Upper Krust, where are you? [Immortal's Handbook]

[Upper_Krust]

Hi Upper Krust

Hi there!

If you have time...

Sure, fire away!

You don’t know me, but I’ve been looking into this thread occasionally and lurking on and off since way back when.

Well its nice to finally hear from you!

Big hello to all the other lurkers!

Recently, I’ve lost track, so forgive me if the following analyses are out of date wrt your own system – you may have tweaked it, and my conception of it may be incomplete in any case.

I have reworked both the ECL system and (within the last few days) the CR modifiers.

I wonder if you’ve got hold of the BoVD yet?

Nope. I'll be lucky to get it by Christmas to be honest.

However some nice people were able to enlighten me on one or two points, so I'm not completely in the dark.

I thought that one of the complaints – that Graz’zt ‘got the shaft’ was probably a little unfair.

Any conversion where Graz'zt is not comparable to the likes of Demogorgon or Orcus means that he 'got the shaft'.

Notwithstanding arguments against the power levels of all the arch-fiends, I thought that their relative levels of power were not that dissimilar to 1E: but the WotC CR system was looking pretty arbitrary.

Initially I was dismayed by Graz'zts CR; but I quickly ascertained WotC had made a mess of the CRs even before I saw them.

I’d downloaded the Asgard mag with your CR system, and wondered if it would yield results similar to my gut feeling when applied to the Demon Princes.

The old system should still work fairly well; though the new system/modifier is dead on the mark.

I did not apply the quasi-deity +8 to any of them – I’m not entirely sure what your criteria are for that and, if applied, what abilities would ‘carry over’ above and beyond the +8.

It can be tricky if its not totally spelt out for you. But after you understand the principles you will see its really simple.

Also I realize that all special abilities are not the same – weighting them would be difficult.

The new system/modifiers takes everything into account.

That said, I wonder how you would react to this analysis using that system:

Lets take a look.

Graz’zt

ECL = 27 (36 Outsider HD) + 5 (DR15/+6, fast healing 5, item master, outsider traits, see invisibility, SR 38, summon tanar’ri, fear, spell-like abilities) = 32

‡ CR 26

Note: He’s also got a mean sword and his spell-like abilities are pretty huge – perhaps enough to count for +2 ECL / +1 CR?

WotC peg Graz’zt at CR24.

Okay, first things first. Using the new system I need the ability scores; however I will just assume they have an average of 30 in all abilities (I know Graz'zt has something like STR 26; CON 28; CHA 39).

That means Graz'zt (under the new system) is ECL 43.

Meaning a party of x4 40th-47th-level characters should defeat him using only 25% of their resources.

Meaning a party of x4 24th-27th-level characters should have a 50/50 chance against him.

Demogorgon

ECL = 30 (39 Outsider HD) + 7 (Energy Drain, 2 x gaze attacks, rot, spell-like abilities, dual actions, fast healing 10, item master, mage armour, outsider traits, see invisibility, SR42, summon tanar’ri, tanar’ri traits) = 37

‡ CR 28

WotC peg Demogorgon at CR30

Using the new system (and again assuming a 30 point average for ability scores: I know Demogorgon has STR 28; CON 30).

Incidently you forgot his Damage Reduction and he has three gaze attacks.

Demogorgon works out at ECL 50 (not counting the dual actions ability; for which I am going to ad hoc a +5 ECL bonus.

Total ECL 55.

Meaning a party of x4 48th-55th-level characters should defeat him using only 25% of their resources.

Meaning a party of x4 28th-31st-level characters should have a 50/50 chance against him.

Orcus

ECL = 13 (13th Level Wizard) + 18 (24 Outsider HD above class levels) +5 (Poison, spell-like abilities, see invisibility, summon tanar’ri, summon undead, tanar’ri traits, DR 20/+7, SR41, outsider traits) +1 (Wand of Orcus) = 36

‡ CR 29

WotC place Orcus at CR 28.

Again using the new system (and assuming an average of 30; knowing he has STR 39; CON 42; CHA 21)

Orcus works out at ECL 47 not counting the Wand of Orcus.

