Hard Mode

Prior to starting the encounter, or perhaps in the course of the encounter itself, the raid can perform some action which enhances the boss's capabilities or makes the encounter more difficult. The usual reward for doing so is better loot, but on occasion this is needed to advance to an even greater accomplishment - such as a final final boss.

This can create additional complications for raiders, such as Don't Stand in the Fire, that weren't present in the normal encounter.

Examples

• 5-man dungeons have a "Heroic" setting, introduced in Burning Crusade. All mobs in the instance are level-appropriate to a party of level 85 adventurers, and drop better loot than normal.
• Cataclysm raids now have separate "Heroic" setting, which works in a similar fashion. Some raids continue to have specific implementations of a hard mode, usually differing in mechanics per boss, and often optional.