D&D 5E 6-8 Encounter Adventuring Day as the Key to Combat as Sport/War in 5e

[Magil]

[MENTION=6672353]Magil[/MENTION] - That is exactly my point with this thread. That you can make an adventuring day easier by avoiding encounters without spending significant resources. It also allows the DM to build a mission that, if confronted directly, would be far beyond what the party could handle, while still having the possibility of overcoming using the social or exploration pillars of the game. This gives a feel of Combat as War to a primarily Combat as Sport centered game (while not fully falling into the definition of either).

My point wasn't really about whether it was "easier" or "harder", and I don't fully buy into the whole "combat as war" vs. "combat as sport" dichotomy, my point relates to game balance. The effect of a 2-4 encounter adventuring day on certain classes is very different than it is on other classes. It's too broad a spectrum to make a sweeping statement such as "you can make an adventuring day easier by avoiding encounters". It may be true in a general sense, but it's misleading in that the degree to which it becomes easier is different on a class-by-class basis.

 

[OB1]

I agree that how much easier an adventuring day is depends somewhat on the class, but avoiding encounters will always make it easier for everyone.

As for Balance, I certainly believe it's important to know where the balanced point of any day is, and that when you unbalance it, it should be with purpose and forethought.