[PnP] How do you balance encounters?

Fri May 2 04:45:32 CEST 2014

Correct on first.
SEcond is a big unclear.
3:1 could be the number of beings.
Could be CEL or ocv or such.
It is a bit unclear.  The problem is some 
characters can tae on only 1 person per person 
but otherc an take 5 people at once.  It is like 
iwh tmy bard in the party eh could handle a mob of 10 easy rowdy npcs.
But the Faerry might be hard with 2.
So again this is relative.

At 01:35 PM 5/1/2014, you wrote:
>I think that i found the answer today whilst reading through the books.
>
>I was reading book III (creature book) and at 
>the end of the book (page 59) i was struck by this phrase written by Snider:
>
>"For play balance, the referee should restrict 
>the total AHP of the forces that a party can 
>encounter to three times the parties total HPV or less.
>
>To preserve the challenge of encounters, except 
>in special circumstances, the Character party 
>should never have more than a three to one 
>advantage over the force that they combat, 
>except in special circumstances during an adventure".
>
>Now, i must admit that i'm quite confused.Maybe 
>it's because i am not an english mothertongue or 
>it's just because Mr Snider isn't quite clear here?
>
>I take the first phrase to mean that:
>
>-the referee can arrange an encounter (for 
>instance) with a single monster that has 120 hpv 
>whereas the total hpv of the party is 40 (40x3=120)
>
>while the second phrase means (again, as i got it):
>
>-the party can (and should have, most of the 
>times except in special circumstances) three 
>times the chance of winning over a monster or an 
>encounter, so the referee can arrange an 
>encounter where there are 2 ogres totalling 20 
>HPV whereas the party total HPV can be of 60 (20x3), but not more than that.
>
>Am i right? what do you think?
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: longshotgm at comcast.net
> > Sent: Wed, 23 Apr 2014 18:50:20 -0400
> > To: pnp at list.powersandperils.org
> > Subject: Re: [PnP] How do you balance encounters?
> >
> >
> > That works well.
> > Nice thing about pnp is you can do that with ease.
> > Richard made it just for that reason.
> >
> >
> > At 02:55 AM 4/21/2014, you wrote:
> > >My 2 CP,
> >>
> > >As far as i'm concerned i use another formula for the CDF:
> >>
> > >MEL/2 + CEL/5 + HPV/10 + CL
> > >+1 per advantagous ability (combat ability, magic items, resistance,
> > >immunity etc)
> > >-1 per disadvantagous ability (low morale, afflictions, prohibition etc)
> >>
> > >Doing the same with player's caracters you can compute the encounter
> > ratio.
> > >Above 2-1, the combat will be one sided
> >>
> > >TNT
> > >-----Message d'origine-----
> > >De : pnp [mailto:pnp-bounces at list.powersandperils.org] De la part de
> > Scott
> > >Adams
> > >EnvoyÃ© : lundi 21 avril 2014 03:29
> > >Ã€ : The Powers and Perils Mailing List
> > >Objet : Re: [PnP] How do you balance encounters?
> >>
> >>
> > >Alex, Paul, David all had good points.
> > >Balance is serious work. I believe in balance a a lot.
> > >But experience is the best judge. Most GMS go from Grade E to A in my
> > view.
> > >Grade E newbies are those who are 80% hack and slash and 10% characters
> > and
> > >10% plot.
> > >Grade A tend to be the best 70% plot, 10% hack/slash and 20% characters.
> > >I used to be Grade E in the 80s using CEL as a balance. But it quickly
> > fell
> > >through bad times.
> > >Very few are Grade A+. Oout of the hundreds I only know of 4-5 GMS that
> > are
> > >grade A+.
> > >So it is mostly experience.
> > >CDF is good bu it can be dangerous.
> > >A CDF 8 dragon might seem bad but for some characters they are easy.
> > >Yet a CDF 1 monster that has a ability to kill with a look can be more
> > >dangerous. So CDF is not a good factor.
> > >If I reclal Soul Davias for example are low CDF? But they are quite
> > >dangerous to underestimate.
> > >I tend to look at it case by case basis for pcs. I have a 8 foot 800
> > pound
> > >Bard that can handle likley a army on his own with 70 odd hp. But he
> > can be
> > >downed by a simple spell.
> >>
> > >I have a person who uses dual daggers. I tend to konw she can handle
> > more
> > >than one person so I figure more than 1 for her. Yet I have a small
> > Faerry
> > >that is weak somewhat (not fully) but can be understimated by the bad
