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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Erechel" data-source="post: 6593735" data-attributes="member: 6784868">It is certainly possible to make fights much more difficulty than their CR suggests both ways. Luck, situation, optimization, good tactics, good equipment, good characters, intimidation and a strain of creativity renders the players much more than simple maths. Maths are a guide for average play, but as a DM I usually fall in two categories with the "expected" CR:a) the players beat the foes after a couple rounds.b) The foes are utterly annoying and unbeatable.Take account that D&D is not a computer game were optimized maths rule, but an Tabletop RPG, where multiple factors come across the game, and a tactic may differ situationally (let's say, for example, that the players roll over the gnolls with giant boulders, or prepare an ambush with oiled ground, or pit them through a hole on the ground, or gain a strategical situation). Of course, the DM too can think in clever tactics, but he is much more limited by the fact that he is one head against 4-5. If the group of players came around for a lot of time, they think faster and better than the DM most times, no matter how clever or nasty he is. Not to say that gnolls and simple-minded monsters won't be believable if they think as military geniuses perfectly adapted to the party. Not to say that they aren't accostumed to deal with the supernatural (most gnolls won't survive this type of encounters)And KarinsDad, you are very, very focused on math balance over other possibilities. I know that they matter, but many of the strengths of wizards won't come from a purely mathematical point, but from a "think outside the box" possibilities. A hard-boiled, dissociated mechanic and metagaming thinking over magic is not verosimile, as it is a force that usually breaks the boundaries of other most mechanical classes (that also can think creatively, but ultimately they are more limited with their resources). And I'm speaking about basic dynamics that I can think without much effort: the same way you throw fire to the gnolls, that can save themselves, you can throw it to oiled ground, dry folliage, or frost water courses; you can use abundant cover, clever traps and bottle necks; you can create obstacles and divertions of many types, and overall think creatively AND NOT only focused on DPR (almost all your arguments are based on this mechanical point of view). For example, if a campaign is setted on dangerous mountain ranges, a grease spell is far more powerful than usual. If you are in an icy landscape, the cantrip Shape Water or Scorching rays are a key to victory as you can manage to pitfall enemys to frozen lakes or simply under a lot of snow. A forest provides abundant cover, stealth possibilities and lots of burnable stuff. A druid can make vines strangle the foes, and the upper hand in any fight compels an inteligent or semi inteligent foe to run or at least to do a morale check. Battles are not a struggle to render all foes to 0 hp. It is even stated in the books (although I cannot recall the specific page, there are rules for morale in the DMG, and it is not the only call to resolve the encounters creatively).</blockquote>

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