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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Radaceus" data-source="post: 6791028" data-attributes="member: 6796086">The thing that bugs me about this whole discussion is that these encounters are all combat. This whole thread has a Hack'n Slash objective to it. And this  in itself is the biggest problem you guys are all facing. I believe this is in part due to the core books lacking in information and inspiration on how to incorporate non-combat encounters.I do agree the CR calculator is not accurate, for instance I run about 2-3 Deadly encounters per session for my group, this is because I have 6 veteran (20-30+ yrs ea), and this sometimes isn't enough, depending on the creatures. This session does not equal a full rest.I do not use the 'add x more goblins' suggestion, as opposed to I upgrade and add improved CR creatures to the mix (NPC template casters for Goblin shamans etc)Now, I also use terrain features, difficult terrain, obstacles, traps, pinch points, hard to access vantage points and the like in my encounters; It's the creatures home turf, they have been defending it for some time, the party has that at least in disadvantage. Also, I avoid absolute encounters, meaning, odds are the Goblin warren has many nooks and crannies and the goblins will use guerrilla tactics and tactical retreats if they are outgunned. Likewise, I like to use big maps for outdoor encounters due to our monk and barb can cover 80' in a turn if they choose.So the above describes combat, like i said, probably 2-3 ...challenging, I prefer the term challenging, combat encounters.  But they may have another 3 or more non combat (this does not equal non lethal, nor does it not incur the possibility of combat) encounters in which the players are to use there skill sets to get them from point A to Point B. That is, getting from point A to point B in one of my dungeon crawls is not always a direct route. And it may require some problem solving.  There may also be lethal encounters which can be easily avoided. And even if there is not a rogue in the party, there are traps.Now, this campaign has been running for a year and a half, and I wont lie, they were sailing through encounters early on, but lately its come back around, I tend to drop at least one of them to 0 per session, and that in my opinion is a good thing. Nevertheless, I do not run more than 2-3 combat encounters per session (6+hrs). An encounter averages about 15-20 turns, longer depending if a chase has incurred. That equals 1.5 to 2 minutes of combat in game time, leaving a lot of time left in a game day which is usually taken up by exploration, problem solving, diplomacy, and gathering information. I also do not let them rest until at least 8 hours in game has passed ( with all the necessary random encounters checked for), and that is only for the first rest. after that they can not take a full rest  for 16 hrs, ( or 8 hrs rest + 16 equals a 24 hr day). As well as,  they only get one short rest in between. These things came about early on after we came to the conclusion that too many rests was easy mode, and too many creatures added to beef up encounters just wasn't fun for anybody (bogged up the flow of the game).</blockquote>

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