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L&L 5/21 - Hit Points, Our Old Friend
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<blockquote data-quote="FireLance" data-source="post: 5918300" data-attributes="member: 3424"><p>A bit of an aside, but lately, I've been thinking that the relationship between AC and level ought to be reversed. A monster shouldn't have AC 15 because it's level 1. Rather, it should be level 1 because it has AC 15. </p><p></p><p>I'm picking on AC because it should be the most commonly attacked defence, and (IMO) probably the most important factor that determines the PCs' ability to overcome the monster is how easily they are able to hit it (let's set aside the ability to damage it for now). Factors like hit points influence how long the PCs will take to defeat it, and factors like the monster's attacks (type, bonus, damage) affect how long the PCs can take before the monster kills them, but (again IMO) the best single number on which to base an assessment of encounter difficulty is how easily the PCs are able to hit the monster.</p><p></p><p>What this means is, if you dress up a level 1 goblin that normally has AC 15 in plate mail and shield so that its AC is now 20, you've turned it into a level 6 monster. It might have the same hit points, attack bonus and damage (and this should be accounted for by adjusting the "standard" experience award for defeating a level 6 monster downwards) but calling it a level 6 monster makes the answer to questions like, "Why do my level 1 PCs have difficulty defeating level 1 goblins in plate mail?" pretty darn obvious.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="FireLance, post: 5918300, member: 3424"] A bit of an aside, but lately, I've been thinking that the relationship between AC and level ought to be reversed. A monster shouldn't have AC 15 because it's level 1. Rather, it should be level 1 because it has AC 15. I'm picking on AC because it should be the most commonly attacked defence, and (IMO) probably the most important factor that determines the PCs' ability to overcome the monster is how easily they are able to hit it (let's set aside the ability to damage it for now). Factors like hit points influence how long the PCs will take to defeat it, and factors like the monster's attacks (type, bonus, damage) affect how long the PCs can take before the monster kills them, but (again IMO) the best single number on which to base an assessment of encounter difficulty is how easily the PCs are able to hit the monster. What this means is, if you dress up a level 1 goblin that normally has AC 15 in plate mail and shield so that its AC is now 20, you've turned it into a level 6 monster. It might have the same hit points, attack bonus and damage (and this should be accounted for by adjusting the "standard" experience award for defeating a level 6 monster downwards) but calling it a level 6 monster makes the answer to questions like, "Why do my level 1 PCs have difficulty defeating level 1 goblins in plate mail?" pretty darn obvious. [/QUOTE]
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L&L 5/21 - Hit Points, Our Old Friend
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