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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rogue Agent" data-source="post: 5725748" data-attributes="member: 6673496">When even the DMG tells you that it's not necessary to play strictly and exclusively by the "baseline assumptions", though, how relevant is that?With that being said...DannyA is claiming that:(a) The group was facing encounters 4 levels above their pay grade;(b) Those encounters were actually being made even more difficult by their DM; and(c) They were not being significantly injured in these encounters. (With significant injury being defined as 20% of their hit points.)Even I'm having problems swallowing that package.In the 1st-10th level range, a +5 CR adjustment on a creature will result (roughly speaking) in a tripling of their hit points, a shift from a 25% hit rate to a 75% hit rate, and a doubling of their expected damage output.I'll accept that smart play can minimize risk. But at some point the monsters are going to get these guys into a fair fight, and then they're going to get their clocks cleaned.Strategic play that significantly shifts encounters in your direction from Round 1 will increase that. You'll also see an increase in encounters if DM simulates morale effects for the monsters (having them break and run as the battle turns against them). Superior shepherding and expenditure of resources can also radically shift the daily limit.On the flip side, a sandbox campaign makes it impossible for the GM to "enforce" any sort of "baseline".And so forth. The thing is, the assumption (contrary to what the DMG and the designers of 3E actually tell you to do) that the only acceptable form of play is rigid adherence to an imaginary "baseline" results in what I've seen referred to as My Perfect Encounter design. It mandates that you railroad your players and strictly limit any sort of non-tactical or strategic approach to the game. Once you</blockquote>

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