A better way of calculating CR?

[Socksy]

A dozen weasels should NOT be as tough as a Very Young Blue Dragon. The fourth-level sole PC and DMPC should not have been able to defeat a CR9 encounter (four autognomes) by chucking rocks at them. Can I please get a more sensible way of figuring out monster CR using their stats? :c

[Dr. Cliché]

A dozen weasels should NOT be as tough as a Very Young Blue Dragon. The fourth-level sole PC and DMPC should not have been able to defeat a CR9 encounter (four autognomes) by chucking rocks at them. Can I please get a more sensible way of figuring out monster CR using their stats? :c

Bear in mind that the problem is at both ends.

Not all parties are equal - classes, optimisation, equipment/wealth, spells known/prepared etc. all make a big difference.

Some apparently CR-appropriate monsters will pose a real problem for certain parties, whilst other parties will just breeze through them.

[Zombimode]

A dozen weasels should NOT be as tough as a Very Young Blue Dragon.

A dozen weasels are an ECL 3 encounter, a very young blue dragon is an ECL 4 encounter.

Also, do note that because weasels are individually CR 1/4 which means that characters past a certain ECL will not receive any exp from them.


The fourth-level sole PC and DMPC should not have been able to defeat a CR9 encounter (four autognomes) by chucking rocks at them.

The only creature called "autognome" I was able to find in 3.5 is in a Spelljammer Supplmemt I don't own (and wasn't aware that it exists), but my creature index lists them as CR 2. 4 Autognomes would be an ECL 6 encounter then. Sometimes, a creature is particularly vulnerable against certain strategies. This is not something a single value like CR can accommodate for.

[Socksy]

A dozen weasels are an ECL 3 encounter, a very young blue dragon is an ECL 4 encounter.

Also, do note that because weasels are individually CR 1/4 which means that characters past a certain ECL will not receive any exp from them.

I thought CR 1/4 meant four are CR1 so eight are CR3 and si%teen are CR5 (making twelve CR4)?


The only creature called "autognome" I was able to find in 3.5 is in a Spelljammer Supplmemt I don't own (and wasn't aware that it exists), but my creature index lists them as CR 2. 4 Autognomes would be an ECL 6 encounter then. Sometimes, a creature is particularly vulnerable against certain strategies. This is not something a single value like CR can accommodate for.

It was CR 5 on the online page I found. CR 2 would have been much better for them, I think.

[Zombimode]

I thought CR 1/4 meant four are CR1 so eight are CR3 and si%teen are CR5 (making twelve CR4)?

I trust all those matters to the capable hands of the Encounter Calculator (http://www.d20srd.org/extras/d20encountercalculator/), a tool no 3.5 GM should be without :smallsmile: