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Message: <blockquote data-quote="77IM" data-source="post: 4562558" data-attributes="member: 12377">That's a good question (and something I wish the DMG gave like 1-2 paragraphs more advice on).  I tend to do a little of each.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">For obstacles that are somewhat easily defined, I use a static DC.  For example, Athletics checks to climb.  The stone outer wall of the village has the same climb DC even when the village is under attack by Orcus himself.  On the other hand, Orcus's fortress in the Abyss has walls that are very hard to climb, even if a group of level 12s wind up there.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">For more unusual or dynamic obstacles, like a swinging rope bridge or a trap, I use the DC by level (the famous DMG p.42).  My rationale is that higher-level foes aren't just harder to hit, they're harder to fight: the combat is more intense, the timing and movement more crucial, etc., to the point where interactions with the environment are more difficult.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">I wholeheartedly approve of Astral-Teflon Slime as a compromise between the two approaches.</li> </ul>On the topic of removing 1/2 level from stats, you could do this for attack and defense, but leave the 1/2 level in place for skills.  Attack and defense have a "Step 2" that scales with level -- damage and hit points.  In other words, after you attack, you still need to deal damage.  This is why 1/2 level on attack and defense is somewhat redundant and can probably be removed.  But skills are frequently "make the check and you're done," with no Step 2 involved, so they can benefit from 1/2 level.  That way your high-level rogue can still balance on a roof ridge and easily sneak past the guards.  Skills aren't used in combat nearly as much, so it shouldn't hinder the goal of monster re-use.  The only problem I can forsee is that certain skills go against defenses, notably Intimidate vs. Will, so you'd need to account for that (either give 1/2 level to Will defense vs Intimidate, or make Intimidate opposed by a skill, such as the better of Intimidate or Intuition). -- 77IM</blockquote>

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