Darkstalker Feat. Why?

[Psyren]

Ah, that might be one of the sources in our different experiences. I personally find level 3-4 much more satisfying in 3.X systems for basically everyone.

I don't mind starting there with an inexperienced group either. But definitely not at 11. So you can alter that last quote to be "after 8 levels of play" or whatever you find palatable if that helps.

That players' skills at character building form a huge, huge spectrum and that there are certainly going to be players who cannot beat creatures at their assigned CR.

Maybe, but it won't be because their characters were wholly incapable/outclassed from the start - like it would be with, say, a 3.5 core monk. So the number itself still works.

Certainly, a lot of it can hit home but misses do happen too and at least I find it strange as a player if we keep getting oddly convenient toys or if ye olde magic marts with basically everything exist or are easily accessible.

There's an awful lot of daylight between "fixed rewards only" and "magic marts where everything exists" you know.

I'm questioning your premise of CR being appropriate for the lowest common denominator. And you don't strike me as a beginner DM so I don't see what value there is in it to you.

The value is that, rather than saying "CR 11 is wrong for that monster because my 11 party can easily stomp it" I instead say "My 11 party can handle CR 14 printed challenges, so I'll make that CR 11 monster as strong as a CR 14." In short, for me it doesn't really matter what number they put there because I know the game and my players, but I like what it represents because it still gives me a baseline I can work from.

[truemane]

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