes1431]

Here's my recap on how I ended that module: I thought the module shackled me to the pages a lot and it felt like more work trying to understand how everything was laid out. Thankfully I didn't have to map out the mess of a map the Treasury was, they never got that far. Instead, they retreated from the temple after the Rahib whooped 'em, getting them entangled with a Necrophidius and losing a party member. They then got bogged down by saving people and dealing with forest entities that a second in-game day passed and I had the main plot of the villain unfold. The 3 witches began a ritual which called a colossal storm using the black opal eye, which I just casually made into a gem off of Moradin's Anvil of Creation - which also seeded a reason for my Elves and Dwarves to be waring. They killed the Rahib in a tense encounter where a party member died on the top of the second round of combat and all but one of them was beaten to an inch of their life, in fact he was untouched. The healthy one was a Kenku bard who tried to scare off the witches with silent image and Kenku mimicry in an attempt to stop the witches from sucking the life out of the captured villagers and buy time for the others to rest. It didn't work. Each witch was aided by a personal panther. Two witches went off to sniff out the other party while the other cast hold person (I made it into helpless and stunned save ends, with a save each time they're damaged) on the Kenku bard. The panther rolled a 2 and the witch botched! He lived, even though average damage would have done his bloodied value and insta-killed him. He saved and intimidated the witch into trading residuum for the lives of the villagers (convincing her he had 32,000 gp worth of it at level 3). He rejoined with the rest of the party, wary witch in tow, just as they were discovered and after some combat, they barred themselves off from the witches by wily forcing them out with some clever power usage. The witches were forced to rush the ritual which cracked the under-charged opal eye. The death that came from round 2 of the first fight held that intensity for the entire session, only letting up once the doors were barred.

[@milesmatheson1142]

I have a history of playing Rangers, and Rogues, and doing stupid(ly awesome) things, like going off to climb up the side of the tower to the Orc Skald on top, rather than take the long and grueling stairway battle alongside the rest of the party. Does it always end the way I intended? No. Does it always end awesome and with the party saying "WTF did you do this time?!"? Yes. Hell, fucking, yes- it does. I'm very Chaotic-Neutral/Good, in that sense. I really enjoy making use of built-in tactics like Flanking and taking certain Feats that let me help out alleys from my maximum weapon range. And I'm a fan of battle maps with floor plans of dungeons and keeps, especially with DMs that will let me scout and "camp" or set up ambushes.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Miles Matheson I use to drive my other players mad with my halfling rogues

[@davewilson13]

Some really great advice that I’d never realized, and I have been DMing since 86? and war gaming about as long.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Glad to help

[@Goose_BW]

Bad guys wanna win too

[@Bluecho4]

I would love to see monster encounters where the monsters employ Zulu tactics, otherwise known as a "Bull's Horn Formation". You have the Chest, the Horns, and the Loins. The Chest engages the enemy head on. The Horns curl around and flank from the sides. This is all standard stuff when it comes to military tactics. But it's the Loins that are interesting. Their job is to do _nothing_ . They sit back, preferably in a hiding spot, and wait. Often with their backs turned, so they don't get antsy from watching the battle. When the side of battle turns, the commander orders the Loins in. Those fighters in the Loins rush in and fill any gaps in the formation. Moreover, because they were waiting the whole time, the Loins entered the battle fresh, while the enemy was tired. The Zulu found this tactic extremely effective because the Bull's Horn was dirt simple. Everyone in the battle knew what they should be doing. Chest engage the front, Horns flank, Loins wait and enter the fight as needed. It's no grand strategy, but it didn't need to be. For a DnD game, it would be quite surprising if the goblin or kobold group the PCs were battling suddenly got an influx of fighters halfway through the fight. All this AFTER the enemies spent the majority of the battle also using a combination of lock-down tactics (the Chest) and flanking maneuvers (the Horns). When the Loins are brought it, those extra monsters could even have been observing the battle, and thus have a clear view of which PCs are the most dangerous. Allowing them to dive in at the right moment, while everyone else is locked in place.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Bluecho4 that’s a lot of goblins

[@jaybirdthings]

This is what I've been waiting for

[@Fenizrael]

Thanks for the upload! I like the concept of stacked/layered fights and now that you’ve brought it up I’m going to be hyper-aware of campaigns where it’s just fight, kill, loot, rest. How much more likely of a TPK does it become with each successive ‘wave’?