Juiblex

ECL = 19 (26 Outsider HD) + 9 (Amorphous, blindsight 120, circle of darkness, DR 30/+5, ooze immunities, outsider traits, SR30, summon tanar’ri, summon oozes, tanar’ri traits, acid, circle of cold, constrict, create slime, drown, engulf, improved grab, spell-like abilities) = 28

‡ CR 24

WotC give Juiblex CR 20

Juiblex works out at ECL 43 (same as Graz'zt)

Yeenoghu

ECL= 25 (33 Outsider HD) + 6 (DR15/+6, fast healing 5, outsider traits, scent, see invisibility, SR 32, summon ghouls, summon gnolls, summon tanar’ri, tanar’ri traits, spell-like abilities) = 31

‡ CR 25

or CR 22, according to WotC.

Yeenoghu works out at ECL 41

Feel free to dissect, correct and/or update. I’m interested by your rationale.

So, using the new system (assuming 30 point ability score averages all round):

Graz'zt = ECL 43 (possibly 44 with sword)
Demogorgon = ECL 55
Orcus = ECL 48 (possibly up to 53 with wand, I'll have to check)
Juiblex = ECL 43
Yeenoghu = ECL 41 (possibly 42 with flail)

Incidently:

Asmodeus = ECL 51 (possibly up to 56 with rod)

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hello again!

I did not apply the quasi-deity +8 to any of them – I’m not entirely sure what your criteria are for that and, if applied, what abilities would ‘carry over’ above and beyond the +8.

Also I realize that all special abilities are not the same – weighting them would be difficult.

I actually forgot to mention earlier that applying the Quasi-deity Template to the Demon Princes adds +4 ECL (rather than +9).

Applying the Quasi-deity template to the Arch-Devils adds +5 ECL (rather than +9)

The difference is because the Immunities gained add more to Baatezu than Tanar'ri.

So...

Quasi-deity Graz'zt = ECL 47 (possibly 48 w. sword)
Quasi-deity Asmodeus = ECL 56 (possibly 61 w. rod)

Remember ECL is a measure of power.

So Graz'zt ECL 43 = single 43rd-level character.

ECL is the same point at which a party of x4 PCs should defeat the opponent using 25% of their resources.

We use CR to determine relative power.

ECL 43 = CR 25

Every CR -2 = Half the power
Every CR +2 = Double the power

eg.
- Graz'zt is DOUBLE the power of a 32nd-35th-level character (CR 23).
- Graz'zt is QUADRUPLE the power of a 24th-27th-level character (CR 21)
- Graz'zt is HALF the power of a 56th-63rd-level character (CR 27)
- Graz'zt is ONE QUARTER the power of a 72nd-79th-level character (CR 29)

 

[Anubis]

Hi Anubis mate!

They are totally unbalanced.

...and unless you are hiding prerequisites somewhere...

...thats effectively +375 hit points at early epic levels.

Your math is WAY off. You get 255 hit points for the cost of SIX FEATS, and the MINIMUM level for being able to pull this off is Level 24 IF you have a good Fort save AND spend ALL BUT TWO FEATS ON TOUGHNESS FEATS.

That is an incredibly expensive cost. Yeah, fighters will still have plenty of feats, BUT not anywhere NEAR as many as before. That's four less combat feats for the fighter, who can't use his bonus feats to get these Toughness feats.

Those without a good Fort save can't get this until Level 36!

Now take a look at what monsters in the ELH can do to you . . . Notice how the Devastation Vermin can do HUNDREDS of damage? Notice how epic dragons can thrash character with 300+ hit points with ease?

You see, this is perfectly balanced because of the prerequisites. Those prerequisites are very stiff, and most characters STILL don't take them as I've seen. At Level 40+, those 255 hit points are chump change. As for the extended death's door, well, when creatures can do hundreds of damage per hit, the -10 crap or -Constitution crap does NOTHING AT ALL.

Anyway, I've proven my point. You're the one being silly here.

ECL 1-5 = +2 CR
ECL 6-10 = +1 CR
ECL 11-20 = +1/2 CR
ECL 21-40 = +1/4 CR
ECL 41-80 = +1/8 CR
etc.

eg.
ECL 3 = CR 6
ECL 9 = CR 14
ECL 15 = CR 18
ECL 30 = CR 22
ECL 67 = CR 28

1. To gauge a battle where a party of four PCs will win using (approx.) 25% of their resources - USE ECL.

eg.
Party of x4 15th-level characters VS. an ECL 15 opponent.

