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

[UngainlyTitan]

It's more than that. It's also balance vs. the game, because the ability to go nova makes encounters that won't TPK you pretty easy unless the DM goes out of his way not to kill PCs and/or play the monsters intelligently.

That is complete nonsense. I and many other DM can challenge a party without a TPK it is not that hard.

 

[Maxperson]

That is complete nonsense. I and many other DM can challenge a party without a TPK it is not that hard.

I've never seen it. One encounter and we blow through it unless the CR is so high that it dishes out tons of damage and DCs too high for our level, then it kills us.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I've never seen it. One encounter and we blow through it unless the CR is so high that it dishes out tons of damage and DCs too high for our level, then it kills us.

It does not have to be just one encounter but I have seen it, played it, run it with less than the 6 - 8 mentioned in the DMG. The closest I have seen to one encounter is Matt Mercer on Critical Role.

 

[iserith]

The only thing I can say to this is prove it. I have asked countless times for video proof of a table doing this - I have never seen it happen. I have watched shows where people play D&D - it never happens. I have spent countless hours at a dozen different cons watching, playing and running tables that have four-hour sessions - it never happens. And heaven forbid you go above fifth level!

Maybe, just maybe, first level. But even then, I am skeptical.

So, if you have conclusive evidence, I honestly and earnestly want to see it. Because in my experience (and apparently every show and everyone I have ever played with across three states) no one has been able to do it.

What do I get if I provide a video showing it? Nothing. So, sorry, no upside for me doing that.

But I agree, I've never seen it in an actual play video either. What I do see a lot of at other tables and in actual play videos, however, are approaches and habits that make combats take longer than they need to. It all comes down to table management and player engagement. The better those two things are, the faster things move along. My group regularly hits 6 to 8 encounters per adventuring day, often in the same session. We just cover a lot more content per session than a lot of groups I've seen.

Edit - There's another group of players I sometimes play with who are also very efficient in this regard. They too hit 5+ encounters per 4-hour session regularly. But I haven't really seen it elsewhere.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

so curse of strahd has an interesting number of adventure days... every travel is full of random encounter where you roll 1d20 and on some number on road and more inn wilderness you get encounters... but never more then 3 per day. several set encounters are 1 lone fight (A sabertooth tiger attacks people) (w bunch of vampires attack a church) (a single vampire attacks in a church)

why does WotC do this if you need 6+ encounters for balanced?

 

[Maxperson]

so curse of strahd has an interesting number of adventure days... every travel is full of random encounter where you roll 1d20 and on some number on road and more inn wilderness you get encounters... but never more then 3 per day. several set encounters are 1 lone fight (A sabertooth tiger attacks people) (w bunch of vampires attack a church) (a single vampire attacks in a church)

why does WotC do this if you need 6+ encounters for balanced?

WotC has never been concerned by the rules or balance that they set up when they make adventures. When 3e was out, you found many more magic items in their adventures than the DMG said should be in an adventure. Adventures made by them should not be looked to when discussing balance or the rules.

 

[iserith]

so curse of strahd has an interesting number of adventure days... every travel is full of random encounter where you roll 1d20 and on some number on road and more inn wilderness you get encounters... but never more then 3 per day. several set encounters are 1 lone fight (A sabertooth tiger attacks people) (w bunch of vampires attack a church) (a single vampire attacks in a church)

why does WotC do this if you need 6+ encounters for balanced?

Probably because "balance" is something only a small subset of DMs and players actually care about. I know I don't really care about it at all since it's not a competitive game. As long as spotlight is more or less equally shared, which is chiefly on the DM and players, then it really isn't a big deal. My group for example doesn't think about it at all, but we do get through 6 to 8 encounters per adventuring day because we Get Stuff Done. It just so happens it seems all the "problems" others have with class balance simply doesn't manifest.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

WotC has never been concerned by the rules or balance that they set up when they make adventures. When 3e was out, you found many more magic items in their adventures than the DMG said should be in an adventure. Adventures made by them should not be looked to when discussing balance or the rules.

It they do not care about it why should anyone else?

 

[Maxperson]

It they do not care about it why should anyone else?

Seriously?

 

[tetrasodium]

Probably because "balance" is something only a small subset of DMs and players actually care about. I know I don't really care about it at all since it's not a competitive game. As long as spotlight is more or less equally shared, which is chiefly on the DM and players, then it really isn't a big deal. My group for example doesn't think about it at all, but we do get through 6 to 8 encounters per adventuring day because we Get Stuff Done. It just so happens it seems all the "problems" others have with class balance simply doesn't manifest.

It is however something GMs get blamed for when it's off. If Bob is dominating nearly every combat in Dave's campaign in a way that makes Alice feel ineffective & lacking a chance to shine she's not going to blame wotc because Dave can't make balanced encounters just as she's not going to blame wotc because Dave can't effectively spread spotlight time around instead of always favoring Bob.