D&D General 6-8 encounters (combat?)

How do you think the 6-8 encounter can go?

  • 6-8 combat only

    Votes: 18 15.9%
  • 3-4 combat and 1-2 exploration and 1-2 social

    Votes: 10 8.8%
  • 3-4 combat and 3-4 exploration and 3-4 social

    Votes: 3 2.7%
  • any combination

    Votes: 19 16.8%
  • forget that guidance

    Votes: 63 55.8%

  • Poll closed .
No, they dont.

If you want to throw 6 x 12 encounter 6 short rest days at the party, 6 x single encounter days at the party, and 6 x 7 encounter 2-3 short rest days at the party, only 1/3 of your days are balanced. 2/3 are not.

Overall balance is maintained though.
Have you truly ever seen ANY group actually deal with 12 encounters in a single day? Let alone six such days in a single campaign?

Conversely, it is incredibly likely to have not just one but multiple single-encounter days.
 

log in or register to remove this ad

Yeah, to the point that every time someone complains they "break the game", I have to point out that not only are they part of the game, but they have been for a long time. Goodberry, Tiny Hut, Magnificient Mansion, Teleport, Fly- all these spells and more, are legacies.

But you know what edition got rid of them, for the most part?

And was derided for not "feeling like D&D"?

And so they were brought back for that very reason?

Amusing, isn't it?
maybe that is why i love that edition
 

Have you truly ever seen ANY group actually deal with 12 encounters in a single day?
i have... but only caster only parties with 2 warlocks (1 a hexblade 1 not) with a druid and a multi classed monstrosity that wouldn't work without house rules... I was one of the warlocks, and we had 6 session dungeon that well we took many short rests we didn't take a long rest in the dungeon, or on the way there or on the way back. I have to look at my notes but it was WAY more then 12 encounters, but we were like 16th or 17th level and more then half the encounters were easy (not by xp but like we didin't lose much)
 

i have... but only caster only parties with 2 warlocks (1 a hexblade 1 not) with a druid and a multi classed monstrosity that wouldn't work without house rules... I was one of the warlocks, and we had 6 session dungeon that well we took many short rests we didn't take a long rest in the dungeon, or on the way there or on the way back. I have to look at my notes but it was WAY more then 12 encounters, but we were like 16th or 17th level and more then half the encounters were easy (not by xp but like we didin't lose much)
So this was (if I'm understanding correctly) a one-off for an extremely powerful party?
 

So this was (if I'm understanding correctly) a one-off for an extremely powerful party?
it was end game in a long running campaign (about a year) but yeah we pushed right through and made the DM want to pull his hair out (I can relate) multi times we ended encounters with no one down HP and only 1 or 2 spells used (not per player total for the party) and several of those came from the warlocks that could get them back
 


Have you truly ever seen ANY group actually deal with 12 encounters in a single day? Let alone six such days in a single campaign?

Conversely, it is incredibly likely to have not just one but multiple single-encounter days.
And in any other edition that would work. In 5e it terribly unbalances the game in favor of the PCs in general and spellcasters the most. People talk about the magic/martial disparity and single(or even four) encounters days are a huge chunk of the blame.
 

I've been spot hitting the thread today. How did we get from 6-8 encounters to 12? :)
The idea that if you have a day with a reasonable number of encounters, you can 'balance' that out by having one with way, way, WAY too many down the road.

Presumably by having the players tap out entirely when a single adventuring day takes 2 months real time to complete and are nothing but combat and you start to forget what having character abilities feels like.
 

Have you truly ever seen ANY group actually deal with 12 encounters in a single day?

Yes of course I have. Spit over several sessions.

Heck a standard medium to large dungeon level has 12 encounters (including traps, environmental challenges, wandering monsters and so forth).

White Plume Mountain for example.

When I ran that adventure, the PCs were advised that the Wizard Keraptis was returning in 5 hours time, and it would be... unwise to still be in his lair (Archmage, with double the HP and some legendaries and lair actions plus 2 x Efreet.) Gave them enough time for up to 4 short rests (plus 1 hour of adventuring time) but ultimately they spent roughly 2 hours adventuring so only had time for 3.
 


Remove ads

Top