D&D 5E Bounded Accuracy scenario in actual play (low CR mobs vs higher level PCs)

[Awesome Adam]

Nice thread idea. Great to see it in action.

I agree with the sentiment that Bounded Accuracy is one of the greatest attractions of 5E.

My love of Kobolds has nothing to do with it.

 

[Argyle King]

Even at higher levels, most PCs will only have an AC between 16 and 23 or so. An orc has a +5 to hit.

Things must be different at other tables.

I think 20 AC is the lowest in both games. One game just hit 12th level; the other is 13th. ...same group of players, but we're playing two different parties on two different days.

We're a somewhat heavily armored group, so maybe that skews things. I'm playing an Eldritch Knight/Necromancer; one player is a paladin, and one is a fighter in full plate. Most of us are around AC 23 with options like shield or shield of faith to make it higher.

It's possible that we get hit, but it requires consistently high rolling.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Things must be different at other tables.

I think 20 AC is the lowest in both games. One game just hit 12th level; the other is 13th. ...same group of players, but we're playing two different parties on two different days.

We're a somewhat heavily armored group, so maybe that skews things. I'm playing an Eldritch Knight/Necromancer; one player is a paladin, and one is a fighter in full plate. Most of us are around AC 23 with options like shield or shield of faith to make it higher.

It's possible that we get hit, but it requires consistently high rolling.

I guess I would say that a party of 12th level PCs all wearing magical plate mail and shields is probably not representative of the average party. Not saying there's anything wrong with that style of play, but would answer why you're not seeing many monsters hitting.

 

[Argyle King]

I guess I would say that a party of 12th level PCs all wearing magical plate mail and shields is probably not representative of the average party. Not saying there's anything wrong with that style of play, but would answer why you're not seeing many monsters hitting.

Most of that AC isn't even from magic.

18 from plate; 2 from a shield, and 1 from defensive fighting style gave a base of 21 for one of the characters. That was before we started acquiring magic items.

 

[derickmoore25]

Most of that AC isn't even from magic.

18 from plate; 2 from a shield, and 1 from defensive fighting style gave a base of 21 for one of the characters. That was before we started acquiring magic items.

Most parties only have 1-2 pc's with that level of AC

 

[Gadget]

One thing that really affects Bounded Accuracy is that AC boosting items, particularly magic armor, really should be more tightly regulated/have a higher cost. This can really take a toll on how well bounded accuracy works.

 

[Sacrosanct]

One thing that really affects Bounded Accuracy is that AC boosting items, particularly magic armor, really should be more tightly regulated/have a higher cost. This can really take a toll on how well bounded accuracy works.

I don't recall a single campaign we've played where plate mail (normal, not even magical) was available before level 7 or so. Magic plate mail probably won't make an appearance until the teens.

 

[Ovinomancer]

One thing that really affects Bounded Accuracy is that AC boosting items, particularly magic armor, really should be more tightly regulated/have a higher cost. This can really take a toll on how well bounded accuracy works.

Yup. Hence the reason that magical pluses on arms and armor stop at +1 in my game. The only reason they stop there instead of at +0 is that I came to that realization after I had handed out two +1 items, and so, rather than retcon them out, I killed magic past that point.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

How do the lower level creatures hit the PCs?

I'm a player in two different games, and, in both, it seems that monsters of our level struggle to hit us.

Mob Rules from the DMG are your friend. Forget all that rolling and just dish out automatic hits based on how many opponents are attacking. With high ACs like that it might be 10 to 20 needed to hit per round, but that gives you an excuse to throw 100 kobolds/goblins at the party.

Most of that AC isn't even from magic.

18 from plate; 2 from a shield, and 1 from defensive fighting style gave a base of 21 for one of the characters. That was before we started acquiring magic items.

For some reason, defensive fighting style seems popular amongst my players too, despite that fact that more often than not it is better to stick with a different style (unless you are picking up a second style).

They may not have caught on that you don't need a super high AC.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

This is really a great example of how Tactics over Bounded Accuracy.

Removing the clever tactics and traps, and removing the feats, the kobolds may not have fared so well.

Was it BA that made you reconsider the tactics, [MENTION=15700]Sacrosanct[/MENTION], or is this your standard modus operandi? By which I mean, has the existence of BA made you more likely than before to devise such tactical scenarios?