I am not quite understanding the process for adjusting encounters as written in the Rulebook. My group has a party size of 3 (lvl 2 characters) and set to face off against 2 wights (lvl 3 creatures) in the encounter. XP award says 120 which would indicate the adventure wants this as a Severe threat level. Book says I should adjust down 30 XP budget for the encounter with 3 in the party. Can someone tell me how I decide what creatures/how to adjust the enounter?
I thought substituting 2 Skeletal Champions might be a way to go but I’d like to understand the mechanics better. Thank you.
Age of ashes hellknight hill correct?
The easiest way to go about this is:
- Look at the original threat rating (in this case Moderate 3, it says so in the heading of the room)
- Adjust for level difference (threat will increase by one step per level higher or reduce for lower, so moderate 3 becomes severe 2 in this case)
- Challenge rating Severe 2 = 120xp
- Adjust for party size 90xp(120-30)
- Choose creatures to fit in the 90xp budget.
example combinations
6 level -1 creatures(6*15 exp) | Total 90 exp
3 level 0 creatures(3*20 exp), 1 level 1 creature (30 exp) | Total 90 exp
3 level 1 creatures(3*30 exp) | Total 90 exp
1 level 1 creature(30 exp), 1 level 3 creature (60 exp) | Total 90 exp
Creatures that could be used
Level -1: Skeleton Guard
Level -1: Zombie Shambler
Level 1: Plague Zombie
Level 1: Hellcrown
Level 1: Ghoul
Level 3: Skeletal Champion [Elite] (use easy tool to quickly apply the template)
Level 3: Skeletal Giant
Level 3: Unkillable Zombie Brute
Level 3: Wight
What I would use
Hellcrown + Wight. If you are happy to play with thematics or are worried about a TPK if your players are having bad dice luck or are new to the game. You could have the wight be a headless horseman type situation where it is holding it's head (fully animated) and then only have the head fly around as a hellcrown if you judge the fight is going too easily for the party.
Remember to award 120exp if they beat the severe challenge though, not 90exp.
If they do it without the hellcrown and only one wight it would be a moderate challenge only worth 80exp.
If they level to 3 before fighting the room just adjust the threat rating down one tier (moderate 80exp for the full fight, low 60exp for the 1 wight only fight).
I hope this helped :)
Thank you so much for the detailed example Gleeful! Immensely helpful!
Thank you so much for the detailed example Gleeful! Immensely helpful!
Glad to be of help, it is quite fast when you get used to it.
The weak and elite adjustments don't work well on creatures level 1 or lower and the strong adjustments don't work well until characters are level 2 in my experience. It is a bit swingy when they are level 1.
Also, it is always easier to beef up later encounters if a party starts steamrolling, but it is harder to repair trust and sense of progression after a TPK or near TPK :). That is to say, err on caution while learning the new system, because higher level foes tend to hit hard.