Players Trouncing Foes

[hooplala]

It should also be pretty awesome to say, "you see 20,000 goblins swarming out of the earth. You remember the innkeeper's warning, that for every one you see, fifty are waiting."

Oh wow, 20,000.... I thought you meant, like, 25. 

[hooplala]

Everyone does seem to be having fun, and admittedly I have doled out a few magic items here and there, but not to those characters I feel are a little overpowered. We have a barbarian in the game who is meant to be the son of Kull the Barbarian, and he seemed a tad weak for what the story was so I tossed a belt of giant strength at him, but that was only very recently (last session). They do tend to rest up recently because they are travelling across a wide expanse, I could toss a few encounters at them to liven it up.

Until last game it was a 6 person party at 2nd level. They just leveled to 3rd on Saturday night and also picked up a new member. So I have been planning to set up the upcoming encounters at CR6. Too low? I would rather e known as a harsh GM than a pushover but I don't want people continually frustrated either.

CR should be based on APL.  If there are 4-5 players in a game, APL is just the average level of the party, rounded down.  If there are 6-7 players, it should be (average party level rounded down)+1

So if they are 3rd level, it should go:

Easy encounter = CR3
Average encounter = CR4
Challenging encounter = CR 5
Boss = CR6
I fucking hate you get a character sheet you horrible little dead person = CR7+

ExTREMEly helpful, thank you!

[Don Coyote]

It should also be pretty awesome to say, "you see 20,000 goblins swarming out of the earth. You remember the innkeeper's warning, that for every one you see, fifty are waiting."

Oh wow, 20,000.... I thought you meant, like, 25. 

The goblins is just really small, and wearing the skins of people.

[00.dusk]

Oh wow, 20,000.... I thought you meant, like, 25. 

The goblins is just really small, and wearing the skins of people.

You give me the temptation to stat up a minigoblin swarm monster that can collectively hold and use up to Large weapons. They can also wear the armor of their kills, and attack after the players bring down a party of hobgoblins or gnolls or something else with some gear, so they come in armed and armored.

"You see what appears to be moving moss gathering around the bodies of the slain. Suddenly they rise from the dead, or so it seems. Every one of the bodies is swarming with bug-sized goblins, armed with tiny knives. With a collective, high pitched, "heave-- ho!" they clumsily pull back the arm of the gnoll pack leader and swing it forward at the nearest member of the party."

When the bodies are minced beyond usefulness the party can attack the goblin swarm itself, which retreats into the breastplates and helmets and uses the flails like tank turrets. These microfortresses are knee height and absolutely terrifying because they don't go down until someone finds a lot of fire to throw at them.

All the fun treasure is, of course, gone. While you were fighting the horde, their worker caste dragged all the real goodies off to its nest. You're left with the busted up gnoll armor, the flails, a couple thousand toothpick-sized shortswords and a bunch of smouldering leather armor sized for pixies.

[LMNO]

It should also be pretty awesome to say, "you see 20,000 goblins swarming out of the earth. You remember the innkeeper's warning, that for every one you see, fifty are waiting."

Oh wow, 20,000.... I thought you meant, like, 25. 

Homie don't fuck around.  There should always be one encounter that makes the PCs go, "Um... NOPE."

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

It should also be pretty awesome to say, "you see 20,000 goblins swarming out of the earth. You remember the innkeeper's warning, that for every one you see, fifty are waiting."

Oh wow, 20,000.... I thought you meant, like, 25. 

Homie don't fuck around.  There should always be one encounter that makes the PCs go, "Um... NOPE."

THIS ^^^

Some of the best games I've been in have been ones where there was a fight we could pick (or choose not to run away from) that was utterly and completely suicidal by the numbers.

[hooplala]

I knew I made the right decision to ask you folks.

[Cain]

Tarrasque hits party, everyone dies.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Traps are a major resource for parties like this, as are cannon fodder. Make them waste time, items, x-per-day abilities before pitting them up against something really nasty.

Social conflicts are another way to get at them. Assuming nobody's min-maxxed for diplomacy, you can create real tension without worrying about murderfests every game.

This is where my PCs nudge Lefty the Torch-Bearer forward with their swords.  At 2 SP/day, that miserable slacker is gonna earn his pay.