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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Snoweel" data-source="post: 1537862" data-attributes="member: 4453">Don't forget that NPCs are only taking part in the story for as long as the PCs are in contact with them.The end result of this is that they don't have to conserve their resources the way PCs do and they don't have to survive through X number of encounters to gain a level - their power level (CR for NPCs as opposed to ECL for PCs) is completely arbitrary whereas the PCs gain one level at a time through adventure after adventure after adventure.The crux of the argument is CR vs ECL. Have a look in the Monster Manual - CR and ECL are often different.PCs are balanced against each other by ECL. That's what ECL is for.NPCs on the other hand, aren't intended to be balanced against the PCs - they are intended to be balanced purely by the xp awarded from defeating them. This is called CR. Some NPCs are just plain much tougher than the PCs - they are VASTLY UNBALANCED. But should the PCs defeat them, they'll get a metric ****load of experience points. The CR system - intended to 'balance' NPCs. Not PCs.Dude, it's not a competition.</blockquote>