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<blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 4721855" data-attributes="member: 82106"><p>Well, the N+3 (or even N+1/2 depending on player skill) encounters are already quite deadly if the DM has any tactical ability and creates decent encounters. Level equal encounters are not SUPPOSED to be super difficult. They can be challenging at times depending on luck and other factors, but on average a 5th level party should handle a 5th level encounter without a hard necessity to expend dailies. </p><p></p><p>Your solution will certainly shift the difficulty level of a lot of encounters up the scale, but that has 2 main effects. 1 it decreases character advancement rate because XP doesn't change but the PCs can no longer take on the N+3 encounters that give them the bulk of their experience. Secondly it hoses characters of levels 1 because the weakest encounter they can now face is not just medium difficulty, it is effectively quite hard, so expect a lot MORE TPK at 1-3rd levels.</p><p></p><p>Of course it will speed up encounters in the sense that the PCs will be reduced quickly in hit points. That will mean a TPK will take less time, but for the PCs to win they will still have to deal the same damage as ever, so victory will only be sped up by the proportion that you have to make most encounters lower level than before.</p><p></p><p>The best alternative I've found is just good encounter design. Avoid using a lot of N+ level soldiers in encounters. In general use more lower level monsters as opposed to fewer higher level ones. It may make some encounters easier for some parties, but that is true anyway and you can always add in a monster or two. </p><p></p><p>Thus instead of making an N+3 encounter that uses 5 N+3 level monsters, make it instead use 7 or 10 N level monsters, or something in between. This also reduces the need to throw lots of minions into encounters just to provide the illusion that the monsters have a lot of numbers.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="AbdulAlhazred, post: 4721855, member: 82106"] Well, the N+3 (or even N+1/2 depending on player skill) encounters are already quite deadly if the DM has any tactical ability and creates decent encounters. Level equal encounters are not SUPPOSED to be super difficult. They can be challenging at times depending on luck and other factors, but on average a 5th level party should handle a 5th level encounter without a hard necessity to expend dailies. Your solution will certainly shift the difficulty level of a lot of encounters up the scale, but that has 2 main effects. 1 it decreases character advancement rate because XP doesn't change but the PCs can no longer take on the N+3 encounters that give them the bulk of their experience. Secondly it hoses characters of levels 1 because the weakest encounter they can now face is not just medium difficulty, it is effectively quite hard, so expect a lot MORE TPK at 1-3rd levels. Of course it will speed up encounters in the sense that the PCs will be reduced quickly in hit points. That will mean a TPK will take less time, but for the PCs to win they will still have to deal the same damage as ever, so victory will only be sped up by the proportion that you have to make most encounters lower level than before. The best alternative I've found is just good encounter design. Avoid using a lot of N+ level soldiers in encounters. In general use more lower level monsters as opposed to fewer higher level ones. It may make some encounters easier for some parties, but that is true anyway and you can always add in a monster or two. Thus instead of making an N+3 encounter that uses 5 N+3 level monsters, make it instead use 7 or 10 N level monsters, or something in between. This also reduces the need to throw lots of minions into encounters just to provide the illusion that the monsters have a lot of numbers. [/QUOTE]
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