Re: what is it about angels?

In article <eptivh$d3i$1@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
Mary K. Kuhner <mkkuhner@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:

>SPOILERS for _Age of Worms_:

>Episode 3 of _Worms_ has 30 lizardfolk (and two leaders) which they
>discourage the 5th level PCs from tackling directly on the argument that 
>it's EL11.  Scuttlebutt on the net is that most PC parties just shrug and
>fight this, and they win.  I think my player is about to do this; I'll
>re****t back.  I expect he'll win.

He nuked them.  The PCs brought some NPC allies, admittedly, but they
could have done without.  The supposed EL11 is basically a patrol
encounter:  if the lizardfolk clump up they are all killed by fireball,
and if they don't, they are killed by the PC fighters; they have
a lot of trouble hitting anyone.  The PCs could do another 30
immediately (and are planning to do so).

It's very hard to rate encounters, to be sure, but I don't think the
current Monster Manual does a good job.  Too much grandfathering,
perhaps.

Probably there is no way to rate a group larger than about 8,
except by specifically considering how that particular creature scales.
I was wrong about harpies (they are CR4) but certainly m***** of
harpies are a lot more trouble than m***** of grunts.  There's a big
difference just between grunts with swords and grunts with bows.

But a single creature should be ratable by reference to the PC cl*****,
unless it is really bizarre.  At a bare minimum, if it casts as well
as a PC cleric or sorceror, it is almost surely not lower CR than they
are.
Even a reasonable assortment of spells with some at the PC caster's
highest level probably suggests at least equal CR.

Mary Kuhner mkkuhner@[EMAIL PROTECTED]