D&D (2024) Adjusting Difficulty

[Selas]

I'm gonna give them a try, definitely, but they still don't take into account if your PCs are bare or sparkling Christmas trees loaded down with magic items. The raw player attack and ACs didn't change in the 5.5 rules, so I don't suspect monster attack and AC to be altered too much (except to bring this in line to where they should be), unlike damage and HP numbers.

Other than the multiplier being gone, I thought the new DMG numbers were very similar to the old easy, moderate, and hard.

Eh, no. WotC dropped the easy column and shifted everything to the right. The new Low is equivalent to 2014 medium; moderate is old hard and 2024 hard is old deadly. A few content creators have already released videos about it.

Also, Dungeon Dudes in their video about encounters said their working theory is that WotC is going to make monsters in the MM more like glass cannons based on the few stat blocks released so far

 

[Xeviat]

If you load up your PCs with magic items, you'll have to compensate. Then again, I have to compensate significantly simply based on group capabilities. Like the one group with a druid where I don't remember the last time they cast a spell (they did use wild shape last game now that we're using 2024 rules). They typically sits in the back using their sling. Without using magic stone.

I'm aware, and this is my metric to assess how much to compensate.

 

[Distracted DM]

Also, Dungeon Dudes in their video about encounters said their working theory is that WotC is going to make monsters in the MM more like glass cannons based on the few stat blocks released so far

How have the stat blocks that we've seen so far suggested this? It's an interesting idea but the statblocks I've seen from the new Scions of Elemental Evil adventure don't really say "glass cannon" to me.

I've attached some of them.

 

[Retros_x]

Btw if I assess that my encounters are too easy due to lot of magic items or powergamer party or both, I found an incredibly easy method is just to use a "virtual group level". So if my group has level 5 characters I build encounters as if they were a level 6 party. If its still too easy after a few battles, I'll increase again and so forth. Of course it goes in the other direction as well if they have no magic items are playing non-optimized characters etc.

 

[Oofta]

How have the stat blocks that we've seen so far suggested this? It's an interesting idea but the statblocks I've seen from the new Scions of Elemental Evil adventure don't really say "glass cannon" to me.

I've attached some of them.

Maybe there will be a mix depending on what you want? Kind of like 4E's strikers vs brutes? It's something I do now and then by taking a lower level monster, upping it's attack and damage bonus but leaving the HP the same. I don't necessarily want every monster built like that, but throwing things with different capabilities can be fun.

I don't see any indication they're going that way, it can just be an interesting alternative approach.

 

[Oofta]

Btw if I found the my encounters too easy due to lot of magic items or powergamer party or both, I found an incredibly easy method is just to use a "virtual group level". So if my group has level 5 characters I build encounters as if they were a level 6 party. If its still too easy after a few battles, I'll increase again and so forth. Of course it goes in the other direction as well if they have no magic items are playing non-optimized characters etc.

I do the same, I never expect one size to fit all.

 

[GMMichael]

It's hard not to be jealous if one player keeps having all the random magic items especially suit them.

Oh, the paladin had a talk with the barbarian who was getting all the barbarian-only items. She still wouldn't share. So the paladin gathered up the surplus items while the barbarian was sleeping and left them in a cache away from the road. "A thief must have come by in the night!" It's not a lie.

So no, magic items aren't assumed.

Well, not after the above shenanigans.

 

[Distracted DM]

Eh, no. WotC dropped the easy column and shifted everything to the right. The new Low is equivalent to 2014 medium; moderate is old hard and 2024 hard is old deadly. A few content creators have already released videos about it.

Also, Dungeon Dudes in their video about encounters said their working theory is that WotC is going to make monsters in the MM more like glass cannons based on the few stat blocks released so far

How have the stat blocks that we've seen so far suggested this? It's an interesting idea but the statblocks I've seen from the new Scions of Elemental Evil adventure don't really say "glass cannon" to me.

I've attached some of them.

@Selas I just saw this article quoting Crawford about how monsters going to hit like a truck, maybe this is where you/Dungeon Dudes got the idea of glass cannons. DnD lead says “monsters will hit you like a truck” in the 2025 Monster Manual

Based on the attached statblocks though, I don't know

 

[Selas]

@Selas I just saw this article quoting Crawford about how monsters going to hit like a truck, maybe this is where you/Dungeon Dudes got the idea of glass cannons. DnD lead says “monsters will hit you like a truck” in the 2025 Monster Manual

Based on the attached statblocks though, I don't know

Seems you took those from the Scions of EE, but there are more stat blocks there that are more dangerous. There's about 25 statblocks for enemy creatures that we have access to from the PHB and the free 2024 adventures released and if you notice many monsters have had their HP and abilities adjusted based on CR. It's not enough to have a definitive opinion, but it trends to monsters hitting harder and lines with JC's comments

 

[Clint_L]

Oh, the paladin had a talk with the barbarian who was getting all the barbarian-only items. She still wouldn't share. So the paladin gathered up the surplus items while the barbarian was sleeping and left them in a cache away from the road. "A thief must have come by in the night!" It's not a lie.


Well, not after the above shenanigans.

This seems like a recipe for IRL problems. I would definitely intervene. We discussing “sharing” and “stealing from the party” at session 0.