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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 8743091" data-attributes="member: 42582">My &quot;baseline&quot; is the rules I've quoted in the OP, which are found in the 4e DMG (original printing) and then receive some elaboration in the 4e DMG2 (which is Sep 2009). These are what establishes how the situation is framed and checks declared and resolved.The mathematics don't change that.I started playing 4e D&amp;D in 2009, and so was using this chart for DCs from the 2008 errata, as well as the N before 3 failures and the deletion of the text about turn-taking etc that [USER=6696971]@Manbearcat[/USER] has already flagged:Difficulty Class and Damage By Level [Revision/Deletion]
Level&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Easy&nbsp; &nbsp; Moderate Hard
1st–3rd&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 5&nbsp; &nbsp; 10&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 15
4th–6th&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 7&nbsp; &nbsp; 12&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 17
7th–9th&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 8&nbsp; &nbsp; 14&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 19
10th–12th&nbsp; &nbsp; 10&nbsp; &nbsp; 16&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 21
13th–15th&nbsp; &nbsp; 11&nbsp; &nbsp; 18&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 23
16th-18th&nbsp; &nbsp; 13&nbsp; &nbsp; 20&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 25
19th–21st&nbsp; &nbsp; 14&nbsp; &nbsp; 22&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 27
22nd–24th&nbsp; &nbsp; 16&nbsp; &nbsp; 24&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 29
25th–27th&nbsp; &nbsp; 17&nbsp; &nbsp; 26&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 31
28th–30th&nbsp; &nbsp; 19&nbsp; &nbsp; 28&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 33The DMG2 has this same chart.In September 2010 the RC was published. This was around the same time my campaign entered Paragon tier. From that time I used the RC chart for DCs:
Level&nbsp; &nbsp; Easy&nbsp; &nbsp; ModerateHard
1&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 8&nbsp; &nbsp; 12&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 19
2&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 9&nbsp; &nbsp; 13&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 20
3&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 9&nbsp; &nbsp; 13&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 21
4&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 10&nbsp; &nbsp; 14&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 21
5&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 10&nbsp; &nbsp; 15&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 22
6&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 11&nbsp; &nbsp; 15&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 23
7&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 11&nbsp; &nbsp; 16&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 23
8&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 12&nbsp; &nbsp; 16&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 24
9&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 12&nbsp; &nbsp; 17&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 25
10&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 13&nbsp; &nbsp; 18&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 26
11&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 13&nbsp; &nbsp; 19&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 27
12&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 14&nbsp; &nbsp; 20&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 28
13&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 14&nbsp; &nbsp; 20&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 29
14&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 15&nbsp; &nbsp; 21&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 29
15&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 15&nbsp; &nbsp; 22&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 30
16&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 16&nbsp; &nbsp; 22&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 31
17&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 16&nbsp; &nbsp; 23&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 31
18&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 17&nbsp; &nbsp; 23&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 32
19&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 17&nbsp; &nbsp; 24&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 33
20&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 18&nbsp; &nbsp; 25&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 34
21&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 19&nbsp; &nbsp; 26&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 35
22&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 20&nbsp; &nbsp; 27&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 36
23&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 20&nbsp; &nbsp; 27&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 37
24&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 21&nbsp; &nbsp; 28&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 37
25&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 21&nbsp; &nbsp; 29&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 38
26&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 22&nbsp; &nbsp; 29&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 39
27&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 22&nbsp; &nbsp; 30&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 39
28&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 23&nbsp; &nbsp; 30&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 40
29&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 23&nbsp; &nbsp; 31&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 41
30&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 24&nbsp; &nbsp; 32&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 42These make skill challenges mathematically harder, stepping up all DCs but especially Hard ones; but the RC also has the system of &quot;advantages&quot; to compensate. I can't make any systematic comparison of difficulty. One reason for that is that 4e is geared around players spending resources to succeed at encounters, and so maybe the effect of the RC changes is to make skill challenges consume more player resources than otherwise would be the case. My general impression is that WotC underestimated the resources that players have access to, especially at Paragon and Epic tiers.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 8743091, member: 42582"] My "baseline" is the rules I've quoted in the OP, which are found in the 4e DMG (original printing) and then receive some elaboration in the 4e DMG2 (which is Sep 2009). These are what establishes how the situation is framed and checks declared and resolved. The mathematics don't change that. I started playing 4e D&D in 2009, and so was using this chart for DCs from the 2008 errata, as well as the N before 3 failures and the deletion of the text about turn-taking etc that [USER=6696971]@Manbearcat[/USER] has already flagged: [indent]Difficulty Class and Damage By Level [Revision/Deletion] Level Easy Moderate Hard 1st–3rd 5 10 15 4th–6th 7 12 17 7th–9th 8 14 19 10th–12th 10 16 21 13th–15th 11 18 23 16th-18th 13 20 25 19th–21st 14 22 27 22nd–24th 16 24 29 25th–27th 17 26 31 28th–30th 19 28 33[/indent] The DMG2 has this same chart. In September 2010 the RC was published. This was around the same time my campaign entered Paragon tier. From that time I used the RC chart for DCs: [indent] Level Easy ModerateHard 1 8 12 19 2 9 13 20 3 9 13 21 4 10 14 21 5 10 15 22 6 11 15 23 7 11 16 23 8 12 16 24 9 12 17 25 10 13 18 26 11 13 19 27 12 14 20 28 13 14 20 29 14 15 21 29 15 15 22 30 16 16 22 31 17 16 23 31 18 17 23 32 19 17 24 33 20 18 25 34 21 19 26 35 22 20 27 36 23 20 27 37 24 21 28 37 25 21 29 38 26 22 29 39 27 22 30 39 28 23 30 40 29 23 31 41 30 24 32 42[/indent] These make skill challenges mathematically harder, stepping up all DCs but especially Hard ones; but the RC also has the system of "advantages" to compensate. I can't make any systematic comparison of difficulty. One reason for that is that 4e is geared around players spending resources to succeed at encounters, and so maybe the effect of the RC changes is to make skill challenges consume more player resources than otherwise would be the case. My general impression is that WotC underestimated the resources that players have access to, especially at Paragon and Epic tiers. [/QUOTE]

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