# Calibrating Encounters The design and play philosophy of Tiny d10 differs significantly from many modern tabletop games, and so balancing encounters has always been something of a mechanical challenge. That said, it is possible to calibrate a readable danger gradient that provides player characters (PCs) a fair chance to adapt, disengage, or perish using the concept of **risk envelopes**. In effect, this changes the calculus from "what is the percentile likelihood the party will win," to "does the encounter communicate the danger and can party skill meaningfully change the outcome?" ## Lethality Drivers Lethality drivers quantify danger and consist of four components: 1. Hit Points 2. Damage Bonuses 3. Combat Resources 4. Action Economy The more Hit Points an enemy has, the more damage it can sustain and deal; the more tactics or abilities it can employ; and the more allies it possesses, *the more lethal the encounter will be*. These four components inform the Baseline Encounter Unit. ## The Baseline Encounter Unit The Baseline Encounter Unit is a mental model that allows both game masters and players to quickly size up the lethality of a scenario. A **Tier 1 Enemy** represents a monster with Hit Points, damage bonuses, and number of abilities comparable to a PC. A **Tier 2 Enemy** represents a monster with Hit Points, damage bonuses, and/or number of abilities higher than a PC. A **Tier 3 Enemy** represents a monster with Hit Points, damage bonuses, and/or number of abilities significantly higher than a PC. >**Note:** Because the "baseline" for these tiers is one PC, the tiers are not dependent on character level and so can scale up or down as necessary. ### Encounter Risk Bands Once the tier of opponents has been determined, encounters can be calibrated using Risk Bands. #### Low Risk Encounters in the **Low Risk Band** consist typically of **Tier 1 Enemies** outnumbered 2:1 by the PCs. The PCs typically win these encounters quickly with minor Hit Point loss or resource drain. #### Moderate Risk Encounters in the **Moderate Risk Band** consist typically of **Tier 1 Enemies** of roughly equal numbers. The PCs can win these encounters if they act tactically, though there will likely be higher HP or resource attrition, and poor tactical choices may rapidly escalate the danger. #### High Risk Encounters in the **High Risk Band** typically consist of **Tier 2 Enemies**, or enemies of the same tier that outnumber the PCs. Again, PCs can win these encounters if they act tactically, coordinate, and leverage their resources effectively; however, retreat may prove necessary, and considerably higher HP or resource attrition is assumed. Overall, there is a higher risk of DEATH in **High Risk Band** encounters. #### Extreme Risk Encounters in the **Extreme Risk Band** typically consist of **Tier 3 Enemies**, or **Tier 2 Enemies** that outnumber the PCs, or **Tier 1 Enemies** that massively outnumber the PCs; additionally, environmental lethality can cause an encounter to fall into the **Extreme Risk Band**. PCs are unlikely to win—or even survive—these types of encounters, especially without the support of magical or otherwise powerful items and weapons; survival instead comes from avoiding these scenarios, or from planning for them meticulously. ## Conclusion As indicated at the outset, this is not necessarily balance, but rather calibration, and moreover ensures that information, agency, and consequences are not undermined in favor of encounter symmetry. It should nevertheless be useful to game masters seeking to design scenarios where mathematically predictable outcomes are desirable. --- #todo Devise a simple formula to represent this.