Re: |[4E] The Devil's in the Details

In article <I4Odnd5IoJ3JxzranZ2dnUVZ_vGinZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxx>,
"Malachias Invictus" <invictusebay@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

"Allen Wessels" <awessels@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:awessels-E3363E.19595303022008@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

If the opponents are selected by the 4e guidelines, the PCs are supposed
to win.

How is that at all different from 3.X? A 4-member party fighting an
equivalent EL encounter is only supposed to use 20% of their resources.

Sure, on statistical average. However, in 3.5, 1-2 too many 1's rolled
and 20% can go to 50% in an eyeblink. We even have a physical trophy
we've named that gets handed to someone who everyone agrees is rolling
misrably that session.

Because damage is lower, you should have less round to round variability.

Sure. That is what allows for a rout rather than a TPK.

I expect the party might have to fall back and regroup and even retreat,
but I'd think a total rout would have to be either a very wierd set of
dice rolls or a party that made fundamental mistakes. Most of which
should shake out after the first few sessions.

Note that you are assuming an even encounter strength, which is not going to
be the case in every situation. A more challenging, or even overwhelming
encounter is going to require careful tactics to avoid a defeat, a rout, or
maybe even a TPK.

That reminds of of the game session in which the DM didn't tell us which
party (16th level gropu or 8-9th level) the adventure was intended for.
We assumed it was the lower level group and made it in further than we
should, past all the indicators that should have read to us as "abandon
all hope....".

If the encounter is overwhelming, it seems to me that there are fewer
"get the hell out of Dodge" magic means of escape. It does hearken back
to the days of "spike the door shut and run like the wind". :-)

- Allen
.

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