How do you do encounter design?

[PalladiumBrony]

Obviously there's two major aspects to a campaign: the over-arching story line (the "campaign map" level), and the specific encounters within it ("dungeon crawls" for want of a better term.), whether those be a plot-critical encounter or some random cave the characters decided to wander into because they got bored and wanted to find something to hit.

Does anyone with more experience than me (so literally any, really XD) with running a campaign have any tips and tricks for designing a dungeon crawl? Specifically with making it just exactly the right level of "difficult". In D&D you have clear "challenge ratings" for enemies, which help you figure out what enemies and how many your player party should find enjoyably challenging, without either casually obliterating an entire room full of enemies in ten seconds (can be an awesome feeling the first time it happens, but it probably gets boring quickly), or getting completely stomped (TPKs are never fun, even less so if they feel "unfair"). In the Megaversal system it doesn't seem as easy; You can compare HP/SDC/MDC, attacks per melee and level, but for example, a level 3 vampire from Rifts Earth is probably going to be WAY more of a hassle than a level 3 Byzantium Marine.

So how do you guys look at an encounter and say "Yeah this looks about right" or "... nah this room alone is way above the party's weight class, and that wasn't even the dungeon boss"? Some good "rules of thumb" would be really handy.

[Grazzik]

Focus on what the players are looking to get out of it and keep checking in so you stay in sync... hack n slash? problem solving? dramatic tension? quick gold?

Fudge secret rolls on tough encounters to keep things going or have strong opponents at less than maximum health/strength, the players shouldn't know you nerfed the encounter

A convenient cave-in or collapsed wall during a hard fight to cut it short

Don't be bound by logic... limit the number of opponents even if logically there should be hundreds

A bigger, badder bad guy... think LOTR where the goblins surround the heroes, but run at the sound of the approaching balrog... have players feel the DOOOOOOOM... and then have it be something silly like a mouse in front of a candle throwing a giant shadow...

Sometimes just keep it weak, but fast... players sometimes expect each encounter to top the last one, an easy win might through them off base and amp up suspicion, and keeping it fast means they don't waste too much time

Have chronic wanderers find... absolutely nothing. No bad guys, a few pits to jump over, no treasure, a dead end where they have to climb back over those pits. Going off quest can be a complete waste of time. Sometimes the players are their own worst enemies.

A TPK turns out to be a collective bad dream... something might have fallen in the soup last night... (remember to have copies of the PC stats before they go into the encounter so they can pick up where they wake up)

Have bad guys vs bad guys and the players form a third front or they have to hide until it is over and fight/heal the winners, whichever approach matches their alignments

Remember attribute checks, save rolls, skill challenges and other mechanics... not everything is combat

[foilfodder]

Obviously there's two major aspects to a campaign: the over-arching story line (the "campaign map" level), and the specific encounters within it ("dungeon crawls" for want of a better term.), whether those be a plot-critical encounter or some random cave the characters decided to wander into because they got bored and wanted to find something to hit.

...

So how do you guys look at an encounter and say "Yeah this looks about right" or "... nah this room alone is way above the party's weight class, and that wasn't even the dungeon boss"? Some good "rules of thumb" would be really handy.

While "challenge ratings" only came into D&D with WotC publishing third edition, the previous editions had established a tradition of dungeons "getting tougher" the deeper you go, ex: creatures on the fifth level which much stronger than the first or second. That philosphy has never really been part of the Palladium game systems. Additionally, player character and party composition and capabilties range so dramatically in Palladium game systems, particularly Rifts Earth, it would be impossible for anyone to give you exact guidelines.

Keep a few things in mind:

Monsters with special powers and weaknesses are more difficult if you don't have the right knowledge or equipment. Characters running into a vampires for the first time will struggle...if they are experienced and have techno-wizard vamp hunting gear it is a cake walk.
- Practioners of Magic and several other O.C.C.'s have demon and fairie Lore which can let you give hints to the characters;
- Using Magic spells and Psychic powers might give information as well.
- players can convince an NPC to offer advice or even help out. Fun role-play opportunity for GMs that enough it.

Characters with robots/vehicles/power armor have to leave them at some point. Having one character on guard-duty in power armor while the rest are in light MDC armor on foot really cuts down on firepower for some groups, but it wouldn't phase a juicer, dragon hatching or MDC D-bee.
- Hunting through ruined pre-Rifts city for artifacts? Good luck picking up that collector's edition Pepsi can without crushing it.
- Stopping at a frontier saloon for a meal and refreshing drink? Those bandits that spotted your group a few miles back might decide it is a good time to steal some of your equipment.

You as G.M. can invent cases were a "dungeon-crawl" style play-session can occur...use of explosives in a confined space is unwise and any M.D.C. weapon other than a melee weapon will tear apart the construction if it is not made of M.D.C. materials (which typical rock isn't)
- several D-Bee creatures such as gargoyles, xiticix and other creatures build elaborate hives/lairs
- Rifts open to all kinds of bizzaree locations; they aren't always outdoors. Maybe the other side is a other-dimensional maze/prison/necropolis. What still lives there and what treasures were left behind?