Same Game Test: A Lesson

Balance, the ever present concern for the gaming community. It is useful as a gauge for DMs in both encounter design and scenario prediction, and to reduce feelings of inadequacy between players. 

For those that argue against the SGT because they've had fun in games without concerning themselves with balance, anecdotal evidence isn't an argument against it, and the logical conclusion of that argument states that you should ditch rules entirely and simply tell a story to each other. While that's not a bad idea, it does mean this entire post is not for you if you decide to go that way.

I bring up this technique, its inception not my own, because I will be using it as a baseline for any classes I post here.

A character is assumed to be at full health and ability before beginning the encounter, but should not be assumed to have any knowledge of it that would allow them to plan specifically for that encounter. The encounter must be overcome in a manner applicable, and escaping/bypassing the encounter is not treated as a win. Each encounter is categorized in terms of how high a chance of success the character has, Impossible (0), Unlikely (.33), Likely (.66), Certainty (.99); decided by doing the test three times to account for random dice rolls, each victory adding 1/3. Once you do this, take the average value for all of the encounters to get a rough idea where your character lies.

Ideally, you do this for several different levels; 5, 10, & 15 being the easiest. The goal is to have a 50% to 60% success rate, which is considered to be on the level of a Flask Rogue. Wizards are on the high end, but only if you're very experienced with the rules. Barbarians, Fighters, and Paladins start out on the 50% balance tier, but drop down noticeably at levels 10 and 15. Monks start and stay at an abysmal rate of success.

Level 5

* Locked door behind a high number of CR 4 traps

* Huge Animated iron statue in a throne room

* Basilisk in its desert burrow

* Large Fire Elemental in a forge

* Manticore flying over a plain

* Phase Spider

* Two Centaur Archers in light to medium woods

* Howler/Allip tag team in abandoned temple

* Grimlock team of four, hidden in a cavern

* Cleric of Hextor, with a dozen zombies, in a crypt

Level 10

* Hallway filled with magic rules

* Fire Giant

* Young Blue Dragon

* Bebilith

* Vrock

* Pair of Mind Flayers

* 10th level Necromancer

* 6 Trolls

* 12 Shadows

Level 15

* Marut

* 15th level Drow Priestess with army of ghouls

* Warparty of Cloud Giants

* Mature Adult White Dragon

* Death Slaad riding a Titanic Toad

* Cornugon

* Fully attended Hullathoin

* Windghost

* Gelugon with Iron Golem

* Pair of Glabrezus

* Harem of Succubi

* 20 Dire Bears

* 12 Medusa archers on Hellcats

* Pair of Beholders

* Forest made of lava, infested with hostile fire-elemental dire badgers