[3.5] Small party issue

[monty]

I just started DMing a group for two of my friends, and we started a campaign designed for 4 level 7 characters. Since there's only two of them, I figured the quickest way to balance it back out was to let them play gestalt characters. I expected it to be a bit hard for them still, since they're weaker than 4 characters, but that they'd be able to manage with some intelligent strategy. To my surprise, they've been plowing through the encounters with almost no difficulty whatsoever. They're playing a Warblade/Fighter and a Cleric (non-zilla)/Rogue, so I didn't anticipate any sort of cheesy combinations. Did I miss something, or is it a poorly designed campaign?

[sonofzeal]

I don't see a major problem here. Warblades are always solid, especially with Fighter feats beside them, and Cleric/Rogue is an excellent combination. They both seem to have made good characters, so let them have their fun. If they think it's too easy, double the hp (and add 4 to the saves) of all the enemies.

[Irreverent Fool]

Well, it does depend on how the enemies are being played. Can you give us some examples of how the combats go? What are the races played? How were stats determined?

There is also the chance that they are plowing through encounters that were designed mostly to soak up resources and with the gestalt combos they have the only thing they really have to expend is a few cleric spells.

[monty]

Well, it does depend on how the enemies are being played. Can you give us some examples of how the combats go? What are the races played? How were stats determined?

There is also the chance that they are plowing through encounters that were designed mostly to soak up resources and with the gestalt combos they have the only thing they really have to expend is a few cleric spells.

For example, they went up against a pair of shifter rogue/rangers (CR 8 encounter) and wiped them out. First round, the warblade won initiative, charged, and dropped one of them. The cleric hit the second with Hold Person, and the warblade coup de graced him in the next round.

[sonofzeal]

For example, they went up against a pair of shifter rogue/rangers (CR 8 encounter) and wiped them out. First round, the warblade won initiative, charged, and dropped one of them. The cleric hit the second with Hold Person, and the warblade coup de graced him in the next round.

Good luck, good tactics, good teamwork. No reason that shouldn't have been a dramatic win.

Any other examples?

[Svethnika]

Wow, that actually sounds like an incredibly interesting game! Are you guys having fun? A cleric/rogue sounds like a really interesting combination!
I'd go with what the others suggest and just make the encounters harder as needed. In small increments at first. That one battle may have been a bit of a fluke.