[@theDMLair]

Fenizrael Each wave lowers their resources, so a wipe steadily draws near. I play it by ear when I deploy waves at my players. Usually they start telling each other whem they are nearly dead or almost out of spells. That's typical cross table chatter. When I start hearing that, I know it's time to ease up -- if I want to. 😁

[@VerumAdPotentia]

...or double down! Mwa-hahahahahaha!

[@igotsmeakabob]

You continue to kill it Jim! Great job, this video was informative- I hadn't thought to use the Dodge (or equivalent) action with monsters in ranks like that, and I've been playing for 20 years :D Side question @Jim, are you doing this with a script or outline or? You're getting better and better!

[@jimmurphy1591]

Austin Hoffman no script on this, but a few notes, thus my glasses.

[@anaximander66]

Wish I had heard this a looong time ago.

[@Joshuazx]

Players are surprised by an ambush of 1d6 goblins. The goblins flee on round two and use their turns to sprint away through some dense trees and bush. As chasing adventurers run through the bush, they fall into a pit that was completely obscured by the bush taking 1d6 fall damage. On the next round, 2d6 more goblins come out of hiding from the bush and rain stones, arrows, and spears on the adventurers stuck in the pit. I hope you got a chance to get up from prone.

[@Humboldt014]

Thank you! Straight to the point. I'd be scared to be one of your players though (it's a compliment :))

[@jimmurphy1591]

Humboldt014 LoL......I’m not scary

[@seanhillman1016]

Creatures like goblins, kobalds, and orcs often have trained animals that fight with them too, creating an aggressive skirmish line. Excellent video as always. As an aside, Jim did you (or anyone) catch the stream of the new Runequest last night? If not I think it is going to be available on KZbin. Ended up with no combat, partly because the GM (and those of us in chat) put the fear of god in some of the players about how deadly combat can be in RQ. Overall the stream was great.

[@Giganfan2k1]

Also mounted calvery for sweet flanking attacks. Maybe some dog archers to harry the PC's out of a short rest...

[@McCainenl]

Kinda makes me wish Matt Mercer did a little more of this and a little less of One Single Bad Guy... but different styles for different games, I guess

[@jimmurphy1591]

Not Evil Matt is a good DM. But he has his style and it seems to work for his group and watches. Our group plays a bit different. Maybe he’ll dabble with our style in the future.

[@McCainenl]

He is absolutely a great DM! There are many things he does brilliantly (characterization for one). And I like a roleplay focus. I just enjoy tactical combat too :)

[@MarioVelezBThinkin]

This is great.

[@Giganfan2k1]

One of the things I want to implement in a game as a GM. Gnome flying light calvery ala Golden Hoard. All they do is spam magic and arrows at you. None of it high level, they just have a lot. I would be interested in seeing how fairly high level PC's could deal with this.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Sum Arbor hmmm. Maybe! Let me know.

[@Giganfan2k1]

Jim Murphy Questions: Do you use anything to keep track of large armies besides pencil paper? Any tricks or tips? Have you ever thought about using swarms of humans orcs to make the scale epic while dealing threat? (Swarms auto damage so even stupid high AC characters still get hit. Swarms also have buckets of HP. Maybe when they go to 1/4 health they break up into a dozen or so stragglers?)

[@jimmurphy1591]

Sum Arbor have done this in multiple campaigns. Used a board game (Albion) in one since we were fighting a strategy game with that and RPG to run the heroes in their missions. Also a map and location note in another

[@mr.e1944]

Good Advice!

