Yes it changes the rules by re-writing one of the core tables in the DMG...will 50 million players adopt this new table do you think?
No it doesn't. It adds to them, and by using the rules in the book! Plus, they don't have to adopt anything. There is no up limit to what is a "deadly" encounter. You don't have to define what is a severe or extreme encounter at all. Providing something the is more challenging than "deadly" is OK. Heck, they have done it in official adventures! And as far as I can tell you are not writing an adventure so the encounter guidelines are moot. Finally, people are much more likely to look at CR than the encounter building guidelines. At this point, many people simple disregard the encounter guidelines.
I'm still making up my mind on it all.
Challenge Rating is just a number, but here's the thing.
The WotC (CR 20+) monsters are a bunch of milquetoast wasters. Lets take Orcus for example. That stat-block does not simply represent what they consider a CR 26 threat - it represents one of the most powerful Demon Princes who is a defacto Lesser God in the Abyss. I can't recall exactly, but some of his attacks do about 10 damage or something. WotC Orcus is a LAUGHING STOCK to Epic Players who will eat him up and **** him out ALL DAY, EVERY DAY.
...and don't talk to me about the Tarrasque, the official stats are hopeless, how does that represent any threat to an Epic Party. It doesn't. It'll be mincemeat in a round.
The issue is not CR though. It is the design of those monsters. You can design those monsters to be much more difficult encounters, within the CR budget. WotC hasn't done that for reasons (I am guessing for simplicity and ease for new comers, but I don't really know their reasons). And of course you can always slap the mythic template (which I think all demon lords should have) on them or just raise there CR.
The whole fundamental difficulty ascribed to "CR 20+" official monsters is crazy. Players do not FEAR epic level monsters because they are complete pushovers.
But some people do. My main group is lvl 15 now and I can scare the hell of them with CR 23-25 monster. Which is an appropriate challenge for them.
My plan is to stop the rot, make EPIC great again, give the monsters back their mojo and put the FEAR back into high-level players. You can't do that and retain the WotC comparisons.
Yes you can. I've done it, and I am sure you can do it too.
The official monsters are too easily dispatched to warrant being Demon Princes, Demigods or whatever.
I agree, that is why I make them tougher.
When I look at Orcus' stat block I can't design a Demon Prince to be that weak. It doesn't make logical sense to me.
I agree, but no need to change the CR, just make him stronger. Your solution would be to make that stat block a CR 17 or so, but that doesn't make Orcus any stronger. Just actually make Orcus stronger and let the CR lands where it lands. Otherwise, you need to both make him stronger and make a new CR system. What is the logic in that?
You are worried about the arbitrary number given to these monsters, but the bigger picture is what should these monsters (of a given CR) represent...pushovers or challenges.
You are the one worried about the arbitrary numbers. I am saying let go of the numbers. Make the monsters you want, and just let the CR land where it lands. Don't get hung up on changing the CR, spend your time making cool and challenging monsters. That doesn't change whatever you make the CR.
I suspect maybe you might lambast me using a slightly different Challenge Rating methodology, but at the same time you'd either buff the official Orcus stats or make a completely new stat-block for him.
Yes, I have already done that. If you don't make a new stat block for him all you have done is demote him to a CR 17 monster. How is that any better? I don't see how making a new stat block for Orcus is even an issue. You would need to do it in your system too.