Encounter Scenario: Deltamon

           In your games, sometimes rather than a simple enemy boss to fight, you'll want to make the encounter more dynamic. In the Digimon: Encounters Core Rulebook, the concept including environmental hazards is touched upon in Chapter 10: Combat in the Terrain subsection, and in Chapter 13: Game-Mastering in the Hazards and Encounter Levels subsection. Here, we will take a look at what one of these enhanced encounters would look like using a scene from Digimon Adventure 02.

The location is the "Forbidden Valley of No Return" (or the "Valley of Duckies and Bunnies" according to Cody), and the boss your party is up against is the ferocious Champion Digimon "Deltamon".

There are a few different parts to this encounter, so let's go through each of them in turn, starting with Deltamon.

Digimon, Deltamon CL 10

ABILITIES: STR 16, DEX 16, CON 13, INT 10, WIS 11, CHA 8

Defenses: Reflex 18(Flat-Footed 15), Fortitude 25, Will 20
HP: 70; Tech Points: 8
DR: 7 
Speed: 8 squares (walking)
Base Attack Bonus: +8
Grapple: +13
Default Digi-Traits:
           Virus, Earth, Movement (Walk), Size (medium), Beast
Extra Digi-Traits:
           Size (large), Size (huge), Signature Attack (Blast), Signature Attack (Melee), Mundane Attack: Bite
Skills: Initiative +11, Perception +10, Use Technology +5
Feats: Damage Reduction, Multi Attack, Imp Multi Attack, Haste I, Skill Training (Initiative), Stage Lock (Champion)
Attack Options:
           Mundane Melee (Bite): 1d20 + 11 (3d6 + 4), 20x2
           Mundane Melee (Bite) with Improved Multi Attack: +9/+9 (3d6 + 4)/(3d6 + 4), 20x2  
           Signature Blast (Triplex Force): 1d20 + 12 (2d8 + 4), 20x2
           Signature Melee (Serpent Bite): 1d20 + 11 (4d6 + 7), 20x2

As the boss of whatever adventure you are running, Deltamon is a composite Digimon who specializes in making multiple melee attacks per turn, with a single mundane ranged attack to use as he closes the gap between himself and his food. The terrain he resides in reflects his specialities, as it plays right into the strengths of melee attackers.

Normally the Encounter Level of this fight with Deltamon would be EL 10. However, it is bumped up to EL 11 by adding two environmental hazards:
           Terrain (rocky/sandy): Move at half-speed unless you have Movement (Roll).
           Debilitating (sand storm): Disadvantage on all Ranged attacks.

The Forbidden Valley of No Return is a long, narrow valley situated on the Folder Continent’s desert area. In point of fact, the valley is more of a crack in the earth than an actual valley. No one knows how the crack was formed, but the plateau above is subject to sand storms, intense heat, and quicksand, The valley is no safer, however, as it is home to Deltamon.

While you can use the quicksand, heat, and sand storms in the lead-up to the Forbidden Valley of No Return by using Skill checks, the ones we will be adding to the boss encounter are the sand storms and difficult terrain made by craggy rocks and deep sand.

The rocky and sandy terrain offers both an advantage and a weakness to Deltamon. When in close proximity to his targets, they can only move at half speed, making them easier prey. However, it also means he moves more slowly, so if they manage to get away, he's reduced to using his weaker ranged attack.

The blowing sands of the sand storm, however, complicates things for a party trying to use only ranged attacks to take down Deltamon, making visibility low, and causing all ranged attacks to take Disadvantage on their Attack Rolls.

All put together, we have an already challenging melee-focused boss who can threaten multiple characters per turn, set in a location that that inhibits mobility and punishes ranged combat.