D&D 5E 1-3 Encounters per Adventuring Day

[FrogReaver]

It's said that 5e is built on the assumption of 6-8 encounters per adventuring day. I actually find that 5e remains very balanced even in 1-3 encounter adventuring days. That's what I want to discuss here. Why is it that 5e actually works just as well in a 1-3 encounter adventuring day vs a 6-8 encounter one? Also, are there any good encounter building guidelines for a 1-3 encounter day?

My reasons for 1-3 encounter days working well (in no particular order):

1. Full casters can only concentrate on one spell at a time. This leaves most of the rest of their spells being either defensive buffs or damage/healing spells - both of which are rated by the community as not very strong.

2. Short rest abilities are quite strong and getting them back after nearly every encounter does alot for characters that rely on them.

3. Fewer Encounters means more damage coming at the PC's in shorter time frames - because the difficulty of encounters you have players face in a 1-3 encounter day increases significantly compared to the difficulty of a single encounter in a 6-8 encounter day.

4. Solely at-will classes would get hosed - but no class in 5e except the rogue is purely at-will. Speaking of rogues - their claim to fame isn't combat but instead is skills and those will be even more useful. And honestly in a game where a single encounter is always very challenging by itself - out of combat solutions start to be even more appealing - potentially stealth/lockpicking instead of busting down the doors.

5. Contrary to popular belief - using long rest abilities like Rage in every encounter isn't necessarily better than using them in a few out of many encounters in the day - because the encounter difficulty gets ramped up significantly in the fewer encounter game.


I've not set down yet and tried to work out encounter building guidelines for a 1-3 encounter day. Has anyone else?

 

[OB1]

Just take the adventure day xp and divide evenly between 1-3 encounters. With three, it's fairly balanced for short rest characters (assuming a short rest after every encounter), with 1 or 2 short rest will be at a slight disadvantage, but as long as the entire party isn't short rest based the party will be okay.

 

[Stoutstien]

It's said that 5e is built on the assumption of 6-8 encounters per adventuring day. I actually find that 5e remains very balanced even in 1-3 encounter adventuring days. That's what I want to discuss here. Why is it that 5e actually works just as well in a 1-3 encounter adventuring day vs a 6-8 encounter one? Also, are there any good encounter building guidelines for a 1-3 encounter day?

My reasons for 1-3 encounter days working well (in no particular order):

1. Full casters can only concentrate on one spell at a time. This leaves most of the rest of their spells being either defensive buffs or damage/healing spells - both of which are rated by the community as not very strong.

2. Short rest abilities are quite strong and getting them back after nearly every encounter does alot for characters that rely on them.

3. Fewer Encounters means more damage coming at the PC's in shorter time frames - because the difficulty of encounters you have players face in a 1-3 encounter day increases significantly compared to the difficulty of a single encounter in a 6-8 encounter day.

4. Solely at-will classes would get hosed - but no class in 5e except the rogue is purely at-will. Speaking of rogues - their claim to fame isn't combat but instead is skills and those will be even more useful. And honestly in a game where a single encounter is always very challenging by itself - out of combat solutions start to be even more appealing - potentially stealth/lockpicking instead of busting down the doors.

5. Contrary to popular belief - using long rest abilities like Rage in every encounter isn't necessarily better than using them in a few out of many encounters in the day - because the encounter difficulty gets ramped up significantly in the fewer encounter game.


I've not set down yet and tried to work out encounter building guidelines for a 1-3 encounter day. Has anyone else?

I think the bold portion is important if you do plan on 1-3 encounters per long rest. Of course if you are going to shoot for 1-3 encounters you could probably just triple SR based resources and make it easy on everyone.
you also have to ask if that 1-3 encounter count is including exploration and social based encounters. If combat is more rare but more deadly then they will probably be more hesitant in spending resources elsewhere.

 

[Xeviat]

I tend to run 3-6 encounters per short rest, using 1 deadly fight between each rest or 2 regular fights. The balance isn't 6-8 encounters per day, the balance is 2 short rests per long rests. That can be achieved by about 6-8 medium encounters.

The Warlock, for instance, needs 2 short rests per long rest to keep up with the wizard's spellcasting capability. They're dead even at 1st level, warlock is ahead at 2nd level (substantially actually, 6 vs 4 1st level spells), but if you convert the warlock to spell points you can see it's very close to the wizard if they get 2 short rests per long rests.

 

[FrogReaver]

Just take the adventure day xp and divide evenly between 1-3 encounters.

I'm not sure that's actually a balanced way to do it. Why do you think that's balanced?

With three, it's fairly balanced for short rest characters (assuming a short rest after every encounter), with 1 or 2 short rest will be at a slight disadvantage, but as long as the entire party isn't short rest based the party will be okay.

I'm not sure that's true either. Curious your explanation for why you feel it is?

 

[FrogReaver]

I think the bold portion is important if you do plan on 1-3 encounters per long rest.

Agreed I think it needs to be the norm in such a game that short rest opportunities are found after most fights. An occasional back to back fight wouldn't hurt anything. Nor would the occasional day that goes 4 encounters and still offers a short rest between each.

Of course if you are going to shoot for 1-3 encounters you could probably just triple SR based resources and make it easy on everyone.

No idea why that's need to run 1-3 encounters per day.

you also have to ask if that 1-3 encounter count is including exploration and social based encounters. If combat is more rare but more deadly then they will probably be more hesitant in spending resources elsewhere.

Just encounters. Social and exploration encounters would be separate. I actually think they will end up spending about as many resources in combat as they do today. Which will leave them just as many today to use for non encounter experiences.

 

[FrogReaver]

I tend to run 3-6 encounters per short rest, using 1 deadly fight between each rest or 2 regular fights. The balance isn't 6-8 encounters per day, the balance is 2 short rests per long rests. That can be achieved by about 6-8 medium encounters.

Interestingly it's easier to narratively justify a short rest after a larger more challenging battle. IMO

The Warlock, for instance, needs 2 short rests per long rest to keep up with the wizard's spellcasting capability. They're dead even at 1st level, warlock is ahead at 2nd level (substantially actually, 6 vs 4 1st level spells), but if you convert the warlock to spell points you can see it's very close to the wizard if they get 2 short rests per long rests.

IMO Warlocks actually balance closer to wizards with 1 short rest per long rest. But let's not quibble about that here.

 

[Xeviat]

Interestingly it's easier to narratively justify a short rest after a larger more challenging battle. IMO

Definitely! It's just difficult to build adventures this way, I feel. Can't invade a goblin infested keep if you have to let the party rest for an hour after each fight.

 

[FrogReaver]

Thinking more about guidelines to design 1-3 encounter adventuring days.

I guess let's start with 1 encounter. If the players are only having 1 fight then how big of a solo can they take on experience wise?

Maybe look at level 3, 5 and 9? Party of 4 players to start with.

 

[Stoutstien]

In reality my games run 2-10 encounters per LR but if I isolated the "most likely going to be solved by fighting" encounters the total is closer to 3-4 so I guess my games already do this. My combat tends to run longer (4-8 rounds) as well with NPCs repositioning or regrouping.