Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="irdeggman" data-source="post: 2107132" data-attributes="member: 16285">Fighter(4), Thief(4), Cleric(4), [NPC] Sorceress(2), [NPC] Ranger(3).[EDIT] Forgot the Psion(3)Average level of party = (4 + 4 + 4 + 2 + 3 + 3)/6 = 3.3. + 1 for every 2 characters beyond 4 (4 is the basis for EL/CR) {I got mechanic this from an e-mail from Sage advice, and it fits the mechanic fairly well too}. So you have to decide whether or not the avg level of the group is 3 or 4 (you can round up, depending on what they have equipment-wise, etc.) so the EL would be either a 4 or a 5 depending on how this was handled.Now the necromancer also has cover from the fighter.  See pg 151 in the PHB (I don’t think you can get this from the SRD since it is mentioned in the illustration on that page). Add to this that there are varying degrees of cover (pg 152 in the PHB) that grant an AC bonus of +4 to +8).  So cover from the desk and the fighter would, IMO grant an AC bonus of greater than the +4 for standard cover.  The archer can’t negate cover, since he needs a feat (Improved Precise Shot) that he is ineligible to take at his present level.  There is an optional rule on pg 24 of the DMG for striking cover on a miss.  This is really good for these types of circumstances since it gives incentive to players to have their PCs watch each other’s back since shooting through an ally may result in hitting him yourself. AC of necromancer is 10 + 1 (size he is a gnome you said) + 4 (cover from desk) + 2 (my estimate for the fighter) + Dex (he has already acted and is not flat footed – assuming he has at least a +2 mod here and that is probably low) for an AC of at least 18.  Pretty decent AC for a 3rd level archer to have to hit (of course a “20” is still a “20”)I assume the ranger has Precise Shot (pretty poor if an archer didn’t take that feat) with one of his 3 feats (also assuming he is human) otherwise there is a –4 to his attack roll. Of course that means he get s a +1 to hit (when within 30 ft since he needed Point Blank Shot to take Precise Shot) and probably has at least a +2 due to Dex.</blockquote>

Verification