Pathfinder 1E Pathfinder: Encounter Design Simplified

Scott DeWar · Jul 10, 2008

RE: "per capita" vs."pro rata."

just wanted to mention that per capita is still in the same spirit as 3.5 origannly in sorts by the fact that lower levels are able to learn more, glean more from their actions thenthose of a higher level ... imho.

GuardianLurker · Jul 11, 2008

Wulf Ratbane said:
Step Two: Determine Desired Difficulty

Multiply the total XP budget by the following multipliers:

Easy: x2/3 (-1 EL)
Average: x1
Challenging: x1.5 (+1 EL)
Hard: x2 (+2 EL)
Epic: x3 (+3 EL)

Pathfinder Examples

I like the system. My only quail is that the difficulty multipliers are (IMO) too low. A party of 4 5th level characters probably *won't* find 6 ogres to be an "epic" challenge, even if that's what the current CR system specifies. OTOH, changing the basic "+2 EL = x2 creatures" rule probably isn't a good idea.

Angellis_ater · Jul 11, 2008

That is because sending 6 Ogres is pretty boring at 5th level. The system excels more when mixing and matching - so, sending an Ogre Barbarian and his 2 Ogre henchmen might be alot more interesting and challenging for the group.

Wulf Ratbane · Jul 11, 2008

GuardianLurker said:
A party of 4 5th level characters probably *won't* find 6 ogres to be an "epic" challenge, even if that's what the current CR system specifies.

Well, it's about EL8. That's three levels over a "moderate" EL5 encounter.

I wouldn't expect it to be a cakewalk, even if ogres are a pretty straightforward fight.

OTOH, changing the basic "+2 EL = x2 creatures" rule probably isn't a good idea.

As I said a few times in this thread, rewriting the CR/EL system isn't my goal. I'm just streamlining the encounter design using the existing assumptions.

Primal · Jul 13, 2008

Wow, great work, Wulf! Your system is simple, elegant and completely backwards compatible -- I truly wish that it will end up in PF RPG, and even if it wouldn't, I will use it anyway!

In essence, you proved that the CR system is not hopelessly "broken" or beyond "tweaking" to build balanced encounters. Again, *GREAT* work!

P.S. You haven't yet toyed around with any sort of "tresure budget" system, have you? That would be handy, too.

Wulf Ratbane · Jul 14, 2008

Primal said:
In essence, you proved that the CR system is not hopelessly "broken" or beyond "tweaking" to build balanced encounters. Again, *GREAT* work!

I can emphatically say that I did nothing of the sort. CR still has its problems; it gets less and less accurate and predictive as CR increases.

All I did is show an Encounter Budgeting system that worked with the old CR assumptions.

If CR has any errors, they'll be baked right into my Encounter Budgeting, too.

P.S. You haven't yet toyed around with any sort of "treasure budget" system, have you? That would be handy, too.

No. I am sorry but I don't know what you are looking for. (I've never been particularly bothered about treasure in my own games, so it never even hit my radar. I just give out what I feel is right.)

Or did you mean Wealth by Level guidelines? I touch on that tangentially.

Scott DeWar · Jul 14, 2008

fyi:

I have used your budget this weekend and it is incredably easy. i have also played in a 3.5 game where the dm used it for an encoounter. i am not sure what difficulty multiplier he used, but it was a challenge, we liked it and we prevailed.

the fact that it is in a pdf is really handy. my only problem is that with my 40 something year old eyes i have to focus intently on the font size in the charts/graphs (print oout) ... but that is my problem, old age.

Wulf Ratbane · Jul 14, 2008

Scott DeWar said:
the fact that it is in a pdf is really handy. my only problem is that with my 40 something year old eyes i have to focus intently on the font size in the charts/graphs (print oout) ... but that is my problem, old age.

You need me to make a large font version for ya, grandpa?

I was trying to squeeze it all onto one page. It was a challenge. There's some 6-pt. type in those tables, I think.

Scott DeWar · Jul 15, 2008

i will be ok...i just need to use my electron scanning microscope is all and that is a bit of a power hog. i will be just fine. your pdf is too awsome to want any thing changed anyway.

joela · Jul 15, 2008

Font

Wulf Ratbane said:
You need me to make a large font version for ya, grandpa?

Ack! My hearing aids! Where's my cane, you whippersnapper...!

Pathfinder 1E Pathfinder: Encounter Design Simplified

Scott DeWar

Prof. Emeritus-Supernatural Events/Countermeasure

GuardianLurker

Adventurer

Angellis_ater

First Post

Wulf Ratbane

Adventurer

Primal

First Post

Wulf Ratbane

Adventurer

Scott DeWar

Prof. Emeritus-Supernatural Events/Countermeasure

Wulf Ratbane

Adventurer

Scott DeWar

Prof. Emeritus-Supernatural Events/Countermeasure

joela

First Post

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