D&D General 6-8 encounters (combat?)

[Minigiant]

An encounter doesnt have to drain resources to be an encounter. It only has to potentially drain resources.

If the PCs can overcome it with Skill checks, cantrips or at will abilities, so much the better for them.

That's not what I'm sayng.
I andothers are saying that 5e is designed to have the PCs deal with 6-8 encounters a day in order for at-will, short rest, and long rest abilities to have parity.

Any encounter that does no drain a noticeable amount of resources does not count to that 6-8 encounters needed for balance.

If you talk to an NPC and use 5% of you spells and superiority dice reaching them, buffing yourself, and countering obstacles, the encounter counts against you ~7 encounters.

If you simply walk over to the NPC and make 2 Cha checks and walk away, it doesn't.

Which is a terrible design choice if true (and you have no evidence it is true by the way, just your assumption).

I find rocket tag to be boring and deeply unsatisfying.

Well...

WOTC realized that most groups don't go through 6-8 encounters so they experimented shifting features from 1/Short Rest to Prof/Long Rest to let PC nova in 3 encounters.

 

[Flamestrike]

That's not what I'm sayng.
I andothers are saying that 5e is designed to have the PCs deal with 6-8 encounters a day in order for at-will, short rest, and long rest abilities to have parity.

Any encounter that does no drain a noticeable amount of resources does not count to that 6-8 encounters needed for balance.

Yes it does. If the PC manage to circumvent encounters 1-7 with skill use, clever roleplay and cunning, and hit encoutner 8 with all their resources available, the 6-8 encounter mark is hit.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Yes it does. If the PC manage to circumvent encounters 1-7 with skill use, clever roleplay and cunning, and hit encoutner 8 with all their resources available, the 6-8 encounter mark is hit.

You seem to be rather pointedly ignoring the "needed for balance" portion of the quote.

 

[tetrasodium]

Yes it does. If the PC manage to circumvent encounters 1-7 with skill use, clever roleplay and cunning, and hit encoutner 8 with all their resources available, the 6-8 encounter mark is hit.

Exactly what resources does a skill check like stealth or persuade consume?

 

[Dausuul]

Other times they will be the only ones who know about the Tomb of Not Been Found in 10000 Years and is Still Full of Loot, so they will have time to investigate at their own pace.

That depends on the DM. "Investigate at your own pace" can easily mean "As you rest, the remaining denizens of the Tomb of NBFI10KY&SFL awaken from their ancient slumber and gather to avenge themselves on the intruders. Halfway through the night, whoever is on watch sees dozens of undead closing in on your camp. No, you haven't rested long enough to get the benefits of a long rest yet, why do you ask?"

If the DM plays enemies as intelligent and reactive, investigating at your own pace is almost always risky. (There are a few spells like Leomund's tiny hut that can make it safer... but leaning too hard on those spells carries its own dangers. If you count on the hut to keep you safe, and only discover at the last moment that the monsters have a caster with dispel magic, it's gonna get bad.)

Now, these scenarios threaten TPK, which triggers an instinctive "No!" reaction for a lot of DMs (me included). But what that actually means is the DM just needs a plan for what to do if the PCs fail to escape. That plan can be as simple as "Go ahead and TPK them," if the DM is willing to be a hard-ass about it. Other DMs might prefer less terminal solutions. However, this plan is less likely to come into play than DMs often assume--players get very inventive under pressure.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

People using Rope Trick or Leomund's Tiny Hut, deserve the TPK.

 

[James Gasik]

People using Rope Trick or Leomund's Tiny Hut, deserve the TPK.

That's an interesting take. So using a spell designed to let you rest in dangerous places is deserving of a TPK?

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

That's an interesting take. So using a spell designed to let you rest in dangerous places is deserving of a TPK?

Yes. It's out of my hands.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Yes. It's out of my hands.

No, it is not. There is no world outside of the DM decisions. I am not saying that there should never be an ambush by destroying a tiny hut or discovering a rope trick hideout. There is a tendency here, in these forums by some to take away the player character's toys at every opportunity.
If you are going to let them have Tiny Hut then let them get some benefit from it not punish them for using it.

 

[Scott Christian]

Everyone at the tables I play at know this guideline. But, absolutely no one I have ever met follows it. In fact, there are times we have only 1 combat session, zero explorations, and 1 social. In a two-hour game at fifth level, there is no way to have three combat encounters. It is literally impossible - especially if they are actually separate encounters. (Not "and reinforcements come.") Heck, I will go so far to say at fifth level, you could barely squeeze in three combat encounters in a four-hour game.
So if timing like this is accurate, How would anyone ever be able to continue a well threaded story with six encounters in a day?