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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BSF" data-source="post: 2025434" data-attributes="member: 13098">The DMG provides guidelines that offer far more guidance to new DMs on encounters than previous editions do.  It is true, insofar as the authors are implying "If you follow these general guidelines, all the mechanical balance of the game will pretty much fall into place.  You won't constantly kill your PCs and torque off your players.  You will have decent treasure and everyone will likely have a decent amount of fun."  Obviously, these are not absolutes.  Each group is stylistically different.  As DMs grow in experience and confidence, they will feel much more comfortable stepping out side the boundaries of the guidelines.  The wonderful thing about 3.X is that there is an established baseline that we all begin from.  Fireball spells are a spread that wraps around corners and pillars and does not exceed it's radius.  Two stock Rings of Protection overlap instead of stacking.  Stuff like that.  There are also better guidelines for running a game than previous editions had.  There is still room for improvement, but it was definitely a step in the right direction.Personally, I use CR/EL as guidelines for how effectively I might challenge my group.  Of course, I have a 7 player group so CR/EL is already less useful for me.  I also use Status Quo encounters for some things and tailored encounters for others.  As others have said, if the PCs go looking for the ancient wyrm that comes out and terrorizes the area every few years, then they will likely find an ancient wyrm, not a young adult.</blockquote>

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