Sup guys I've hit a bit of a snag in my games recently.

>>55021674
Include environmental elements in combat. Think about vidya boss battles where you have to do other tasks while in combat, like dodging falling rocks, breaking urns to break protection spells, avoiding parts of the floor in case they collapse. Make your players utilise other skills and stats while in battle.

Make sure your major encounters are difficult enough to keep a sense of high stakes and danger but not so difficult that players are too afraid to spend a turn doing something interesting that might work over just whaling in and doing damage.

When you're implementing regular enemies give them abilities other than hitting and being hit. Players can't just roll to hit if their weapons have become red hot or temporarily possessed.

>>55021674
http://theangrygm.com/
the angry GM blog has a lot of good advice on designing dungeons and encounters, it's all based on D&D but as long as the system you're using is that or reasonably close, it's really good advice

>>55022045
Ive had a lot of inspiration from dark souls for past dungeons so I've been trying to return to that a bit to make them more interesting. The next dungeon I have planned is a sunken temple that's also an aboleth's lair that the party has to explore while it's not there so those environmental factors should make it a bit more interesting, with the entire temple being difficult terrain basically.

The problem is the d&d monster manual doesn't have much for interesting fights at lower levels imo. My party is currently level 3 and there's not much I can throw at them

>>55022058
I am using d&d so I'll be sure to take a look at that, thanks anon!

How do you handle/treat the enemies/monsters you control? Do you just go through the motions, rolling dice as you and players go back and forth trying to hit each other?

There was a group that I genuinely wanted to kill, but I wasnt going to do an asspull. It was going to be fair. That was when I was using what monsters I was given, but played them as beings that genuinely wanted to kill the intruders in front of them. They fought dirty. Just like a player, thry have their own feats and abilities that they want to utilize to get them the edge in combat. I used any possible facet of the environment; they would run to alert others, prepare traps and ambushes. While it didnt kill the party, it did provide a challenge for low level encounters.

Though ultimately it was their murderhobo tendencies that would get them killed.

>>55021674
Make enemies more grabby and pushy, and add more pendulum axes and spike traps and so on.
This forces the players to act fast and maybe change tactics.

Also oil the players up and throw lit oil flasks; make them prioritize enemies and so on.
Also, lower HP for monsters also works good, and coupled with higher damage (or double damage due to a curse) makes fights really quick.

>>55021674
Good advice in this thread. My two cents:

>Verticality: incorporate multiple levels, climbable surfaces and/or cover. Added threats from above/below makes dungeons engaging by means of physical space

>Push/Pull: Tasks that force difficult or contrary decisions--such as running across a trapped floor to deal with archers, or puzzles that force the party to temporarily split up--will give groups pause and make them think

>Tactics: Tucker's Kobold's are famous for a reason. Combat becomes more tense and interesting when enemies are as devious as players--and has the benefit of making players consider AVOIDING combat, adding depth to decisions

>Infighting: Remember that not everything is out to get the players. Combat may involve three or even four-way situations, perhaps because the party engineered it to happen. This may encourage players to try hands-off strategies to combat

>Dynamism: Environments are alive, too. Setpieces with entrances, pits, hanging things, and the like are rife with opportunity. Players can flip tables for cover, or enemies may try to close off exits to trap the party

And as always, very real threats produce very real engagement. That, and always remember: sometimes it's easier, more fun, and faster to let an enemy die an HP or two "too early". Not a universal constant, but the option is always there.

>>55022272

>The problem is the d&d monster manual doesn't have much for interesting fights at lower levels imo.

Homie, environmental factors. Goblins raining down arrows from rooftops. Piles of barrels to throw down stairs at encroaching enemies. Chandeliers to swing to archers at an opposite balcony.

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30KB, 265x417px

>>55021674
Add porn to it? Seems to spice up most other media, like Game of Thrones.

>>55022272
>The problem is the d&d monster manual doesn't have much for interesting fights at lower levels imo. My party is currently level 3 and there's not much I can throw at them
I have literally never had this happen, ever. Ive played just about every edition of D&D (anything beyond and including 3e is shit, but thats a personal opinion) and I havent encountered this at all, ever.
also
this:
>>55027619
>environmental factors