Problem with RPGA Test Question

[Venport]

Ok i have a problem with a question on the Master GM program at the RPGA.

The question was somthing like this:
a Party of 6h level they will be adventuring in a hill area they are most likely to encounter based on their level and Environment

a: Basilisk
b:Yrthak
C:Bulette
D; 10 bugbears

After reading the question i looked up the CR and Environment for each creature

A; warm Desert CR 5
B: Temperate mountains CR 9
C: Temperate Hills CR 7
D: Temperate Mountains (1=CR 2)

So I Concluded that A would be in a Desert B is to hard (cr 9 for 6th level is a boss fight) C: would be appropriate and D would be to easy..


So i marked C and got it wrong the answer was D

D is way to easy even if there are 10 Bugbears Cr 2 Vs CR 6 is way to easy... this was poorly done question

what dose everyone else thing?

 

[Pinotage]

A bugbear is CR 2. Two bugbears are EL 4. Four Bugbears are EL 6. Eight Bugbears EL 8. And ten would be around there as well. The general rule is that if you double the number of creatures, you increase the EL by two. A bulette is probably a rarer choice than bugbears.

Pinotage

 

[Venport]

i looked it up Technicly it is a EL 9 however every group i have DM or played with would think of that as a waist of time and way to easy

 

[Pinotage]

8.5 is probably closer to the EL. If you use another EL calculating system such as Grim Tales: Gamemastering, then the party's 'power' is 144, while the bugbears' 'power' is 40. Given that a standard encounter is one with party power/4, which is 36, I'd say it's about right on the money.

Pinotage

 

[Venport]

I've never seen that system where can i find that?

 

[Jdvn1]

Venport, you should try 10 bugbears against 4 6th level characters. A big group of creatures makes for good encounters, especially if they use decent tactics.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

i looked it up Technicly it is a EL 9 however every group i have DM or played with would think of that as a waist of time and way to easy

But you need to answer the question based on the rules, not on what you or anyone else would think. The RPGA is big on sticking to the rules so everyone can expect the rules to be applied the same way by all GMs.

 

[Arnwyn]

A bulette is probably a rarer choice than bugbears.

There is no "rarity" in 3.xe.

 

[francisca]

But you need to answer the question based on the rules, not on what you or anyone else would think. The RPGA is big on sticking to the rules so everyone can expect the rules to be applied the same way by all GMs.

They need to re-adjust their expectations, because that ain't happening.

 

[Venport]

I guess that makes sence it makes sence on paper but not in practice...