[@ziggaby4411]

This is completely new to me, and I love it. I'm bored with the simple design of 5e and really like what I've seen reading through 4e. I like tactics and strategy, and I'm enjoying the depth they add to my games since I mainly play 5e. I have a few questions: *I as a player am not used to playing against enemies that are this smart. If I'm entering a goblin lair I know to worry about traps and retreating guerrilla goblins, but I know that at the end of the day I'm going to succeed pretty much only if I can survive long enough to push them to their final stand. In many cases of tactics, it feels like (from my current perspective as a player who's been babied by modern playstyle) I simply lack the options/tools to respond to clever tactics like the harpy-bridge. Once I'm on the bridge, aren't I kinda just screwed? *As a DM, what do I do to respond to players raising the questions/concerns/frustrations from scenarios like mentioned above? If I set up a logical scenario where harpies behave reasonably--but viciously--what do I say when the players say, "I guess getting on the bridge was our death sentence, and now that we're here we just rush to the end or stay and fight"? Should I only employ these strategies when I'm using low-level enemies against high-level PCs? That way it's more evening the playing field rather than just railing the players? Or am I completely off-base with my entire mindset?

[@jimmurphy1591]

Ziggaby I find many new players have these problems because they have not faced challenges. You and they will get better, so play the wimpier creatures smart and the big stuff kind of cowardly. My two Displacer Beasts could have killed the party but when one gets bloody they flee since they have young to care for. Most things don’t want to die.

[@aonith]

Thank you for the video! This is what I was struggling with as being a newbie DM and playing 5th edition. Guys kept relying too much on those short rests. I also haven’t seen many of your videos, but here is a question: any good tips for undead monsters and beasts in terms of tactics?

[@willinnewhaven3285]

The classical Roman Legions did not fight like that. Goblins can reach Nth level in sensible games. But I agree with constant pressure. Fifth edition, with it's "rests make you better and you can always meet the foe at full strength" is broken.

[@rip4324]

When are we getting Jim's live streamed campaign?

[@jimmurphy1591]

MidwestPunk asap

[@VerumAdPotentia]

Dang! I wish I had a better internet connection! I'd start pleading my case to play in your campaign already!

[@mikegould6590]

