Instead of having to specify to make sure to minus one CR, would it not be easier just to write that NPC as one lower? So a Superstitious Mercenary as a 1/3 instead of 1/2 and taking one away?
I think I may be missing something really important here haha :D
I'm probably being really dense here, but:
Huh?
To answer the question I think you might be asking, NPC gear results in a CR 1 below the level of the character. PC gear gives CR = Level. Are you suggesting that all NPCs be dropped a level and given PC gear?
Ohhh I didn't realsie that was why NPCs were one lower!
The Rulebook just stated, "Creatures whose Hit Dice are solely a factor of their class levels and not a feature of their race, such as all of the PC races detailed in Races, are factored into combats a little differently than normal monsters or monsters with class levels. A creature that possesses class levels, but does not have any racial Hit Dice, is factored in as a creature with a CR equal to its class levels –1."
I assumed PCs and NPCs used the same gear, where does it say otherwise?
I can't remember offhand where it is, but I know there is a "Making NPCs" section in either the APG or Core that gives a chart about how much money a mook NPC has. And there is also a chart that tells how much money a PC is expected to have at a given level.
Money in the form of gear, that is.
NPC Gear Adjustments: You can significantly increase or decrease the power level of an NPC with class levels by adjusting the NPC's gear. The combined value of an NPC's gear is given in Creating NPCs on Table: NPC Gear. A classed NPC encountered with no gear should have his CR reduced by 1 (provided that loss of gear actually hampers the NPC), while a classed NPC that instead has gear equivalent to that of a PC (as listed on Table: Character Wealth by Level) has a CR of 1 higher than his actual CR. Be careful awarding NPCs this extra gear, though—especially at high levels, where you can blow out your entire adventure's treasure budget in one fell swoop!
Thanks guys, makes a lot of sense.
So if a stat block for an NPC says CR 1/2, I am supposed to factor it into an encounter by treating it as a 1/3?
May as well ask other silly CR questions here.
The stat block for an encounter in Mythic Adventures says "Mythic Gargoyles (6) CR5/MR2". But ONE Mythic Gargoyle is CR5, so does this mean the full encounter is CR 10?
No. If a statblock for an NPC says CR 1/2, it's CR 1/2. It is a 1st level (say) fighter, but with NPC gear that 1st level fighter is CR 1/2 (in the CR system 1 (level) - 1 (NPC gear) = 1/2). If it had PC gear it would be CR 1 (PC gear means level = CR.)
For the second part, 6 creatures is CR+5, so yes, 6 mythic gargoyles is a CR 10 encounter.
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I assumed PCs and NPCs used the same gear, where does it say otherwise?
Use this for PC's:
Character Wealth by LevelAnd this is for NPC's:
NPC Gear
Compare the Total gp Value on the NPC table to the PC table, and make sure you use the right level column, normal or heroic.
Cool, thanks a lot!