2. An effective challenge ranges from CR-8 to CR+8.

eg.
So the effective range for x4 15th-level characters is CR10-26. That means ECL 5 (CR-8) to ECL 55 (CR+8)

CR+/-0 = Party victory using 25% of their resources.
CR+4 = 50/50 chance of victory.
CR+8 = Opponent victory using 25% of their resources.

3. To calculate experience points take party level (eg. '15')
CR +/-0 = x300

eg.
15 x 300 = 4500 XP for a CR+/-0 battle.

4. For uneven encounters:

CR -8 = divide by 16
CR -7 = divide by 12
CR -6 = divide by 8
CR -5 = divide by 6
CR -4 = divide by 4
CR -3 = divide by 3
CR -2 = divide by 2
CR -1 = divide by 1.5
CR +/-0 = EXP equals Party Average Level x 300
CR +1 = x1.5
CR +2 = x2
CR +3 = x3
CR +4 = x4
CR +5 = x6
CR +6 = x8
CR +7 = x12
CR +8 = x16

So now you've added an innane amount of math and calculations to the process. Now you have to calculate the new ECL, calculate a new CR based on the new ECL, and then calculate the XP based on one number while considering challenges based on the other! We're talk about ten or twenty extra minutes of real time here!

Sorry, but most of us don't have that kinda time, so unless you intend to publish a list of every monster thus far released with full ECL and CR listings.

You are being silly.

You are more silly than before.

You are amazingly silly.

You are incredibly silly.

You are preternaturally silly.

I'm gonna have a hard time listening to you if you're just planning on flaming me every time I talk.

 

[S'mon]

Re: Re: Dragon CR

Such an affront must not go unpunished. Let it be known Thrins gaze is far; his reach is wide and his vengeance terrible!

Was Tallarns death heroic? If so it may be worth a raise dead...what do you say Simon?

Tallarn's PC Ori did indeed die heroically; yelling curses at the dragon (after climbing out from under a barbecued cow), he drew the brunt of its attacks and went down at -2 hp, he was finished off by his own 'shield other' spell cast on Sigurd (Lars/Dispater). They're looking at having him raised by the remaining party cleric, (Xyzzy's cohort Lilliana, priestess of Carthea) who's nearly 9th level.

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hi Gez & U_K!

Bonsoir!

If you find only one (including you) that has played 3rd edition for over ten years, I might agree with you

The way AD&D worked at high-level seems a bit different than how it works now in 3rd edition, if only because it was less defined.

Amazingly spell resistance/magic resistance worked exactly the same though!

The current system is accessible to much more players, you can't know every way that the IH could be used (you're only omnipotent, not necessarily omniscient ),

consider that it has to be clarified by the sage if iajitsu focus and sneak attack could stack or not.

I do not remember the answer, but it affect the ninja of the crane family, mentioned in way of the ninja, while in OA such concept (ninja in one of the 8 great clans) was out of place.

Sages! We don't need no stinking sages!

By letting a known minor bug in the book, you're bound to have multiple way for players to find it (for exemple, because some DM might want a game focused on rogue and fighter, doing so by removing additional roll in spellcasting and removing effect that impede spellcasting, keeping only saves & SR).

I just don't see how players are going to exploit spell resistance as you envision?

oh, and $2 represent a full meal for me

I didn't know paper was so nutritious!?

 

[Blacksad]

Amazingly spell resistance/magic resistance worked exactly the same though!

1st edition? That's cheating, I wasn't even born when it existed!

didn't the DM needed to change the MR of his monster based on the level of the mage during play? that's might be a 5% variation, but given that it was the DM that rolled MR, he was able to magically transform a faillure into a success.

I just don't see how players are going to exploit spell resistance as you envision?

Just that it's easier to remove rules than to add new ones, and that some players (and DMs, that's the missing part of my last post ), might remove from the games effect that impede spellcastig leaving only SR and saves, thus those will have much more importance.

Some DMs might have extensive rules on mage duel that use SR and caster level, and might want to use them with immortals.

and so on...

I didn't know paper was so nutritious!?

you don't have 2€ banknote in E.U., only coins, and metals is more nutritious than paper (and some nice people agree to trade those piece of metal with rice & spaghetti).

That's why people in the euro zone are more healthy

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hi Anubis mate!

I'm gonna have a hard time listening to you if you're just planning on flaming me every time I talk.

