Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 3278156" data-attributes="member: 22779">And you would be absolutely correct.&nbsp; 4 gnolls is an EL 4 encounter.&nbsp; 8 gnolls would be EL 6.&nbsp; Is 8 gnolls tougher than say a single troll?&nbsp; I'd say so.&nbsp; About the same as a Megaraptor (CR 6), pretty close.&nbsp; The problem with the fighter example above is everyone, for some reason, is having the fighter naked.&nbsp; An 8th level fighter should be carting around about 15 k worth of equipment.&nbsp; That would bridge the gap fairly well between him and the efreeti.&nbsp; Sure, if the party is geared for dealing with mooks - lots of evocation spells - then that threat will be less.&nbsp; But, how about a party which lacks a mage?&nbsp; Say a party of two fighter types, a cleric and a thief?&nbsp; Now mooks are a serious threat, while single creatures get absolutely crushed.&nbsp; It all balances in the wash.The mistake that I think many people make is in thinking that a given encounter, where EL=APL, should be a tough fight.&nbsp; It shouldn't.&nbsp; It should be a fairly easy fight that the party barely works up a sweat on.&nbsp; The fighter gets chewed on, the cleric heals him and the wizard and rogue do whatever they do.&nbsp; 20% of resources.&nbsp; That's it.&nbsp; The fact that you have a range of opponents within a given CR is not a mistake in the system.&nbsp; It's a recognition that certain opponents are going to be different challenges against certain groups.&nbsp; A group with lots of enchanters, for example, giggle at hydras.&nbsp; A group with a druid or a ranger might make quick work of the dire animals.&nbsp; But, overall, these creatures are roughly the same challenge.It isn't a question of ego.&nbsp; As I stated before, I've used these guidelines a lot over the past year or two with over a couple of hundred combat encounters and, far more than not, they accurately predict the outcome of a combat.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Hussar, post: 3278156, member: 22779"] And you would be absolutely correct. 4 gnolls is an EL 4 encounter. 8 gnolls would be EL 6. Is 8 gnolls tougher than say a single troll? I'd say so. About the same as a Megaraptor (CR 6), pretty close. The problem with the fighter example above is everyone, for some reason, is having the fighter naked. An 8th level fighter should be carting around about 15 k worth of equipment. That would bridge the gap fairly well between him and the efreeti. Sure, if the party is geared for dealing with mooks - lots of evocation spells - then that threat will be less. But, how about a party which lacks a mage? Say a party of two fighter types, a cleric and a thief? Now mooks are a serious threat, while single creatures get absolutely crushed. It all balances in the wash. The mistake that I think many people make is in thinking that a given encounter, where EL=APL, should be a tough fight. It shouldn't. It should be a fairly easy fight that the party barely works up a sweat on. The fighter gets chewed on, the cleric heals him and the wizard and rogue do whatever they do. 20% of resources. That's it. The fact that you have a range of opponents within a given CR is not a mistake in the system. It's a recognition that certain opponents are going to be different challenges against certain groups. A group with lots of enchanters, for example, giggle at hydras. A group with a druid or a ranger might make quick work of the dire animals. But, overall, these creatures are roughly the same challenge. It isn't a question of ego. As I stated before, I've used these guidelines a lot over the past year or two with over a couple of hundred combat encounters and, far more than not, they accurately predict the outcome of a combat. [/QUOTE]

Verification