Question about the CR system.

[Question]

Let us say we have a party of 4 1st level PCs, encountering a CR 1 encounter.

Does the EL of the encounter get any higher or lower depending on how well rested the PCs are?

I am assuming that by default, all ELs are based on the idea that the PCs are reasonably well rested, with either all or most of their spells still there, potions, etc, and that the DM is responsible for making EL adjustments based on how little resources the party has left.

 

[darthkilmor]

Does the EL of the encounter get any higher or lower depending on how well rested the PCs are?

No.

 

[moritheil]

Let us say we have a party of 4 1st level PCs, encountering a CR 1 encounter.

Does the EL of the encounter get any higher or lower depending on how well rested the PCs are?

I am assuming that by default, all ELs are based on the idea that the PCs are reasonably well rested, with either all or most of their spells still there, potions, etc, and that the DM is responsible for making EL adjustments based on how little resources the party has left.

Only if your DM is benevolent. A 1st-level party of four should be able to handle four 1st-level encounters per day. Whether those encounters consist of kobold warriors or a single level 1 orc barbarian is another issue. Really, a lot depends on the dice, so even an "easier encounter" might wind up killing the party if the party is already injured, out of magic, etc.

 

[werk]

Pgs. 48-51 of the DMG, specifically pg. 50, Difficulty Factors and Modifying Difficulty.

CR is based on fresh creatures, ready to go or as appearing...EL is the difficulty of the encounter, including all variables.

I usually wait until afterward to figure out how tough the encounter was. You can get a rough EL from the math, but as you are noticing, the math doesn't tell the whole story.

 

[Nail]

Does the EL of the encounter get any higher or lower depending on how well rested the PCs are?

No.


..with the following caveat: You, the DM, control some of the pacing. If you have planned that one encounter comes right after another, with little or no PC say-so, then really both of those encounters are actually part of one big encounter. Assess the EL accordingly.


The EL of an encounter is never dependent on PC choices. If the PCs chose to push on after a tough encounter, and then get into another tough encounter, then that's their problem. PCs don't get more experience for making things tough on themselves.