Sorry if you took umbrage mate?

Though as if arguing against me wasn't silly enough at the best of times...

...given that I hadn't even posted my updated rules you chose to argue (in fact you flat stated I was wrong) despite not even knowing what you were arguing about! If thats not silly what is!?

Your math is WAY off. You get 255 hit points for the cost of SIX FEATS.

...and deaths door is increased by 110 points.

Admittedly I should have stated 365 rather than 375, though deaths door is in itself an optional rule as I recall, so +375 is still viable.

and the MINIMUM level for being able to pull this off is Level 24 IF you have a good Fort save AND spend ALL BUT TWO FEATS ON TOUGHNESS FEATS.

Which, given the mammoth increase you advocate is going to be taken by every character with good fortitude saves!

That is an incredibly expensive cost. Yeah, fighters will still have plenty of feats, BUT not anywhere NEAR as many as before. That's four less combat feats for the fighter, who can't use his bonus feats to get these Toughness feats.

Personally I would go along with +5hp increments (+5/+10/+15/+20/+25 epic, etc.); however, I don't see how WotCs treatment of 'toughness' is unduly broken so theres really no point rewriting this particular chain of feats.

I really think you are letting things get out of control especially with the epic increases.

Your two epic feats are akin to adding 6 and 8 points respectively to Constitution*!

*and thats not even counting the deaths door antics!

Those without a good Fort save can't get this until Level 36!

The problem lies in the individual feats - not the who; what; where; when and how.

Now take a look at what monsters in the ELH can do to you . . . Notice how the Devastation Vermin can do HUNDREDS of damage? Notice how epic dragons can thrash character with 300+ hit points with ease?

The Devastation Beetle deals (on average) 160hp damage/round. It is (approx.) ECL 52. Given that only Fighter types should logically engage it in melee, they should already have hundreds of hit points themselves.

A Great Wyrm Prismatic Dragon (approx. ECL 100) delivers (on average) 290hp damage/round. At that measure of challenge even the party wizard should be able to take a round or two of attacks from it and stay standing.

The amount of damage monsters can deal is not a plausible excuse to create unbalanced feats.

Monster power is rated in ECL. Monsters of a certain power go up against PCs of relative/comparable power.

You see, this is perfectly balanced because of the prerequisites. Those prerequisites are very stiff, and most characters STILL don't take them as I've seen. At Level 40+, those 255 hit points are chump change.

You are practically doubling the characters hit points!

Personally I don't think 'harsh' prerequisites are a valid enough excuse.

As for the extended death's door, well, when creatures can do hundreds of damage per hit, the -10 crap or -Constitution crap does NOTHING AT ALL.

But the fact is its not -10; its -120!

Anyway, I've proven my point.

I disagree. As I see it the epic feats are still broken (possibly the Dragons Toughness as well).

You're the one being silly here.

It must be contagious.

So now you've added an innane amount of math and calculations to the process.

I have added very little that wasn't already there. I'm doing all the math and calculations for you - as before.

The only additional mechanic that wasn't present in the Asgard magazine article is the CR modifiers for under ECL 20.

Now you have to calculate the new ECL,

Unless you feel confident the WotC CR is adequate.

calculate a new CR based on the new ECL,

Thats going to be no more difficult than looking at a single table. Remember that table which compared ECLs to CRs in the Asgard article? Thats how difficult that is.

ie. Not at all.

and then calculate the XP based on one number

Which you have to do even in the official rules and was always a staple part of my system.

So nothing new there.

while considering challenges based on the other!

Again always a staple part of my system.

You seem to be suffering from amnesia.

We're talk about ten or twenty extra minutes of real time here!

Give or take 9-18 minutes perhaps. On the single occasion you would ever have to determine a monsters ECL anyway.

Sorry, but most of us don't have that kinda time,

I'm sorry for keeping you!

Feel free to use WotCs system...Oh thats right - IT DOESN'T WORK!

so unless you intend to publish a list of every monster thus far released with full ECL

I may publish a list of those with notably incorrect CRs such as Dragons and the Solar.

Again, something I was already doing anyway.

and CR listings.

I don't need to post a list of CRs; you just look at the CR per ECL table.

 

[Anubis]

...and deaths door is increased by 110 points.