Warning: Long response! First point: Since 5E came out I've run 4 campaigns. I have had 3 TPKs. That's 9 character deaths in total. I run what is referred to as a "living world", so the players had to be ready to get in over their heads. Quite often, they assume the opposite. Then they die. ---- I began the current campaign (Tholl: Autumn of Empires) with the kobold invasion of a Halfling town. Given that the Kobold Inventor has been added in Volo's Guide to Monsters, as well as the Dragonshield and Scale Sorcerer, you can run a whole slew of kobolds and have them really trip up the party. The party had to deal with mini "pullwagon catapults" (imagine a little red wagon of wood with a tiny catapult for lobbing stuff) chucking claypot grenades filled with green slime, alchemist's fire, and wasp nests. They had to deal with kobolds running around town in "hamster wheels" that had spinning blades on the sides. They had little packs of kobolds breaking into multiple huts and abducting halflings for their rituals (They were part of a cult to Null, Dragon God of the Dead). After the heroes drove off this invasion, they were approached by a little girl whom claimed her mommy and daddy were taken, and she had a rough map written on dried skin that a kobold dropped. This map showed where the halfling village of Pumpkin Grove was in relation to their village. The players then tracked these kobolds back, and then dealt with rooting out this cult of kobolds in a underground lair burrowed out of the basement of a ruined chapel. Here's where it got tough. The kobolds had Shriekers for warning systems. They had elevated paths to watch the tunnels below. They had warning drums, murder holes from above, ledges from which they used archers, threw pots of centipede swarms, low barriers made of junk behind which snipers lurked, oiled ramps into junk piles, and so on. I was one player short of a TPK with kobolds. I managed to drop one particular player twice, but he wasn't playing what you would call a serious character - it was more of a parody of what he thought a Bard was, and so it made ridiculous choices and dropped a lot. These guys were level 2, fighting KOBOLDS and were getting hammered. What made matters worse? When they finally defeated the kobolds, and killed the Dragonshields and "Kazaak" the Scale Sorcerer, they discovered the same little girl in captivity in the temple below. The little girl in the village was a Hag, named Bitterwhistle. She had taken the form of this little girl, lured the Kobolds to the Halflings to torment them, then devised a way for the players to find the Kobolds - thus removing a rival for control of the area...and all with the player's help. Better yet, she had the cleric in the group so convinced that he left her some of his belongings to provide for her care. Yes, I know, I'm an ass. --------- When it comes to CR and encounter size, I tend to ignore it as a rule and use it as a loose guideline. As an example, they are currently level 6. When they were level 5 (very recently), they were involved in an epic battle where they were trying to defend a community of Darklings. A Drider Necromancer named Arkon was using a leash he'd gotten from another Hag in the same coven as Bitterwhistle name Versiliplex. This leash would drag the undead spirit out of fallen bodies - handy since the players had littered the community with Coh Leop corpses (A Beetleman race I invented). The players had to deal with four waves of two Spectres each phasing through buildings and attacking them as Arkon circled the village at range bringing these undead into existence. When it was over, the war cleric was dead, the bard as at 2hp, the ranger was at 7 and the sorcerer was at half, out of spells and running on cantrips, and had lost his little Kobold follower (long story). I knew the fight was going to be tough. They had two players absent (fighter and rogue), had divergent playing styles, and had one player who refused to contribute outside of lobbing insults at Arkon. Hell, I made it even more complicated by having the War Cleric raise as a zombie version of himself when he was killed by a Spectre and turn on the rest. I had him control the Zombie so he wouldn't feel left out. ...So I gave them an out. Arkon wore a wooden mask (like a tiki mask) on his chest. This mask was the magical device that another Hag (Ash Mary) in the coven used to control him. The Sorcerer spotted the mask, the Bard told the Ranger to shoot it, and the Ranger puled an epic targeted shot (at Disadvantage) on the mask and shattered it. Arkon fell, the last two Spectres evaporated, and the zombie of the cleric dropped. It was epic. The players were emotionally drained but elated in their victory. I might run several skirmishes or minor encounters. The players, if they're smart, will typically do very well in these. But when it comes to larger set-piece battles, the enemies will be organized and have a plan. They'll have objectives, and the players will likely not have the full facts on these objectives. The players will need to use their wits, communicate clearly, and act decisively. When they don't, they will furnish the ground with their bodies, or run for their lives.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Mike Gould all sounds interesting to me.

[@mikegould6590]

Jim Murphy The Kobold/halfling adventure is one I wrote for Nerdarchy.com. Feel free to download (it’s free) and rip off. :) “Parish of lost souls”

[@SteveSwannJr]

For the old-schoolers: Tucker's Kobolds!

[@TheNerdySimulation]

I have a player who has been in my group since the very beginning and he always compliments me on my ability to make combat encounters interesting and fun, but I think that my style of tactics is very much different than those you have described in this video. Which is fine, I'm not bragging or arguing, more just saying so since I find it kind of funny. I've never really had encounters where I used frontline defenders and backline attackers, even though I've been fully aware of it being a consistent tactic throughout all of historic combat. I think it is due to me always thinking in terms of the cinematic, rather than the historical and a desire to make my players feel like the heroic badasses they all want to be. I might have to try and keep this in mind for my current campaign, since it is a little more lethal and would probably make some sense to see it cropping up in the setting. Realistic Tactics, I mean. Thanks for the video, Jim!

[@jimmurphy1591]

TheNerdySimulation game On, nice job

[@dpwingle]

If you don't rely on the "Shields up front, arrows in back", what tactics do you use?

[@jimmurphy1591]

Doug Wingle depends on the strength of creatures. But use the terrain.

[@theDMLair]

TheNerdySimulation I think that's because there are lots of legitimate ways of doing things in D&D. There is no "correct" way. And all those approaches appeal to different players in different ways. What I love about these sorts of videos is that they help me improve what I already do, so my players enjoys my games even more.

[@Joshuazx]

4:17 How do you spell The Murphy-orc trap?

