A poll on Encounter set up

[tooley1chris]

How do YOU roll?

[el_octogono]

I voted Average but I usually change some characteristics on the fly making critters stronger and slower or the other way around. I don't roll enemies, it's just too much time investment and planing for me nowadays.

[tooley1chris]

This is my thinking as well. I typically add or subtract a few points here and there for random factor but That's about it.

[Baron]

Agree. Nowadays I usually choose rather than roll for everything. Whatever I think will make the best game.

[p_clapham]

I don't really roll for encounters these days.  I have a chart which gives me a rough idea how many points in attributes and skills a given npc will have.  For critters I'd likely go with the average stats.

[seneschal]

Like Baron, I usually use the default attributes unless specifically creating a "boss" monster to confront the PCs.

[MrJealousy]

I usually have a stack of pre-generated npc monsters. If I don't have what I want ready I use averages.

[threedeesix]

I voted for "average" as I tend to use that for normal encounters.

However, with the main bad guys/villain, I tend to choose my characteristics from the possible range to best fit my adversaries.

Only rarely do I roll randomly.

 

Rod

[Chaot]

I don't bother.  For a combat encounter I choose attack %, damage & DB, Hit Points and Dex.  Anything else can be derived or made up during play.

[tooley1chris]

Thanks for taking the time to throw your opinion. I was very curious about this since a discussion about my Manual of Monsters II because I only put the average scores for characteristics instead of ranges. Averages are all I usually use as well...

[badbones777]

I voted roll in theory, though I must admit a lot does depend on how many things there are, whether or not the encounter was pre-planned or otherwise and expected quantity (in which case I will have designed the antagonists in question in advance) and how close to wrapping up the session is - I'm unlikely to roll if it means that we miss a cliffhanger or plot development I was hoping to end on simply to add a bit of

variance to some mooks.

 

In fact what "Rolling" I do do is often a case of leaving the majority of a group as average, add 2 or 3 to everything to make the "leader" of the pack, and perhaps make

a runt of the litter by subtracting a few points here and there. It seems to work about as well, but rolling dice is fun if there is time to do so!

Edited September 6, 2014 by badbones777

[Robsbot]

I go average as well. Combat is generally frowned upon in my campaign so when I force PC's to live by the sword, it's generally against some henchmen, guards, assassins, or something with little personality. Against large antagonists I always hand craft them with back stories, stats, etc. anyways and throw them at the PC's repeatedly until they can overcome them, so there's no need for a roll and play style of combat generation. I can't really see why I'd take the time to roll henchmen on the spot when in all reality they're probably just going to get pummeled into the dirt soon anyways.