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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zardnaar" data-source="post: 9884247" data-attributes="member: 6716779">So we jumped on the 5.5 bandwagon fairly early just when the PHB was out. We played to level 13 and the current campaign is level 6. We have also playtest a bit with  level 7-12 and I've done a few "one" shot type games for newbies level 1-3 or so. Playtesting I'll design a map and run various encounters or grab a prepublished adventures and run that. 5.5 has a higher power curve so a level 9 5.0 published adventure might get run at level 6 or I redo the monsters. Mostly using the rules found on 115 of the DMG. This is the context I have been using when I say fireballs kinda suck. Buffs to 5.5 have obsoleted the spell to a large extent hence why I said it was a C tier spell now. I've also been running close to the magic item guidelines in the DMG. Broadly speaking the first rare drops at tier 1 (eg +1 platemail 2024 starter set), first very rare is tier 2. I sell common and basic uncommon +1 items and a curated list. I do not count artificer magic items against the DMG suggestions and I have not put in :the best" items eg staff of power and many vicious or flame tongue weapons. Tier 3 everyone usually has a rare maybe two and a very rare item. +1 shields and weapons and similar are fine, cloaks of protection would be a curated item or go find one. WotC adventures may also drop legendary weapons tier 2. We have used some of them but I don't change them to match what the PCs are actually using. I do not sell unlimited items so you can't bulk up on potions of cure wounds, true strike scrolls and clockwork amulets. Generally I don't hand out items dealing more than +1d4 or d6 damage until near the end of a campaign. Some are just updated 3.5 items eg +1 +1d6 elemental weapons or a keen weapon. Spellcasters might get a +1 or 2 spell DC boost item but they don't get access to stacking 3 items with the tashas ones for example and stat boost items beyond gauntlets of ogre power are rarely placed. Page 218. I do not use wish lists but try to give PCs an item or two they want. Curated items may turn up for sale uncommon or rare. Scrolls are treated as their rarity. Consumables I treat as 2 or 3 to 1 vs a permanent item. I don't track healing potions to much each PC often has 1-3. They are not sold in bulk. Cash varies current campaign they got a 500gp reward at level 5, about 8k total including the 5k. Bastions were a reward from the government of Cormyr.  So that is the baseline and how I'm dealing with magic items. Encounter Rules. I'm going with a 5 person party. If its larger or smaller scale it according to page 115. I'll list the sample levels and a low/medium/high encounter. The guidelines recommend not exceeding the number of PCs so 10 activations with 5 people maybe 11 or 12. I wouldn't go to 20 to often and those encounters tend to be easy anyway so semi pointless. They don't say don't do it but such encounters shouldn't be typical IMHO Level 3 L/M/H750/1125/2000Level 52500/3725/5500Level 108000/11500/15500So One can cross reference the xp encounter budget with the MM. This is where things start getting interesting. No more than 10 up to a solo creature. Solos stereotypically don't work well as threats but IDK about that especially early on. I'll write them in as swarm (10ish), few (3-5) and solo (1 maybe left over xp to hit encounter bucket). EncountersLevel 3Swarms Swarm 7 CR 1/4, 4 CR 1/2 (11 activations), Medium Swarm 10 CR 1/2's 125 xp left over, high swarm 10 CR 1's.FewLow(3-5) 3 CR 1's, 3 CR 1/4's (6 activations), Medium  5 CR 1's 125 xp left over, High 4 CR 2 200 xp ;left over.SolosLow CR 3 (50 xp left over), Medium CR 4, High CR 5 (200 xp left over) RAW CR 5 at level 3. Half Dragon or a Mezzoloth as a boss fight. 