...during which you are unconscious. This merely gives your party more time to save you from dying, so as to reduce death in the game, which ALWAYS slows down play and makes things less fun anyway!

Admittedly I should have stated 365 rather than 375, though deaths door is in itself an optional rule as I recall, so +375 is still viable.

Using those feats, I suggest NOT making it optional.

Which, given the mammoth increase you advocate is going to be taken by every character with good fortitude saves!

Believe it or not, very few actually do. I've had this for a while now, and NO ONE has yet to take all of these feats. For one, very few people play straight fighters. For two, any class other than a straight fighter will be giving up ALL of his or her feats to get these, meaning no Weapon Focus, no Improved Critical, no Whirlwind Attack, and most likely no access to Prestige Classes.

Personally I would go along with +5hp increments (+5/+10/+15/+20/+25 epic, etc.);

I'll give ya' this one. Admittedly, the increases could go down SLIGHTLY as these were a bit of overcompensation . . . Either that, or stiffen the prerequisites . . .

however, I don't see how WotCs treatment of 'toughness' is unduly broken so theres really no point rewriting this particular chain of feats.

It's not that the feats are broken, it's that they're USELESS. I like ALL feats to have some kinda meaning. That's why I made Endurance a prerequisite for the Ki feats, to give Endurance meaning. Some of these feats do NOTHING. Who in their right mind would take the current Dragon's Toughness, considering the inane prerequisites and only +12 hit points, which any CR 10+ monster could sneeze at and make disappear? (The minimum level needed to take it is Level 18 unless you do some insane multi-classing!)

Like I said, MAYBE they could be decreased a little, but fact is, they still need to be increased to be at all useful. Perhaps +5, +10, +15, +20, +25, +25, with all the current death's door extensions? That would add up to +100 hit points and a death's door of maybe -180 for a powerful character with a good Constitution . . . Or maybe the prerequisites should increase.

All I know is that players are seeing something wrong with these feats that I'm not seeing, because most of them still find them to be a waste. I think the real problem perhaps might be that these feats are too hard to get at low levels when they'd be most useful, and the combat feats are MUCH more useful. Everyone will EVENTUALLY get these feats, just not until very high levels. By Level 60, you don't even notice the increase, honestly. All of them together is one more hit you can take from an Epic monster, and that's about it.

I really think you are letting things get out of control especially with the epic increases.

Your two epic feats are akin to adding 6 and 8 points respectively to Constitution*!

*and thats not even counting the deaths door antics!

The only thing I can think of that is turning you all off is that I run EPIC games, not meaning Level 20+, but meaning games where the world is about to be destroyed and the PCs are the legendary heroes that can stop the evil from destroying everything.

Not only do I not like PCs dying (I try to avoid it at all costs even!), but I like PCs to be able to fight in a lot of battles. Perhaps that is the problem?

Maybe I'm doing the same thing you've done in the past by customizing rules to fit my own campaign . . . Very well, I can release a new set that works even in less powerful campaigns. Perhaps then you'll see that although you're the genius of the deities, I'm the genius of the feats!

You are practically doubling the characters hit points!

WHAT?! You're nuts . . . Even the Level 30 NPC Fighter already has 275, and PCs at Level 40 should have MUCH higher. By Level 40, they'll probably have AT LEAST 500. By Level 60, the hit points will be nearing 1,000 EASY!

Feel free to use WotCs system...Oh thats right - IT DOESN'T WORK!

Um, but IT DOES WORK. Until Level 20. After that is when it breaks down. Trust me, I've played this game quite a bit in the last three years, and we've NEVER had a problem at Levels 1-20. That's proof right there that the system works at lower levels.

As I always say, if it ain't broken, don't fix it! Concentrate on what IS broken, Levels 21+.

 

[Anubis]

Well, I posted errata for the feats and the Saiyans. I think you'll find the Toughness more acceptable for "low-powered" campaigns now.

Also, I added a nifty new feat!

Improved Efficient Item Creation [Epic]
Select an item creation feat. You can create magic items using that feat even more quickly then before.
Prerequisites: Item creation feat to be selected, Efficient Item Creation for the item creation feat to be selected, Knowledge (arcana) 44 ranks, Spellcraft 44 ranks
Benefit: Select an item creation feat. Creating a magic item using that feat requires one day per 100,000 gp of the item's market price, with a minimum of one day. All items created using this feat cost an additional 10,000 XP.
Normal: Without this feat, creating a magic item requires one day for each 1,000 gp of the item's market price.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a different item creation feat.

