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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Flamestrike" data-source="post: 8171666" data-attributes="member: 6788736">IME that's due to several factors:1) Far too many DMs assume 'CR' = reasonable challenge for a party of 5 PCs of the same level. That's simply not the case. Example: A single CR 5 creature for 5 x 5th level PCs comes in at 1, 800 XP which only just breaks into an 'Easy' encounter. Those same PCs have a 'Hard' encounter bracket of between 3, 750 - 5, 499 XP, meaning a single CR 9 creature (5, 000 XP) is actually a reasonable challenge for 5 x 5th level PCs (without even breaking into Deadly).2) The above assumption is then exacerbated by DMs who fail to police the Adventuring day, which leads to nova strikes and thus them trivialising encounters (among other things).  Example: The above party of 5 x 5th level PCs have an Adventuring day XP budget of 3, 500 XP each - for a total of 17, 500 XP. Meaning they could have 3 separate encounters, with 3 different CR 9 creatures during the same Adventuring day, and still fall well short of their expected daily encounter budget.3) DMs often don't really get how to build a 5E encounter. Lots of solo monsters (who are not legendary) and infrequent use of lower CR 'mooks' is a common fault I see. When designing your adventuring day, you should mix it up. Have a Solo (legendary) creature with a high CR, a few encounters with a 'Boss' monster or two supported by half a dozen or more lower CR minions/ mooks, and a few encounters with 2-4 mid CR monsters.4) Magic items: Magic items add a LOT of oomph to a 5E party, and many DMs fail to take them into account when assessing their party strength. As a general rule of thumb, an attuned item or magical armour, wand, weapon or shield, is equal to around a whole levels worth of advancement/ power in 5E.If you're going to deck out your monsters in Magic items, you would adjust their CR accordingly (or consider it a favourable circumstance for the monsters). Don't be afraid to similarly take into account your parties magic items when deciding what monsters they can handle and their encounter budget.5) Failure to improvise. Many DMs run monsters as written, and most players pretty much know those monsters by now (have a reasonable idea of what they can, and cannot do). Mix it up and surprise your players. They can hit those monsters where it hurts, and can assess challenges on the spot by looking at them. Mix it up and surprise them.Example: Most PCs know what a Troll is... but do they know what a War Troll Zealot is? Take a Troll, put it in Full Plate (AC 18), increase its Strength to 20, give it a Maul and change Multi-attack to (+8 to hit, 2d12+5 -plus a DC 16 Str save or be knocked Prone) and immunity to the Charmed condition, and bump its CR up by 1. They wont know what the heck is going on.That's my thinking based on my observations online and in person with multiple DM's and groups around the place. All the above has a massive impact on encounter challenge.</blockquote>

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