Challenging PCs with One Encounter Per Day...

[Pinotage]

Like others have said, go for something a little higher, probably EL+2. That said, I'd go for multiple lower level opponents rather than a single creature of higher CR, just ot make sure that they're facing opponents that they should be expected to beat at that level. So for EL 5, go for 2 bugbears, or a handful of orc rather than, for example, a troll.

Pinotage

 

[Janx]

To paraphrase the DMG, if the PCs are third level, they're supposed to be able to handle approximately 4 ECL 3 encounters before resting. But most of my games consist of wilderness or city encounters, so the PCs only have one or two encounters between rest periods.

what's a rest period? Is a rest period in a dungeon different than on the trail?

In a dungeon, I'd assume that after beating up all those bad guys, I've taken a lot of damage and need to heal and recover HP.

On the trail, I would not assume I am taking that same kind of damage on a daily basis (otherwise non-adventurers would never go outside). Resting after a day of travel is NOT the same as resting after killing a bunch of orcs in a dungeon.

Another side effect of all those encounters is, that walking from A to B for 2 weeks would level you up quickly. At one matched CR encounter per day, you'd be leveled up by the time you got to the next town, and the party hadn't even started the actual adventure yet!

 

[D+1]

I realize that this is highly subjective, but... if the PCs only get in one encounter per day, what would you say is a good "ECL" rating for that encounter, so that it's a challenging encounter which consumes most of their resources? 2 or 3 ECL points higher than their actual level?

I'd break away from the notion of sending them an encounter a day like clockwork. Some days nothing should happen at all. Some days they should encounter something that's way over their heads that they actually have to run away from or avoid. Some days it'll be one encounter of their level, other days several encounters of mixed levels, still other days they might have a number of encounters that are all easy...

It requires a fair amount of guesswork, doesn't it?

Only if you're trying to fit a very regular pattern as you are. Something else to consider is that the encounters they run into while BETWEEN adventures or GETTING TO the adventure... is not the adventure. It's not the part of the game you really want to emphasize too strongly. Especially not with one encounter every day, day-in, day-out, and always of the same strength.

 

[ptolemy18]

I'd break away from the notion of sending them an encounter a day like clockwork. Some days nothing should happen at all. Some days they should encounter something that's way over their heads that they actually have to run away from or avoid. Some days it'll be one encounter of their level, other days several encounters of mixed levels, still other days they might have a number of encounters that are all easy...
Only if you're trying to fit a very regular pattern as you are. Something else to consider is that the encounters they run into while BETWEEN adventures or GETTING TO the adventure... is not the adventure. It's not the part of the game you really want to emphasize too strongly. Especially not with one encounter every day, day-in, day-out, and always of the same strength.

You're totally right. I don't want to bore the characters, I don't want things to get repetitive, and I also don't want them to gain levels every time they go outside.

In the last case where I had to worry about wilderness encounters, the situation was, the PCs were walking back FROM the dungeon (a three-week journey, I'd previously established)... I was personally kind of anxious to get them to the next dungeon/adventure area, but since they'd encountered like 6 encounters on the way there, I thought 'realistically' (whatever that means) they should have a few encounters on the way back. So I hit them with 2 or 3 encounters on the way back.

Jason

 

[Selenim]

I also prefer a lower rate of encounters in the wilderness unless the characters are in a hot spot (near a lair, pond or something) or their luck runs out..... A few days of travelling can pass between encounters in my campaign.

Evaluating a challenge (especially in higher lvl games) does require some "out of the box" thinking indeed since a group's abilities vary wildly. A party without any strong ranged weapons will get wasted by more mobile opponents etc. When in doubt I prefer using weaker opponents and add a few if I need to spice things up.

 

[the Jester]

Same CR or CR +1; make the EL +2 to +4 and you will have challenging encounters that aren't overwhelming.

For instance, while your band of 3rd level pcs might be able to take on, for instance, two or three ogres (EL 5-6), I wouldn't run them against a troll and an ogre (EL 6).

 

[Ravellion]

You're totally right. I don't want to bore the characters, I don't want things to get repetitive, and I also don't want them to gain levels every time they go outside.

In the last case where I had to worry about wilderness encounters, the situation was, the PCs were walking back FROM the dungeon (a three-week journey, I'd previously established)... I was personally kind of anxious to get them to the next dungeon/adventure area, but since they'd encountered like 6 encounters on the way there, I thought 'realistically' (whatever that means) they should have a few encounters on the way back. So I hit them with 2 or 3 encounters on the way back.

Jason

One thing that might help is put a more Medieval European scale to your world. Look at the overland travel table. See how much ground they covered in three weeks, when compared to the distances in Europe. If they started in Paris, they could reach any major Eoropean city in three weeks easily.

I used to have the same style in designing my worlds. Now, they often only travel a day or two to the adventure site. Makes it easier to do wilderness encounters without putting them halfway up to the next level!

Rav

 

[Vargo]

Don't forget the value of "hit and run" encounters - snipers take a single volley, then fade into the forest, wait 20 minutes to an hour, then strike again.

And again.

And again.

A properly-run, stealth-focused (say, a band of Kobolds with rogue or ranger levels, and maybe a druid?) can become multiple encouters in the same day. The small size, compared with the 30' movement rate, plus stealth focused means they'll be a serious pain in the arse to clear out. Better yet, have them ambush the party at night, when their Darkvision will help even more.

Hmm, this is sounding like an interesting challenge.

 

[azmodean]

You're totally right. I don't want to bore the characters, I don't want things to get repetitive, and I also don't want them to gain levels every time they go outside.
Jason

The single larger encounter is easier since they have all of their daily resources available, right? So reduce the xp award they get, simple as that. The intent of the cr system is to reward them for the encounters they overcome, not necessarily the monsters, so if there is a situation that makes the encounter easier, then reduce the xp award accordingly. (and the treasure too)

Oh, and ditto for what Vargo said. Have some enemies that harrass them instead of going for a frontal assault. Make it a fight of attrition where the PCs resources (healing and attack spells, uses of magic items, uses of abilities, etc...) get used up while their attackers concentrate on using non-expendables or cheap expendables (such as alchemical items or mundane ammunition, or even weak magical effects at the higher levels)

Good choices for these are snipers, trap makers, flying enemies, sorcerors or even better warlocks. In general anything that can do some damage and then get away relatively unscathed.

If you really want to make them hate the enemies, have them do a few hit-and-run attacks, then pretend to mess up while sneaking up on the party (to allow some buffs to be cast for instance), then grin and run away immediately.