This should solve the problem with more expensive items . . .

 

[Xeriar]

Originally posted by Anubis ...during which you are unconscious. This merely gives your party more time to save you from dying, so as to reduce death in the game, which ALWAYS slows down play and makes things less fun anyway!

I don't play games where death is a ten-minute break in the action anymore. When death becomes a joke, there's no more suspense.

Using those feats, I suggest NOT making it optional.

I don't think it is optional, because undead and constructs are destroyed at 0 HP, unlike everyone else.

Believe it or not, very few actually do. I've had this for a while now, and NO ONE has yet to take all of these feats. For one, very few people play straight fighters. For two, any class other than a straight fighter will be giving up ALL of his or her feats to get these, meaning no Weapon Focus, no Improved Critical, no Whirlwind Attack, and most likely no access to Prestige Classes.

Seven feats, two of them epic, other classes provide bonus feats too, you know, and a lot of people take two levels of fighter.

All I know is that players are seeing something wrong with these feats that I'm not seeing, because most of them still find them to be a waste. I think the real problem perhaps might be that these feats are too hard to get at low levels when they'd be most useful, and the combat feats are MUCH more useful. Everyone will EVENTUALLY get these feats, just not until very high levels. By Level 60, you don't even notice the increase, honestly. All of them together is one more hit you can take from an Epic monster, and that's about it.

Exactly, they don't scale. They don't mean much when hit points don't really matter as long as you're over 150.

The only thing I can think of that is turning you all off is that I run EPIC games, not meaning Level 20+, but meaning games where the world is about to be destroyed and the PCs are the legendary heroes that can stop the evil from destroying everything.

Shoot, I like to give my villians story, and purpose. Not all of them are evil, some just want to be free. What's wrong with wanting to be free, if only for a moment of your etarnal life?

Not only do I not like PCs dying (I try to avoid it at all costs even!), but I like PCs to be able to fight in a lot of battles. Perhaps that is the problem?

This is probably the reason noone takes your feats - healing magic is an arm and a leg cheaper than a feat. More hitpoints != more battles, more battles != more funner.

Maybe I'm doing the same thing you've done in the past by customizing rules to fit my own campaign . . . Very well, I can release a new set that works even in less powerful campaigns. Perhaps then you'll see that although you're the genius of the deities, I'm the genius of the feats!

I don't think either of you are either. For the gods, I have my own cosmology, my own ideas. For me, in my campaign, the concept of an overgod exists... the god of a 'galaxy' if you will, but it is to the greatest combined might of the gods as they are to an insect. Not to say that I won't make use of UK's ideas, but I've got my own templates already to suit my needs for more flexible gods

For feats, aside from the general comment that there already are enough/too many, all you offer is your toughness feats, really. The rest is for your Dragonball stuff, really (well even the toughness ones are).

I mean, any show that spends 30 minutes covering the last second of a fight...

Plus, too many jokes about Vegeta being over constipated.

WHAT?! You're nuts . . . Even the Level 30 NPC Fighter already has 275, and PCs at Level 40 should have MUCH higher. By Level 40, they'll probably have AT LEAST 500. By Level 60, the hit points will be nearing 1,000 EASY!

Exactly, what do your feats add to the quality of the game, even more so, what do they add to something like the Immortal's Handbook?

Um, but IT DOES WORK. Until Level 20. After that is when it breaks down. Trust me, I've played this game quite a bit in the last three years, and we've NEVER had a problem at Levels 1-20. That's proof right there that the system works at lower levels.

But it's not. The game starts at second level, I kid you not.

Seriously, level 2 is 4 times as good as level 1 (with equipment factored in) with average hitpoints (max at first level throws this a bit). 10% greater chance to hit, 15% better chance to avoid being hit (or so), double the hit points, 25% more skills and another save point for a raw fighter.

As I always say, if it ain't broken, don't fix it! Concentrate on what IS broken, Levels 21+.

What's the difference between 19+ and 21+?

It should be:
Level 1 = CR 1
Level 2 = CR 3
Level 3 = CR 4
...
Level 18 = CR 19
Level 20 = CR 20

The initial raw jump in power at low levels is what's playing with Upper Krust's mind.