capping D&D at 5th level?

[Jürgen Hubert]

Yes, GURPS or LEG's Phoenix Command.

I haven't played Phoenix Command, but from what I've heard it seems way too complicated for me. I'll stick with GURPS, thanks.

 

[Slife]

They theoretically could, but cats are smarter then that:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002574213_butsch21m.html
(man failed willpower check)
http://gawker.com/news/obits/cat-kills-vet-255587.php
(man failed reflex save)
http://www.postchronicle.com/news/strange/article_212101502.shtml
(cat made a lot of criticals, man made fortitude save, man atleast 3rd level)
http://www.andhracafe.com/index.php?m=show&id=16875
(cat with disease template)
http://www.imagepoop.com/image/2/Cat-Kills-Man-in-Mouse-Costume.html
(armor doesn't help against cats)
http://cats.about.com/od/catloreurbanlegends/f/killercat.htm
(it's called extremely unlikely, not impossible)
http://radiofreeubu.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!20644E2D1DEF7917!1217.entry
(with only one critical!)

I can only come to one conclusion, your google-fu skills are lacking young padawan... ;-)
;-p

The monsters suffer from the same problem as the 20th level Conans. Cerby could easily be CR 9 if you used a different base line. Combat has it's own problems, a stray bullet can kill the veteran soldier or an elephant. Combat was never realy a measurement against reality.

pshaw. None of those are anything compared to Oscar.

 

[Ragnar69]

Pick some kind of combat-related measurement in the real world to start with. Just to pick one example, I'll pick combat aviators. Anyone with 5 or more kills is considered a "Flying Ace". I think the record in WWI was Eddie Rickenbacker with 26 victories. If all of his opponents were CR 1, he'd have 26 x 300 XP = 7,800 for 4th level or something like that (under 3E).

Nope, it was Manfred von Richthofen with 80 confirmed hits.

 

[Hrothgar Rannúlfr]

Sean K. Reynolds' system, for being coherent, must apply to all races, all creatures that must struggle to survive in the wilderness. Hence, all orcs, gnolls, etc. will have to have several levels too, most animals, trolls, etc. likewise should be advanced, etc.

In standard 3.5 DnD, that's true. Most all of them should be advanced in standard DnD 2.5 unless there young.

 

[Warren Okuma]

Nope, it was Manfred von Richthofen with 80 confirmed hits.

Top allied ace WW1 René Fonck, France Aéronautique Militaire 75 kills.

WW2
Erich "Bubi" Hartmann Germany Luftwaffe 352
Ilmari Juutilainen Finland Finnish Air Force 94
Hiroyoshi Nishizawa Japan Imperial Japanese Navy 87

Sniper kills WW2
702 Mihail Ilyich Surkov (4th rifle division)
500+ Simo Hayha
345 Matthaus Hetzenauer (3rd Gebirgsjager Division)

Some of these guys count tanks bagged with an antitank rifle. Extra CR anyone?