Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Light_Colonel 05-18-07, 02:29 PM	Ok, so lets say you have a module designed for 4 characters of 5th level. Unfortunately you have 6 players. What method do you use in this situation? (For this scenario assume the module says nothing on the subject) The options it seems to me are: Do nothing. The characters will receive less xp over the course of the adventure and thus the mod will end up being extra tough on it's own as the players fight higher CR monsters, which of course will in turn give them higher xp.... Increase the encounters by 50%. If a fight calls for 8 Kuo-Toa, send in 12. If it's 20 Goblins - now it's 30. In the case of "boss" fights, I would just add a few flunky monsters from the same area as it. and... Anything else?
Inigo Carmine 05-18-07, 03:16 PM	It's hard to say. If CR was an absolutely perfect measurement, increasing encounters by a EL of 1 would solve this problem. Simply throwing a tougher creature at them, however is difficult. Single powerful-enemy encounters get very swingy; the difference between PCs easily steamrolling the enemy or enemy killing at least a few players gets smaller and smaller. On the other hand, throwing 50% more enemies will generally end up easier on the PCs, as they are more powerful than the enemies, and can do some seriously disproportionate carnage through are of effect spells, cleave, etc. So in the end, I'd say: For normal run of the mill EL = Party of 4's level type encounters, I would just shift the EL up by 1 by having them fight more powerful creatures. These battles are usually easy, and making them slightly more swingy isn't as big of a problem. For tough, bosslike encounters, I would add more lackies. This errs on the side of being easy, but better to slightly undershoot your players combat strength than slightly overshoot.
Phrennzy 05-18-07, 09:42 PM	You can also add hit points to the monsters instead of more monsters. But if you alter the monsters this way, make sure you give more XP for defeating them.
Deep Blue 9000 05-19-07, 12:08 AM	Well, a third option is to just make the monsters 50% tougher: send them up against higher CR opponents. However, you'll have to be careful about what enemy you chose. A CR 7 can have flight because the PCs also to have access to flight by that level. However if they are just level 4 than they will not, and the flying beast would be a poor opponent for them.
guru7892 05-19-07, 12:33 AM	first, tell your players you need to make things more challenging so they understand that things will be a little diffrent than normal. then tell them what you are doing, if it is an increase in hp, or increase in monsters or powers tell them. dont make your players feel like you are cheating them or going 'under the table', keep things open.
Borris 05-19-07, 07:54 AM	For mobs above CR 1, increasing the number of creatures by 50% should increase the Encounter Level by exactly 1. This is probably the easiest solution, since you don't have to change anyone's stats. You could also add one class level to each monster, but it can be very tiem consuming. However, I believe that's the best way to go for "boss" or lone monsters. Adding a single level to a creature that already has class levels shouldn't require too much work. In the case of lone monsters that don't have class levels, either give them a class level if they're intelligent enough, preferably in something that makes them better (usually fighter or barbarian for beaters, rogue for sneaks, only add spellcaster levels for monsters who already "cast spells as..." like Rakhshasa, dragons, or nymphs), or simply replace them with a similar monster one CR higher in the case of monsters that can't advance by class level.