[@Alex-fn2hl]

Happy Memorial Day!

[@heyitsMattyP]

In your manticore situation, had you already decided that it would eventually joined the fight, or were you open to a peaceful resolution?

[@jimmurphy1591]

Matthew Perkins I am always open to players coming up with creative solutions to encounters. I also give the experience points if they talk their way out. That’s as good of solution as hack and slash, maybe better

[@theDMLair]

Jim Murphy Agreed! Some of the most memorable encounter in my games have resulted from the players NOT fighting and resolving the situation in a creative way.

[@apilgrim8715]

No one jammed the door shut with pitons?

[@jimmurphy1591]

A Pilgrim that would have been a good plan.

[@rickeymariu1]

I want some HIGH level play tactics. There's never enough HIGH level play these days. My players are 15th lvl. Not 5th.

[@jimmurphy1591]

rickeymariu1 hmmmm, high level game tactics are very dangerous but let’s see what I can get you

[@rickeymariu1]

What about a 12th lvl part for D&D 3.5?

[@wagz781]

Killed more players with kobolds, goblins, and reskins of them than things like dragons or beholders. Those big monsters are neat as generals or neat little lore tidbits, but the most epic fights my players have had is against bunches of these small units.

[@matthewporter7871]

How do you deal with ranged characters? A character with sharpshooter longbow has 600ft of range.

[@gengar1187]

Patreon link, my good man.

[@jimmurphy1591]

Christian West hope they don’t ban me

[@gengar1187]

Jim Murphy No, I know a guy. But the link being up will grow the Patreon! Not having the link is like not activating a captured supply depot with a Logistics Card during the tactical phase of your turn.

[@maciekkotunowicz2510]

Jim clearly has a lot of knowledge and topics are interesting, but some editing and speeding the whole thing up would definitely help. I know you don't have fancy equipment to record but it really doesn't bother me, we can hear and see you clearly. Good luck in the future:)

[@jimmurphy1591]

maciek kołtunowicz I hope to not lose the charm when I become a little more slick

[@maciekkotunowicz2510]

I'm sure you wont!

[@theDMLair]

maciek kołtunowicz Yeah, the video quality doesn't bother me on the least...not when I'm getting such great information.

[@ProtonCannon]

So basically the "Encounter tactic" is you take 3 different encounters and combine them into one single long drawn out encounter? Doesn't goblins using real life military tactics go directly against their race identity? Goblins by their lore are designed to be stupid monsters that attack you on a whim trusting surprise and superior numbers and when the tables turn they realize it won't work and they run away in a panic. They do not have discipline earned from months of military drills or experienced military tactics learned and passed on by books and leaders. They attack you to scare and overwhelm you because that is how they also think and react when attacked and they expect you to react the same way. They are not soldiers they are just a mob more closer to a street mob if I have to use a real life example that can be easily dispersed by a small team of policemen that know what they are doing. When stuff doesn't work it is every man (or goblin) for themselves. Same going for orcs and other traditionally "primitive savage" races Unless they have some powerful leader to boss them around and give them military drills they have no reason to think anymore than your basic street mob mentality.

[@jimmurphy1591]

ProtonCannon I’m not sure where you get your lore from, but you may run them as you feel is correct. I run my encounters as I wish, but if you want to stay within the “ framework”. I am giving you way.

[@ProtonCannon]

Thank you I know that :D , I am just trying to get better that is why I watch your videos and ask questions.

[@jimmurphy1591]

ProtonCannon thanks for getting involved. I am just trying to get GMs to think and create the adventures they want and not just run what’s handed to them. Want to have more great adventures

[@ProtonCannon]

Yes it is great that you share your experience, my greatest bane as a GM is that I am just unable to be hard on my players because I am terribly afraid they will be angry or leave me if their character end up in a bad spot.

[@jimmurphy1591]

ProtonCannon work on it, that’s the secret

[@adams7942]

2nd

[@jimmurphy1591]

Chase Adams thinks that’s my next, plus I can’t count