EL for 20 Aboleths AND NOW level of 7 17th level characters?

[Aluvial]

How do I figure the EL for 20 aboleths w/ psionic handbook changes?

Thanks,

Aluvial

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Take the CR of 1 aboleth.

EL 2 aboleths = CR + 2
EL 4 aboleths = CR + 4
EL 8 aboleths = CR + 6
EL 16 aboleths = CR + 8
EL 24 aboleths = CR + 9
EL 32 aboleths = CR + 10

So I would estimate the EL for 20 aboleths to be slightly higher than CR + 8.

AR

 

[Aluvial]

Cool, so what is the approximate level of a party of 7 PCs, each of whom are 17th level?

How do you figure that out?

Aluvial

 

[Christopher Lambert]

How do I figure the EL for 20 aboleths w/ psionic handbook changes?

Thanks,

Aluvial

You don't use 20 of them. The EL rules fall apart when that happens, and unless you're a tactical genius (maybe you are) you can't handle 20 of those guys in the same combat. It'll probably turn into multiple smaller encounters. (It'll be more interesting, I think, if the level 20 aboleths have different mixtures of class levels and extra monster Hit Dice.)

Cool, so what is the approximate level of a party of 7 PCs, each of whom are 17th level?

If you mean 7 NPCs, it's a bit different... 2 NPCs = EL 19, 4 = EL 21, 7 = 22 to 23. But I don't think you meant that.

For 7 PCs, you should probably treat all the ELs as if they have been decreased by 2. That's a rough way of doing it.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

Well, each time you double the number of creatures, the EL goes up by 2.

Since you almost have double the normal number of PCs (4), you could estimate that your 7-character, 17th-level group is almost the same as a 4-character, 19th-level group.

Of course, at those high levels, the formula tends to break down, because of the sheer power of the characters involved. Nevertheless, you can consider that your party can handle a EL 19 encounter without too many problems.

AR

 

[Urbanmech]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

To find Effective Party level add together all of your characters levels, in this case 7 x 17. Then divide the number by 4. This gives you 29.75. This seems a bit high but 7 17th lv characters get 7 actions (or more with time stop and quickened actions) per round vs a standard parties 4 actions.

 

[dcollins]

How do I figure the EL for 20 aboleths w/ psionic handbook changes?

As others have said. I don't see a CR modifier for Aboleth in prionic SRD, so assume still CR 7. Therefore 20 Aboleth are estimated in my spreadsheet at CR 7 + 8 = EL 15.

 

[Antoine]

Don't know if this might help, but when I have a six-character- party, I usually double the normal encounter for a four-character one. Usually works fine since damage dealing spellcasters usually get more foes in area spells.
At least when they're dealing with monsters rather than NPCs.
Can be tricky with complicated mixed encounters though.

 

[Aluvial]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

To find Effective Party level add together all of your characters levels, in this case 7 x 17. Then divide the number by 4. This gives you 29.75. This seems a bit high but 7 17th lv characters get 7 actions (or more with time stop and quickened actions) per round vs a standard parties 4 actions.

Is this right?!! Wow, I had no idea (looks for epic book...). Well I never looked at it the same way as you have, but I suppose that this is as good of an answer as any...

Aluvial

 

[Creamsteak]

Could you throw an EL 30 encounter at them and expect them to survive though? I'm not so sure about that...