Someone explain CR rating and how they work

[Elvinis75]

Four Hill Giants CR 7 are what total?
Can situation modify this?
Do you have to consider a characters equipment against what a npc of their class would have at the same level?

 

[CRGreathouse]

Four Hill Giants CR 7 are what total?
Can situation modify this?
Do you have to consider a characters equipment against what a npc of their class would have at the same level?

One creature has EL equal to its CR. Four creatures of the same CR have EL equal to their CR + 4.

 

[the Jester]

There's a chart in the dmg that helps determine EL... don't have it handy so I can't tell you the page, but look in the index and all will become clear! One important note- when you award xp, it goes by the individual CRs. So (using the four hill giants in your example), you have an EL11 encounter, but the xp awarded are for four CR7 monsters.

 

[Technik4]

Off Topic

Hey Jester! You back from your trip yet? You left me drooling for more in your story hour thread! Thanks again for the tips!

Technik

 

[Elvinis75]

So what about the second part of the question?

 

[the Jester]

Re: Off Topic

Hey Jester! You back from your trip yet? You left me drooling for more in your story hour thread! Thanks again for the tips!

Technik

Yup, got back on Friday night!

I'll prolly try to finish my story hour (to the last game I ran) once I retrieve my gaming material from my friend's house that I left it at...

[/highjack]
I'm not sure what you mean in the second part of your question, Elvinis75- could you clarify please?

 

[Geoff Watson]

There's a chart in the dmg that helps determine EL... don't have it handy so I can't tell you the page, but look in the index and all will become clear! One important note- when you award xp, it goes by the individual CRs. So (using the four hill giants in your example), you have an EL11 encounter, but the xp awarded are for four CR7 monsters.

The XP should be the same either way. (Or very similar).

Geoff.

 

[Elvinis75]

Yes the second parts of the question ...
taste is to mouth as answer is question well not exactly.
I suppose that I should be polite but it isn't like you are highjacking the thread or anything.
Do situations and the equipment that characters have in the campaign change the CR and how much / little.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Do situations and the equipment that characters have in the campaign change the CR and how much / little.

Situations change EL, not CR. They shouldn't change the total XP.

 

[Elvinis75]

Now the first part of that makes sense. EL level would then reflect the difficulty of the battle. But then why isn't that reflected in the experience. Isn't experience a measure of how much the characters overcame?