So I’m running a homebrew campaign and I’m trying to come up with encounters that fit in the story that I am telling. Right now I’ve had 2 sessions where we had only one combat encounter each time. However each time the players have almost been on the brink a death. I’ve been trying to use the CR rating to create challenging but fair encounters but I think I might be making the encounters too hard. It’s a party of 3 at level 2. The past creature they fought was a brown bear at CR 2 and I almost knocked down the parties paladin in round 1.
A Brown Bear has a CR of 1, and if it rolls well on its attacks should do about 18 HP damage on average - which is a lot of damage for a 2nd level Paladin who should have HP somewhere around 20 HP depending on their Constitution - so that seems about right.
According to Kobold Fight Club, a single Brown Bear should be an Easy encounter.
I don't think you're doing anything wrong here.
Your Players may need to think a little more tactically - but also, at 2nd level, the fluctuations of luck and the dice are a lot more significant.
It may just be bad party tactics, or bad party luck.
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In the beginning it's trial and error. If you had taken out the Paladin, that would be ok, 0 HP isn't always dead. Just make it so the next hit or two downs the bear, and the survivors can save the Paladin.
CR is really just a guide and becomes more inaccurate as it gets higher. There is no reason you can't use a few CR 1/4 or 1/2. Then knowing how that worked out, adjust for future fights.
Using a CR calculator a Brown Bear, for a three player party of level 2 characters, is considered "easy".
What kind of experience do the players have? If they're new players then they may not understand how to use all their tools in combat effectively. I tossed 2 Worgs at an identical level party, that combat is considered "medium" per the CR calculator. I'm playing with an experienced player and my two kids (10/11 yrs old) and the combat was pretty rough, they ended up with one player down, not dead, by the time all was said and done.
What is your party makeup? If you're overloaded with low HP/AC characters, or you have no healers, then combat becomes trickier. The party I'm using as an example has a Fighter, Sorcerer and Ranger. They're a pretty well rounded group, something like 2 worgs shouldn't push them very hard and having one player fall in combat isn't too surprising considering they're all mid range AC.
What was your approach with the fight? If you're bringing out a monster, or group of monsters, who's only intent is to kill the players, and you play it that way, then expect them to have a hard time of it. If you want to give the players a challenge, then adjust the combat to example that. Does the bear really want to kill them, or is it defending it's den? Is it really going to fight to the death or will it run away when it realizes that it's in mortal danger?
So to clarify, the party makeup is a Druid, a Sorcerer and a Paladin. The Druid and Paladin I have been in campaigns with and they are fairly experienced. The Sorcerer is the only new player. The bear was acting in a defensive manner for guardians of the forest and I did have it run away once it got to the very bloody stage. And yes the dice rolls did not go in their favor. The multi attack is what really got them. I did have the bear attack both the druid and the paladin who were up front so that i didn't focus all the damage on one player.
That Kobold Fight club link is very handy and i will be using that more. Thanks!
Yea, it sounds like a combination of bad luck and learning curve, nothing for you to carry on your shoulders. You're going to find some fights, which should be a cake walk, will challenge your players more than the BBEG that they seem to breeze through.
KFC is a good resource, helpful to get a feel for what your players should be able to handle but it's not going to be perfect. As Wysperra has mentioned CR is a fickle thing, especially at high levels. CR is a "White room" number, it does not take into account player ingenuity, the items they have at their disposal, tactics, environment, or any other factor beyond pure numbers. I can kill a group of 6 level 5 players with 8 goblins, I've almost done it, whereas I've watched a group of 5 level 4 players wipe out 2 Ankhegs without taking so much as a single point of damage.
Challenge in combat is fluid, but it does have a general curve to it, you'll get a feel for what they're capable of as you toss more encounters at them. Give it time, you'll find that sweet spot.
So I’m running a homebrew campaign and I’m trying to come up with encounters that fit in the story that I am telling. Right now I’ve had 2 sessions where we had only one combat encounter each time. However each time the players have almost been on the brink a death. I’ve been trying to use the CR rating to create challenging but fair encounters but I think I might be making the encounters too hard. It’s a party of 3 at level 2. The past creature they fought was a brown bear at CR 2 and I almost knocked down the parties paladin in round 1.
Any advice would be welcome.
Second level characters are squishy.
A Brown Bear has a CR of 1, and if it rolls well on its attacks should do about 18 HP damage on average - which is a lot of damage for a 2nd level Paladin who should have HP somewhere around 20 HP depending on their Constitution - so that seems about right.
According to Kobold Fight Club, a single Brown Bear should be an Easy encounter.
I don't think you're doing anything wrong here.
Your Players may need to think a little more tactically - but also, at 2nd level, the fluctuations of luck and the dice are a lot more significant.
It may just be bad party tactics, or bad party luck.
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
In the beginning it's trial and error. If you had taken out the Paladin, that would be ok, 0 HP isn't always dead. Just make it so the next hit or two downs the bear, and the survivors can save the Paladin.
CR is really just a guide and becomes more inaccurate as it gets higher. There is no reason you can't use a few CR 1/4 or 1/2. Then knowing how that worked out, adjust for future fights.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
There's a couple questions I'd like to ask first:
Using a CR calculator a Brown Bear, for a three player party of level 2 characters, is considered "easy".
What kind of experience do the players have? If they're new players then they may not understand how to use all their tools in combat effectively.
I tossed 2 Worgs at an identical level party, that combat is considered "medium" per the CR calculator. I'm playing with an experienced player and my two kids (10/11 yrs old) and the combat was pretty rough, they ended up with one player down, not dead, by the time all was said and done.
What is your party makeup? If you're overloaded with low HP/AC characters, or you have no healers, then combat becomes trickier.
The party I'm using as an example has a Fighter, Sorcerer and Ranger. They're a pretty well rounded group, something like 2 worgs shouldn't push them very hard and having one player fall in combat isn't too surprising considering they're all mid range AC.
What was your approach with the fight? If you're bringing out a monster, or group of monsters, who's only intent is to kill the players, and you play it that way, then expect them to have a hard time of it. If you want to give the players a challenge, then adjust the combat to example that. Does the bear really want to kill them, or is it defending it's den? Is it really going to fight to the death or will it run away when it realizes that it's in mortal danger?
Thanks everyone.
So to clarify, the party makeup is a Druid, a Sorcerer and a Paladin. The Druid and Paladin I have been in campaigns with and they are fairly experienced. The Sorcerer is the only new player. The bear was acting in a defensive manner for guardians of the forest and I did have it run away once it got to the very bloody stage. And yes the dice rolls did not go in their favor. The multi attack is what really got them. I did have the bear attack both the druid and the paladin who were up front so that i didn't focus all the damage on one player.
That Kobold Fight club link is very handy and i will be using that more. Thanks!
Yea, it sounds like a combination of bad luck and learning curve, nothing for you to carry on your shoulders. You're going to find some fights, which should be a cake walk, will challenge your players more than the BBEG that they seem to breeze through.
KFC is a good resource, helpful to get a feel for what your players should be able to handle but it's not going to be perfect. As Wysperra has mentioned CR is a fickle thing, especially at high levels. CR is a "White room" number, it does not take into account player ingenuity, the items they have at their disposal, tactics, environment, or any other factor beyond pure numbers. I can kill a group of 6 level 5 players with 8 goblins, I've almost done it, whereas I've watched a group of 5 level 4 players wipe out 2 Ankhegs without taking so much as a single point of damage.
Challenge in combat is fluid, but it does have a general curve to it, you'll get a feel for what they're capable of as you toss more encounters at them. Give it time, you'll find that sweet spot.