Intelligence would also state that Monsters would not be habitual campers or those that only stay in their lair.
Make "Wandering" Monsters or "Random" Encounters have a purpose. Foraging/Hunting at a common location whose route to it requires the PCs to cross it. Armed Patrols would be alerted by the sounds of fighting in the castle.
Indeed. I actually had a group argue with me over this. I had the guards they snuck past earlier join the fray when the party started a noisy combat just down the hall. Apparently they thought the sounds of swords clashing and men screaming would be assumed to be practice drills, in the dead of the night…
The worst is having the boss monster just siting there waiting instead of taking evasive measures. When you think about it most bosses will try to make a run for it when the odds are not in their favor.
One of the best ways to show a monster's intelligence is personality. If the only interaction characters have with the monster is to attack then it won't help the intelligence factor. Monsters need some charisma, catchy lines of their own and things like that.
I try to play intelligent monsters like I was them. I lay a plan and see what the characters do, and then I modify my plan depending on their actions. I will definitely retreat intelligent monsters to seek reinforcements if available. If not, I'll route them out of the area. That is, unless they are intelligent and fearless, and then I will fight them to the end, using terrain to their advantage if possible.
Edited: Abnninja on 11th Sep, 2017 - 5:55pm