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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mustrum_Ridcully" data-source="post: 4188151" data-attributes="member: 710">Or run for such encounters. The fourth will be challenging. The rest will only be challenging in the sense that you hopefully didn't waste any precious resources.Rambling on resource management and attrition: [sblock]But while the system "assumes" this progression, I think Wands of Cure Light Wounds basically negate most of the resource attrition. In a EL = PL encounter, the non-spellcasters can usually take on the opposition while the spellcasters stay in the back (sometimes shooting a crossbow or casting a low level spell to have some kind of alibi). Afterwards, the CLW Wand is used to replenish the only resource non-spellcasters can lose - their hit points. The CLW Wand is also a resource, but it is in a way cheaper then "normal" hp healing, and thus you never end up with 20 % resource expenditure. The end result is that people tend to run higher EL fights. In these fights, the spellcasters need to expend a lot more resources, since the enemies must be hit hard (or at least their damage output must be compensated), or the party members will take actual losses. Basically, once you reach 25 % or more theoretical resource expenditure, you have to "spread out" the resource expenditure among the party members, or you'll lose one. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />With "novaing" you can lose party members without having them killed - spellcasters primary resource are spells, not hit points, and with novaing, those are gone. [/sblock]So, what does this mean for the Pit Fiend? In 3E, the only way to use him as a Solo monster is by sending him against a 16th level party (of normal size). But there is a tiny problem. The RAW might tell us that this should be a powerful and challenging encounter, but it doesn'T work out that great, since the Pit Fiend doesn't have the #actions to compete with the PCs. End result is a very quick fight, in which either the Pit Fiend gets the drop on his foes and can use some of his major abilities against the PCs, or the PCs get the drop on him and can defeat him, possibly in the first round.My guess (based on XP values and defense/attack values) currently is that it's approximately turning from +/-4 to +/-8. That is a significant change, in my view. Monsters stay viable a lot longer. Also, +/-4 might be the theory in 3E, but I think if you go more then 2 points below you actually end up with monsters that only annoy, but don't contribute in any way (unless they have some special powers, like maybe area effects that deal damage even on a succesful save). Higher level monsters often suffer from the action economy problem, and while theoretically feasible, often lead to unsatisfactory experiences. I think trying to use multiple  monsters around CR = PL +/-2 is the best choice. "Solo" monsters in 3E should be used sparingly. Dragons might really be the best for this, since they at least have the hit points and saves to survive a few rounds of concentrated player fire (and are under-CRed anyway <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> )Edit: I think Majoru has generally the right idea, but I think a level 8 monster might still be in the realm of acceptable. it is a bit swingy, and might be frustrating, though. In one of the designer blogs, they had the party fight (together with some NPCs) fight a monster somewhat above that level, and they managed to survive, but he found out that the encounter was a little to frustrating, overall.</blockquote>

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