8d6 breath weapon and the Loth can cast cloudkill just saying.Level 5. A swarm is 10 CR 1s and a 2 through to 8 CR 2s and a CR 5 and anything in between. A solo is CR9 with 500 xp left over. This is why I said fireballs very average at least RAW. At best its a low encounter swarm of CR1's. A bugbear has 33 HP. And thats a low encounter. By the time you get it its essentially obsolete unless your DM lowballs the encounters and swarms you. Even then spells like spirit guardians and fear exist. Or your DM ignores the rules and throws lowball fodder at you ignoring the xp budget and/or don't go over X2 PC activations. Hence why I said its a C. Level 10 easy swarm is 10 CR 3's (low encounter potentially 800 hp to chew through) all the way up to a CR 16 critter with 500xp left over. I used a Marilith plus friends at level 12 and dropped a PC in a broadside. Going back to CR 5. A "mundane" gladiator (probably a level 8-10 fighter in previous editions) has a knock you prone attack+damage and 3 attack's at 2d6+4. Average damage potential is 44 and it can feed advantage to itself via knocking you prone. Basic damage is 2d6+4 on its main attacks. A mezzoloth hits for 1d8+4+3d6 force damage. Average HP at 5 is probably around 38 (14 con d10 hp) bit higher or lower depending in the situation. A broadside (rolling well) from a equal CR critter runs a good chance of dropping you. A critical hit and another hit will probably leave you very hurt if not down for the count. Its like this more or less from CR 3/4 onwards. Assassins hit for 1d6+4+5d6 poison 3 attacks. Level 5 spells turn up at CR 5 or 6, level 9 spells turn up at CR 12, CR 2 goblin hexers hit for 2d10+3 psychic (worse than an ogre imho). Initiative is also very high later on and on some monsters. I think the idea is they alpha strike then die or get shut down. Sure a DM might not run RAW or you may be doing five minute workdays. 3 or 4 high encounters are very brutal IMHO. 1 Encounter is fairly easy encounter (low, medium, high) is also fairly easy. Putting it altogether though there are several trends I'm noticing.1. Direct damage spells are generally underwhelming. Unless they have a rider or situation is very good (large cluster, you have the initiative). Fireballs, lightning bolt, chromatic orb and synaptic static are the best ones imho. Monster HP is to high, poison and fire damage are still the worst to use.2. You don't want to get hit. AC is more important or ways to manipulate the dice (eg light cleric flare). You don't want to race or trade HP with monsters ever (unless your DM is using a lot of low encounters or easy modes the encounters).3. Winning initiative is nice. There are more ways to manipulate that in 5.5 eg alert feat, Weapon of Warning artificer, champion fighter lvl 3.4. Control is more important than damage. Mental saves are still the weak point on most monster, intelligence, charisma and wisdom in that order are the best saves to target followed by dexterity, strength, constitution. A lot of A and S tier spells target wisdom. Command, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Hold Person, Hold Monster, Fear, Slow, Hypnotic patter Spirit Guardians, Conjure Woodland Beings. See point 4 about winning initiative. Any creature with a weak wisdom save isn't worth the CR its printed at if you can target it first (assassin cough cough).5. Lots more psychic/radiant/force damage incoming.6. Seems to be more wisdom saves incoming as well. This is why I rated Paladins and Fighters so high along with Clerics and Druids. Creatures like Nalfeshnees exist. Bonus action DC 15 wisdom save 8d6 psychic damage +feat. And can turn up level 8 or 9. It also deals force damage on top of its physical damage. Yay.7. You don't want to get critical hit much. 1/3rd of the time the DM rolls well and 1/3rd poorly. A random crit on that 1/3rd rolling well the odds will catch up with you.8. Defenses are more important. Don't get hit, don't flunk a save. Abilities that buff saves are great (paladins lvl 6, fighters lvl 9+, level 7 artificers).9. incoming AoWs hurt a lot. The old classic Hell Hounds but CR6 mages could theoretically turn up at 4th level or have a few friends in to at 6th level as they're a CR6 encounter. Deathknights at CR 17, archmages, various breath weapons. DM should probably be careful using these en masse (4 CR 5's half dragons can put out 32d6 damage). Low encounter at 10th level.</blockquote>

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