Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hypersmurf" data-source="post: 909197" data-attributes="member: 1656">Surely that depends also on how they find out what they're facing?If the adventure hook was "Hey adventurers, there's a winterwight out there.  Here's a book on its tactics and weaknesses - go slay it, huh?", that's one thing.But if the information was not handed to them, but rather gained through use of Divinations, or Gather Information scenarios, or suchlike, then that doesn't change the inherent difficulty of the monster; the PCs have, rather, used the resources at their disposal to give themselves an advantage.If I've set up an encounter with a bunch of orcs in a snipers' nest high off the ground, with composite longbows, good concealment, etc, I'd judge the EL to be higher than normal, and plan to award higher XP than the CR would indicate.If the invisible sorcerer scouting ahead managed a lucky Spot check, detected the ambush, and hit the nest with a Glitterdust before the orcs opened fire, the advantage the orcs had is negated... but I'm not going to reduce that bonus XP.  If the party had strolled on it, they'd have been massacred.  Decent tactics and a little luck avoided that.  They shouldn't be penalised for it.  If anything, they should be rewarded for not being mindless kick-in-the-door types.-Hyp.</blockquote>