Planning Combats Nothing takes the joy out of a rousing adventure more quickly than an important combat in which the bad guys go down with a whimper rather than a snarl. All of the careful thought and brilliant inspiration used in creating an interesting plot is lost when the characters mow down the opposition without even raising a sweat. Like creating a good plot, there are proper ways to plan for a confrontation with high-level heroes.

Chapter One included suggestions for getting the most out of a foe by considering the creature’s intelligence, maximizing its strengths, and minimizing its weaknesses. This section looks at some additional elements that you should consider when planning and conducting a battle.

How much combat planning you ought to do depends on two factors: the opposition’s intelligence and how important the encounter is to your plot.

Plan less when dealing with unintelligent creatures. These creatures tend to react rather than to plan ahead. Quickly run through the five points outlined, noting obvious things, such as the terrain, the foe’s general situation (hungry, fearful, etc.), and its major combat abilities.

Always carefully plan encounters with major foes, even fairly stupid ones—your plan can take the foe’s lack of intelligence into account. Pay attention to each point and carefully look ahead to make sure your villains don’t make silly mistakes; for example, a vampire starting a melee combat over a rushing river or giants crawling on their hands and knees through corridors less than 10 feet high. As this chapter’s first section pointed out, it is best to avoid giving your players gifts in the form of combat victories they haven’t earned.

Likewise, if you’re hoping for a special result from a combat, prepare accordingly. For example, if you intend to reveal information to the player characters via a prisoner, you should plan the battle so that it is likely that the player characters take prisoners. Perhaps a creature misinterprets its orders and is forced to surrender when it finds itself surrounded by the heroes.

A combat plan should consider the following elements: attack power , mobility , organization , information , and terrain.

Table of Contents