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<blockquote data-quote="Jhaelen" data-source="post: 7452369" data-attributes="member: 46713"><p>Allow me to first remind you of the original statement I've been responding to:</p><p></p><p>Also, please note that [MENTION=6801286]Imaculata[/MENTION] is playing D&D 3.5.</p><p></p><p>Now, to address your points:</p><p>Yep, they can do that. As a DM I may even suggest it. But it's not under my control whether they actually do try to flee or not.</p><p>See above!</p><p>See above!</p><p>There's a very clear definition how difficult encounters should be in the 3.5 DMG (page 48, I think). Unfortunately, I'm away from my books and failed to find the exact text. I only found the <a href="http://www.d20srd.org/extras/d20encountercalculator/" target="_blank">Encounter Calculator</a> that is based on these assumptions. I.e. 10% of all encounters should be 'easy', 50% should be 'Challenging', 15% should be very hard, 5% should be overpowering. IIRC, the remaining encounters should be 'very hard', but there should be a way for the PCs to turn it into a 'challenging' encounter if they approach it in a clever way.</p><p>Playing opponents intelligently can make things better or worse for the PCs. IME, playing opponents intelligently will actually increase the mortality rate of PCs. This involves the use of guerilla tactics, focusing fire on the most threatening PC, using coup-de-grace on downed PCs, creatures dragging away and eating unconscious PCs, etc.</p><p>Well, in D&D 3.5 there's very limited official support for ways to gain xp outside of combat. But it's also a bit beside the point, since it doesn't change how difficult or deadly combat encounters are. (Anecdote: After the initial TPK in my 3e campaign, I actually had an idea I considered quite funny: The new PCs were hired to investigate what had happened to the PCs that had gone missing-in-action. They carefully scouted the area surrounding the dungeon and found the exit of an underground waterway. This sparked the idea of building a dam to flood the dungeon to kill or drive out most of the inhabitants. Since I thought that was a rather clever idea, I went with it and granted them a big chunk of the xp they would have gained for defeating all of them in battle. Basically, only a few undead remained that they needed to defeat after that.)</p><p>I don't think you're talking about D&D 3.5 here. TBH, I don't recall if max hit points were an official rule in D&D 3.5. But even if they were, it won't always save you from dying by being hit with a lucky crit: A 1st level orc warrior (STR 17) does 1d8+3 (x3) damage. This can one-hit-kill even a barbarian PC who was at full hit points.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jhaelen, post: 7452369, member: 46713"] Allow me to first remind you of the original statement I've been responding to: Also, please note that [MENTION=6801286]Imaculata[/MENTION] is playing D&D 3.5. Now, to address your points: Yep, they can do that. As a DM I may even suggest it. But it's not under my control whether they actually do try to flee or not. See above! See above! There's a very clear definition how difficult encounters should be in the 3.5 DMG (page 48, I think). Unfortunately, I'm away from my books and failed to find the exact text. I only found the [url=http://www.d20srd.org/extras/d20encountercalculator/]Encounter Calculator[/url] that is based on these assumptions. I.e. 10% of all encounters should be 'easy', 50% should be 'Challenging', 15% should be very hard, 5% should be overpowering. IIRC, the remaining encounters should be 'very hard', but there should be a way for the PCs to turn it into a 'challenging' encounter if they approach it in a clever way. Playing opponents intelligently can make things better or worse for the PCs. IME, playing opponents intelligently will actually increase the mortality rate of PCs. This involves the use of guerilla tactics, focusing fire on the most threatening PC, using coup-de-grace on downed PCs, creatures dragging away and eating unconscious PCs, etc. Well, in D&D 3.5 there's very limited official support for ways to gain xp outside of combat. But it's also a bit beside the point, since it doesn't change how difficult or deadly combat encounters are. (Anecdote: After the initial TPK in my 3e campaign, I actually had an idea I considered quite funny: The new PCs were hired to investigate what had happened to the PCs that had gone missing-in-action. They carefully scouted the area surrounding the dungeon and found the exit of an underground waterway. This sparked the idea of building a dam to flood the dungeon to kill or drive out most of the inhabitants. Since I thought that was a rather clever idea, I went with it and granted them a big chunk of the xp they would have gained for defeating all of them in battle. Basically, only a few undead remained that they needed to defeat after that.) I don't think you're talking about D&D 3.5 here. TBH, I don't recall if max hit points were an official rule in D&D 3.5. But even if they were, it won't always save you from dying by being hit with a lucky crit: A 1st level orc warrior (STR 17) does 1d8+3 (x3) damage. This can one-hit-kill even a barbarian PC who was at full hit points. [/QUOTE]
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