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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Wulf Ratbane" data-source="post: 2652367" data-attributes="member: 94">That's correct. A single CR2 creature is four times as powerful as a 1st level character. Put it in perspective: A "moderate" challenge for a group of FOUR 1st level PCs is a SINGLE CR1 creature.A "moderate" encounter should expend about 25% of the party resources. That could mean that all 4 characters lose 25% of their hit points, spells, and other expendables; it could also mean that 1 character out of 4 (25%) dies flat out and everyone else is fine.Divide the party power by four (solo character) and then double the challenge rating of the monster (CR2) and you have a very, very difficult challenge. No DM should be throwing a single CR2 creature against a single CR1 character. He should expect that PC to die, which is reason enough not to do it. Of course, another reason not to do it is if afterwards you're going to balk at giving a PC commensurate reward to his risk. But, I mean, you can take the "What if a solo PC crits monster XYZ..." down some ridiculous paths.For the record, a gnoll is CR1-- or so says the Sovelior/Sage SRD. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> (300)(196)/(169) = 348.Remember that this is the award per character level.So multiply 348x13 and the Chi/Rho award is 4524 XP.By the way, if you want to award individual XP, multiply the per-level award by each character's level. If you want to award party XP (as the DMG recommends) then you multiply the per level award by the total party levels, and then divide the total award equally among all party members.Character Level (CL) 13 vs. CR14, by the DMG, pays 5850.EDIT: I just want to edit this example to show you what happens when you have FOUR 13th level characters.Now the formula is (300)(196)/(169+169+169+169)= 87 XP per character level.Each character earns (13)(87) = 1131.The total XP award is (1131)x(4 characters)= 4524.See how the four characters still earn the same total XP from the same monster as the solo character did?It's complicated, but the gist of it is that the square of the respective CRs is a more accurate representation of the way that "power" scales as CR (and CL) and numbers of combatants increase. You could search the House Rules forum for lots of discussion!Otherwise send me your email address and I will send you a short "treatise."Wulf</blockquote>

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