CR Problems [Archive] - Wizards Community

CR Problems [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ArnimThayer
04-11-05, 11:59 AM I understand that CR is based off of an average party level consisting of four adventurers. How do you adjust CR when your grou[p consists of 6 or 8? I want my adventures to be a challenge, but I don't want to overwhelm them, nor do I want every encounter to be a walk-through. Help?!
quaiven
04-11-05, 12:28 PM I understand that CR is based off of an average party level consisting of four adventurers. How do you adjust CR when your grou[p consists of 6 or 8? I want my adventures to be a challenge, but I don't want to overwhelm them, nor do I want every encounter to be a walk-through. Help?!

You can either advance the monster in order to increase the CR, but what you're really worried about here is Encounter Level not Challenge Rating. Simply increase the number of foes the meet. For example, let's say you have 6 5th level characters instead of sending one troll at them (CR5) send two trolls at them (EL7). More character equal more monsters.
masterofmayhem
04-11-05, 08:39 PM Be warned, though, that with a party that large, you still lose the same percentage of your resources for a proper encounter. For example, I believe a proper encounter uses up 20% of your resources—20% of spells, potions, scrolls, magic items, and, worst of all, hit points. So a 4-person party against a CR 4 loses 20% of their HPs—either 20% from everyone or 80% from a single person (roughly, mind you). The problem with this is that an 8-person party also loses 20%, but that comes to more like 160% of one person's HP.

The unfortunate thing of having an overlarge party is that it increases your offense significantly, without increasing your defense barely more than a little. So when you have an EL 10 fighting 8 level 8s regularly, you may see that they can take it out just as quickly, but they suffer more damage, since their HPs, AC, attack, and spells are not up to par.

I know this from personal experience, by the way. Yes, the worst fighter ever. In my only two fights, knocked to negative in both fights before doing anything more than drawing an AoO. Man, but I suck.
weasel fierce
04-11-05, 09:10 PM To be honest (and completely unhelpfull) the only way to truly gauge what a good encounter is, is gameplay experience.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ArnimThayer 04-11-05, 11:59 AM	I understand that CR is based off of an average party level consisting of four adventurers. How do you adjust CR when your grou[p consists of 6 or 8? I want my adventures to be a challenge, but I don't want to overwhelm them, nor do I want every encounter to be a walk-through. Help?!
quaiven 04-11-05, 12:28 PM	I understand that CR is based off of an average party level consisting of four adventurers. How do you adjust CR when your grou[p consists of 6 or 8? I want my adventures to be a challenge, but I don't want to overwhelm them, nor do I want every encounter to be a walk-through. Help?! You can either advance the monster in order to increase the CR, but what you're really worried about here is Encounter Level not Challenge Rating. Simply increase the number of foes the meet. For example, let's say you have 6 5th level characters instead of sending one troll at them (CR5) send two trolls at them (EL7). More character equal more monsters.
masterofmayhem 04-11-05, 08:39 PM	Be warned, though, that with a party that large, you still lose the same percentage of your resources for a proper encounter. For example, I believe a proper encounter uses up 20% of your resources—20% of spells, potions, scrolls, magic items, and, worst of all, hit points. So a 4-person party against a CR 4 loses 20% of their HPs—either 20% from everyone or 80% from a single person (roughly, mind you). The problem with this is that an 8-person party also loses 20%, but that comes to more like 160% of one person's HP. The unfortunate thing of having an overlarge party is that it increases your offense significantly, without increasing your defense barely more than a little. So when you have an EL 10 fighting 8 level 8s regularly, you may see that they can take it out just as quickly, but they suffer more damage, since their HPs, AC, attack, and spells are not up to par. I know this from personal experience, by the way. Yes, the worst fighter ever. In my only two fights, knocked to negative in both fights before doing anything more than drawing an AoO. Man, but I suck.
weasel fierce 04-11-05, 09:10 PM	To be honest (and completely unhelpfull) the only way to truly gauge what a good encounter is, is gameplay experience.