DMs - how often do you "tailor" your encounters to the party?

[NewJeffCT]

I hadn't really DM'd since 3E came out, but I've found myself running a game at my place over the past few months.

I've generally found that if you go by the guidelines, it often leads to sometimes boring encounters that aren't very challenging. I mean, if you have a party of four 5th level adventurers, the book says they should go up against a CR 5 encounter, but isn't a single NPC that has a class of 5th level also considered CR 5? I mean, a single 5th level fighter isn't going to be a good match for a party of four 5th level characters in most situations.

I have generally tried to give the players challenging encounters. Their first encounter at first level was their then three first level PCs and a 2nd level NPC against a 3rd level cleric and four 1st level warriors. The PCs ended up cleaning their clocks and only the NPC was injured.

Similarly, I recently had the party of now four 2nd level PCs and a 2nd level NPC against a party of a 3rd level cleric, a 1st level thief, a 2nd level warrior and seven 1st level commoners. The party was hard pressed - especially when their main fighter ran away when victimized by a cause fear spell - but, having 2 sorcerers casting sleep evened the odds right away and the party won out in the end.

So, how often do other DMs tailor their encounters to the party and go for something more challenging, rather than just matching the recommended CR level?

 

[Cadfan]

I tailor every encounter.

 

[Jin_Kataki]

I am not much of a DM specifically cause I do not know much about things like EL. I have ran only one session and it was the first couple of encounters from RHoD so everything was already done for me. However I think a level 5 fighter against a group of 5 5th level PC's ceases to be an EL of 5. I would think he would only be such if he was up against 1 5th level PC, but again I don't much about EL. Because if you go by my logic a 25th level fighter would be an EL of 5 against 5 5th level PC's and lets face it that is a ridiculous idea.

 

[joela]

With measuring tape

I tailor every encounter.

Ditto. It's no fun, for me as both a player and GM, to twiddle my thumbs as the party confronts a puzzle/opponent that brings the entire game to a screeching halt (e.g., a ToH-esque dungeon and not a single rogue in sight; everyone is a fighter-esque class and confronted by a Force wall, etc.) I applaud/award creativity, but not when the players throw up their hands -- again -- at yet another encounter where it takes an hour+ to bypass.

And that was the second of eight similar encounters.

 

[Creamsteak]

Single npcs are generally weak encounters mechanically. The party acts 4 times before the NPC acts again. There are exceptions (wizards with time stop can do a number on a party obviously, but to a lesser extent a specially built rogue getting the jump on someone).

I also will occationally have npcs that act on their initiative and they get an extra standard action on 1/2 their initiative. This lets me make the encounter more dynamic. The npc might move, or might lay out another spell.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

I tailor my encounters, but I don't think I mean that in the same way you do.

Note that the 'recommended' CR includes both encounters four CRs LOWER than the PCs and four CRs HIGHER than the PCs - and that a CR=Average Party Level encounter is not supposed to be terribly challenging. It's supposed to consume 25% of their resources. APL+4 is an allegedly 'equal' encounter, although again it largely depends on how you reach that figure.

Note also that the CR system, which is a guideline at the best of times, doesn't work very well at all at levels 1-3, because the randomness in the game is just too extreme for either designers or DMs to anticipate.

 

[Hussar]

I hadn't really DM'd since 3E came out, but I've found myself running a game at my place over the past few months.

I've generally found that if you go by the guidelines, it often leads to sometimes boring encounters that aren't very challenging. I mean, if you have a party of four 5th level adventurers, the book says they should go up against a CR 5 encounter, but isn't a single NPC that has a class of 5th level also considered CR 5? I mean, a single 5th level fighter isn't going to be a good match for a party of four 5th level characters in most situations.

I have generally tried to give the players challenging encounters. Their first encounter at first level was their then three first level PCs and a 2nd level NPC against a 3rd level cleric and four 1st level warriors. The PCs ended up cleaning their clocks and only the NPC was injured.

Similarly, I recently had the party of now four 2nd level PCs and a 2nd level NPC against a party of a 3rd level cleric, a 1st level thief, a 2nd level warrior and seven 1st level commoners. The party was hard pressed - especially when their main fighter ran away when victimized by a cause fear spell - but, having 2 sorcerers casting sleep evened the odds right away and the party won out in the end.

So, how often do other DMs tailor their encounters to the party and go for something more challenging, rather than just matching the recommended CR level?

I'm not sure if "tailor" is the word you are looking for.

Rereading the DMG section on designing encounters, you'll see that it suggests that EL=average party level is not what every encounter should be. In fact, a fair number of encounters (probably around half) should either be a bit below or above with a few quite a bit above the APL.

Your second example is actually an EL 6 encounter by the book, so, it should be tough. However, classed NPC's tend to be weaker than monsters. That's not detailed in the book (although it should be) but it's still true. For example, if your same encounter was instead:

• 1 CR 3 Ogre
• 3 CR 1 Wolves
• 7 CR 1/2 Orcs

You'd wind up with a MUCH different encounter (and likely a lot of dead PC's).

That being said, can I ask a few questions? What is the point buy value of the PC's and the NPC? What are their classes? Are you using Action Points (or something similar)? Are the players experienced players?

The reason I ask is that any of the above can really throw the EL/CR system out of whack. This thread may offer some insight for you.

 

[freyar]

I second what MEM says here.

On the issue of the OP, I do tailor my encounters, or at least I am starting to do so. By that, I mean that I am trying to take into account the skills of the PCs and what the players find fun more. I'm finding that it means I spend more time editing pre-written adventures or writing my own, but it seems to make things more fun.

 

[Nifft]

Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot.

At the very least, I tend to throw foes that I think will be interesting to the characters or amusing to the players.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Asmor]

Remember that the definition of an appropriate-level encounter is that it should use up about 1/4 of a party's daily resources... Spells and hit points, primarily.

What they don't tell you is that encounters against a single opponent are usually pretty boring, appropriate challenge or otherwise. So what I recommend is larger encounters of lower-level monsters. For an APL 5 party, for example, you might toss a CR 3 or 4 "leader" monster with maybe 3 or 4 CR 2s or 6-8 CR 1s. Add in a fun place for the fight (waterfall, cliff side, rain-slick rooftops, etc)

As for tailoring the encounter to the party, that's an entirely different monster, but one that can be very rewarding to all involved. That means making sure everyone has something to do... The barbarian's got things to smash, the cleric's got things to turn, the rogue's got traps and locks to deal with, etc.