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Message: <blockquote data-quote="clearstream" data-source="post: 7722884" data-attributes="member: 71699">Hmm... that indicates that I can explain them in a better way. We agree that attritional encounters are only likely to be lethal when there have been previous encounters. Whereas lethal encounters are lethal regardless. The DM using this knows that an attritional encounter on its own, or even the first couple, aren't likely to prove lethal.No question that if we had the time and tools to enter our PCs and simulate heuristically, then simulating heuristically would be better. We also need clearer definitions. For example, "lethality" could be defined as a better than 1/5 chance that at least one PC will die. So that non-lethal would mean that if we ran the combat 5 times, no one dies. We don't know any such thing now, of course. Fixed sizing values are still useful provided that the effort to apply them respects the accuracy they afford. DMs using the numbers straight from the DMG can feel confident that they will not overtax their PCs. All I want to do here is bring together the per encounter and per day sizing value and dial up the game difficulty.Thresholds Per Encounter and Adventuring DayThe table below is intended to help size encounters that your PCs can handle. It is derived from the DMG, but multiplies the thresholds there by about 1.6 to produce a harder game. Encounters are categorised as attritional and lethal. Both types can result in PC death, but attritional encounters are are very unlikely to do so unless preceded by other encounters: a party of 3-5 PCs should be able to handle around 2 attritional encounters between short rests, or 6 between long rests.The table provides an XP Budget (per PC) for attritional difficulty. To build an attritional encounter, add together the budgets for each PC in your party and then choose creatures for your encounter (applying adjustments per the DMG) until at or just over your budget. To build a lethal encounter, use double the attritional budget. For example, for a party of 3 level 4 and 1 level 5 PC, the budget for an attritional encounter is 2200, doubled for a lethal encounter.Level....XP Budget (per PC)1..........802..........1603..........3004..........4405..........8806..........10007..........12608..........15009..........188010........226011........264012........288013........338014........376015........450016........500017........626018........676019........750020........10000That looks fairly decent. It brings together the adventuring day with the per encounter thresholds. It increases the encounter budgets which is predicted to yield a harder game. And it is very simple and quick to apply... which it must be in order to respect its level of accuracy.</blockquote>

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