[PnP] How do you balance encounters?

[David Sanders]

I think you have to consider what damage players can take and what damage the encounters can deliver.  Understanding that a deadly hit can kill characters outright means they best be careful.  Shields help with survival but limit tasks the players can do.  However, one should also play humans and low level creatures like goblins such that a small wound may stun them, or cause them to run or just ruin their attacks, or disable them until their fate can be determined. Very few intelligent beings will fight to the death.  They want to live.  The bad guys just aren't that brave or committed.  This is one way that character class PC's (I.e. Heroes) differ from the rabble.

I think magic, and real monsters, should be rare.  Goblins don't count as such, but they are deadly if used right.  Like normal humans, they can be used as cannon fodder...maybe vicious but not terribly bright.  Other humans can be smarter.  More cunning.