Re: what is it about angels?

Arthur Boff posts, in part:

  By breaking the CRs for the angels, the D&D rules
  make it technically legitimate to throw ridiculously
  powerful angels at the party in order to punish them
  and make them toe the line, *and* reduces unfairly
  the XP the party would get should they get lucky
  and defeat the angel.

I agree with your analysis of the purpose of angels within the context
of the D&D rules.

I'm not so certain about the CR and fairness arguments.

It is true that the party is less likely to defeat the angel and get
experience points out of it.  However, it also seems to be true that
party members are less likely to die from the encounter.  In the
present case, had the paladin fought a demon, she might have been more
likely to win - but if she had lost, she would likely have died,
right?

I don't know what the letter of the CR rules are, but in principle, I
think a risk and reward rating could legitimately rate at the same
level a creature which is more powerful but more constrained not to
hurt the party and a creature which is less powerful but less so
constrained.

Warren J. Dew