Unique Encounters

Most encounters start with heroes and bad guys aware of each other, within one or two moves apart, and feature 1–4 level-appropriate enemies per hero who fight to the death. While this formula works, changing it up from time to time can make for a more memorable encounter. Here are some ways to spice things up:

• Ambush (Bad Guys)! A easy encounter becomes much more difficult and exciting when the bad guys get the drop on the heroes. Place hidden enemies close to the party, and let them act first (just be careful that there is a good story reason for the ambush or you give them a chance to spot it!).
• Ambush (Heroes)! An extremely hard encounter, but the heroes get plenty of time to scout, research weaknesses, set up traps and obstacles, or even choose the battleground (on top of getting a full turn to act before the bad guys can act).
• Backdraft. Heroes take damage whenever they take a certain action (e.g., cast spells, use weapons, move, or use special abilities).
• Betrayal! Have an allied NPC suddenly turn on the heroes mid-fight (temporarily or permanently).
• Can’t Reach Me! Where a relatively weak group of bad guys are at an unfairly advantageous height, and able to drop heavy things onto the heroes. Or out of range of melee attacks from the heroes and with excellent cover against range.
• Capture the Flag. The heroes must take (and keep) possession of an item that the bad guys desperately want.
• Charmed Allies. Enemies cast powerful charms or illusions on one or more party members, forcing the heroes to fight their own while trying to break the spell.
• Defend the Fort. Heroes must defend a location for a certain number of rounds until reinforcements arrive.
• Divided Loyalties. Two enemy factions are fighting each other when the heroes arrive. The party can choose to sit back and let the factions weaken each other, manipulate the chaos to their advantage, or attack both sides.
• Environmental Ally. Heroes gain an advantage from the environment, a rampaging beast, a structure collapsing, or a natural disaster to help turn the tide. Just make sure you properly foreshadow what is coming and allow them to set up a cool moment, otherwise they can feel cheated.
• Environmental Catastrophe. The environment itself is the main challenge: rivers of lava, throwable explosive mushrooms, collapsing caves, a sinking ship.
• Enraged Baddies. Each time something happens (a bad guy takes damage, they lose an ally, etc.) their damage increases.
• Ethereal Enemies. The bad guys are ghosts, shadows, or other ethereal beings that phase in and out of the material plane. They’re immune to damage during certain phases, forcing the heroes to adapt their timing and tactics.
• Grudge Match. An otherwise easy encounter but all of the bad guys ONLY attack one hero. Perhaps that hero has a bounty, or has offended a warlord, or is cursed? Make sure your players know ahead of time what is going on so it doesn’t feel unfair. Players will have to greatly change up their typical tactics to survive this encounter.
• Illusory Enemies. Bad guys that create illusions, making attacks miss more often, or that can redirect attacks against allies. Special care must be taken to see through the illusions and ensure you are hitting the right targets.
• Impending Doom. Try an encounter that would be otherwise far too difficult, but the heroes get an extra round or two before the enemies can properly engage. Enemies with no ranged attacks starting very far away, enemies that need to wake up or "charge up" before acting.
• Interlopers. Another faction arrives while the heroes are engaged in combat already. The bad guys ask for assistance—the heroes could fight both sides or convince the newcomers to join their side instead.
• Manastorm. All spells have a reduced mana cost, even as low as 0 mana. Casting spells may damage the caster instead (e.g., 1d6/mana spent).
• Mid-air Combat. Enemies that fly, heroes that don’t is a great classic. Particularly when the bad guys can pluck the heroes off the ground, fly high, and then let gravity do the rest. Alternatively, giving heroes flight and letting them strafe and pick off the bad guys is likewise great fun.
• Mounted Combat. Heroes fight while mounted on beasts that are running, climbing, flying, or swimming!
• Moving Hazard. Heroes fight on a collapsing bridge, in a building that is burning down, or on a battlefield under attack by siege weapons. Heroes have to continually move—or die!
• Non-combatants. Bad guys interspersed with innocent bystanders or other precious resources that must not be harmed.
• Oops, All Minions! Heroes can face a TREMENDOUS amount of minions. This setup shines when heroes have access to area-of-effect (AoE) abilities and rewards players who position themselves strategically.
• Pitch Black. Monsters attack in the dark, heroes can’t see, any light sources are magically snuffed out. Cannot Interpose or Defend against unseen attacks.
• Poor Tactics (Dumb Enemies). A very hard encounter, but the enemies do their best to spread damage out equally across the heroes and otherwise make obvious tactical blunders.
• Push ‘em Off! Battle at very great heights, the most efficient way to win (or lose) is to push others off the edge or where forced movement is otherwise greatly incentivized.
• Puzzle Combat. A puzzle that must be solved mid-fight: Enemies that are invulnerable while standing in a certain place, or until a device is turned off or destroyed, or a ritual is disrupted.
• Reinforce! Enemies run away for reinforcements when bloodied or half of their numbers are taken down.
• Split the Party! Physically split the party in an interesting way: melee heroes on one side, ranged heroes on the other; make them fight in ways they normally don’t.
• Stealthy Take Down. Loud noises attract more enemies!
• Thorns. Enemies have very few HP; any overkill damage is dealt back at the heroes.
• Tight Quarters. Unusually small room/platform, or a location crowded with obstacles.
• Traps Abound! A location filled with traps and environmental hazards that can be used against the heroes or bad guys.
• Turncoats. Bad guys (honestly or dishonestly) negotiate to aid the heroes against a common foe or threat.
• Vehicular Combat. Heroes fight bad guys while piloting a vehicle traveling at speed.
• Waves Upon Waves. Heroes can face FAR more bad guys if they appear over time rather than all at once. Add more enemies each round and watch your heroes rack up the kills! Just make sure you have a good reason for the baddies to show up over time (summoning portals, they’re spread throughout a hideout, an arena challenge, etc.).
• We Give Up! Enemies who give up and run away once their numbers are fewer than the heroes (they may or may not return during the next encounter).

Dessert, not main course These unique encounters should be used sparingly, not as the norm. Heroes have plenty of variability with their abilities, spells, tactics, and monsters—getting fancy too often may feel too chaotic. There should still be baseline "typi-cal" encounters more frequently.