> > guys
> > >who cna tke out a hundred bad guys with her bow.
> >>
> > >I also look at the gear. A person wearing AV7 magic armor can handle a
> > >tougher bad guy than one who is weairng no armor.
> > >I see a person who has magic toys is out balanced by their use so I may
> > >overwhelm that person so that the toys are useless.
> >>
> > >I don't on purpose design some encounters to be mean. For example my
> > last
> > >enocunter I had
> > >5 human npc males
> > >2 great apes
> > >1 unknown magic user (will not reveal here since aprt is looking:) )
> >>
> > >vs the
> > >Giant Bard, Shman/Wizard, Dagger Maiden, Faerry so 8 vs 4 more or less.
> > >The humans are wimps and taken out fast.
> > >But the apes do damage.
> > >The unknown bad guy takes out he giant and could've killed him.
> > >So I balance the giant with a simple few magical words.
> >>
> > >There is no rule of thumb here.
> > >One must see teh pc as a whole their gear, skills and experience.
> > >a Newbie player who is doing a fighter with bogus gear and skills is
> > useless
> > >if he can't figure out how to do tactics in a fight.
> >>
> > >But a overconfident giant who fears nothing cna be taken down without
> > even a
> > >blade.
> >>
> > >A gm shouldn't every fight to kill.
> > >In fact balance it. 3-3 easy ho hum batles.
> > >This tends to make players cocky.
> > >Then bam a hard fight.
> > >Reel them in for their bravado.
> >>
> > >A gm who sends 100 goblins against 10 pcs sees the pcs dead.
> > >But a SMART player who can wipe them out with a simple XYZ spellcan be a
> > >great balance.
> >>
> > >In my mind I have a irrational math for balance.
> > >If I see a player pick up a Sword of Doom and Chainmail of the Gods then
> > I
> > >see that as a certain factor of points to balance it out.
> > >So let's say in my mind I have 20 points vs 25 a fair balance.
> > >But if i see naked pcs with nothing but a few sticks swarmed by a trible
> > of
> > >goblins then in my mimnd it might be 50 to 10 a unfair balance.
> > >So I allow outs. Outs are critical to every encounter. If your stupid
> > >enough to need the cup on the altar across the room then go get it.
> > Just be
> > >careful of the lava on the floor. If you need to cross a roof with 200
> > >archers on teh ground below then you deserve to die playing pin cushion.
> > >But there is always a out.
> > >The same lava can be skipped by that vine in the roof if only you can
> > get
> > >there.
> > >Same roof can be crossed with that tower shield the guard left.
> > >If you can see a out it is always there.
> >>
> > >For the goblins if you can simply jump off the cliff to th eriver below
> > to
> > >avoid them then do so.
> >>
> > >Balance is hard to figure out. But give folks a way out.
> > >Kobayshu Maru no win things are NOTFun for players.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> PM 4/19/2014, you wrote:
> >> >Hi all,
> >>>
> >> >how do you manage to balance encounters in P&P?
> >>>
> >> >I have a group of four players:
> >>>
> >> >Ennon: OCV 2, DCV 4
> >> >Gunnard: OCV 9, DCV 8
> >> >Darrel: OCV 3, DCV 5
> >> >Habbakuk: OCV 6, DCV 5
> >>>
> >> >the average hit point value of each character is around 20, except for
> >> >Gunnard who has 33 HPV.
> >>>
> >> >Given this situation, i always have doubts as to which creature
> >> >(monster) they should face.
> >> >As you probably remember, Richard Snider at the end of book IV stated
> >> >that "the situation that evolves in your game must be designed such
> >> >that:
> >>>
> >> >A) they are not automatic victories for your players AND
> >> >B) they are situations that the party involved can win
> >>>
> >> >I always try to stick to this (apparently simple) rule, but it is not
> >> >so easy, so i would like to know how you are used to managing
> >> encounters.
> >>>
> >> >I think it is a mistake for the game master to throw monsters at the
> >> >party that are too strong to beat, but at the same time the player's
> >> >skills must be put to test, that is why i think that encounters should
> >> >always be balanced.
> >>>
> >> >Now, how to balance them? How to pick the correct monster (one which is
> >> >as strong as my players are) from the monster list in book III?
> >>>
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