D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] Balancing a mixed-level party.

[Captain Trek]

OK... So I'm playing a D&D 3.5 game online with a relatively inexperienced DM. She's a decent story-teller, but mechanically she's still getting a handle on things... Now, through a sequence of events entirely too bizarre and complicated to be worth going into, our party of four 3rd level characters has wound up picking up two 1st level NPC "hangers on", which we've determined are going to function using the Cohort rules.

However, with these two extra characters in the party, my DM isn't quite sure how to balance encounters for us. She figures she ought to make fights a little bit tougher than the standard CR 3 in order to account for the Cohorts, but she isn't exactly sure how to do this. Can anyone offer any advice on creating balanced encounters for this party? Thankyou in advance...

EDIT: For reference, the PCs are a Cleric, a Wizard, a Paladin and a Scout, while the Cohorts are a Factotum and a Dragonfire Adept.

 

[Lwaxy]

What I usually do is making the encounters a bit more varied and try to position everything to the lower levels can pick out the equally lower level/CR opponents. So in a bandit ambush I'd just add 1-3 equivalent level 1 foes for the cohorts/low levels to go at. Alternatively, I offer the lower levels chances to support the others by distracting the enemy.

I usually have mixed level parties or groups that are not level based. It is mainly a thing of "use common sense." After a while, you get the hang of it.

The factotum I think offers a good opportunity. He/she may come up with the weirdest ideas and the rare pieces of information the party might otherwise miss.

 

[kitcik]

You can also offer environmental advantages that the cohorts can use. For instance, a large, heavy barrel in the middle of a battle can be used by someone as partial cover - why not one of the cohorts?

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

I second @Lwaxy, instead of considering going to a CR 4 or 5 enemy, consider sticking with the same CR 3 enemy the DM would have originally thrown at you, and then add another one, two or three CR 1's into the mix.

 

[Captain Trek]

Thankyou very much for the suggestions, everyone. The warm welcome is greatly appreciated too.