quick apl vs cr question

So im starting a brand new campaign soon and just as a quick question, how does apl and cr work? I dont want it to be a cake walk but i also dont want a player dying at level one. The first game they will all be level one so how would i add these up? I want a few low to medium level battles and a harder one at the end

Moved to Off-Topic. Which game system and edition are you referencing? Im guessing D&D or Pathfinder.

pathfinder

a level one character has a CR of 1/2, so 4 level 1 characters are approximately worth one cr2 encounter, as your players level up a PC's CR is equal to their character level minus 1.

David , here you go: <a href="http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/gamemastering.html" rel="nofollow">http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/gamemastering.html</a> In short, average the group's level and that is the APL. If you have 3 or fewer players then subtract 1 from the APL. If you have 6 or more players then add 1 to the APL. After that set the desired CR of the encounter and select your creatures. Add up the creature CRs (see link) until you arrive at the CR you selected for the encounter. Note: A simple system for adding CRs is to add the XP of all the creatures and then compare that to "Table: Experience Point Awards" to see what CR that would work out as.

As Gauss pointed out, there is a formulaic approach to calculating CR. However, bear in mind that many players optimize their characters and are capable of stomping on most CR-appropriate encounters. So, as a GM you must be ready to up the ante a bit to keep things interesting. For such situations, it is easy to throw in "mooks" (very low CR critters) along with a CR-appropriate encounter. Adding mooks in roll20 is very easy. Grab 1 mook token and make a journal entry for it with HP, AC, CMD, and macros (abilities or Token Actions) for Melee, Saves and anything else you think appropriate. This will be your macro mook. Then just populate the map with additional mook tokens with only HP assigned. Use your macro mook for all mook rolls. This allows the use of CR-appropriate encounters while adding complexity and the importance of thinking strategically. This is my style. Your style may vary.

Remember, situation and environment can make a huge difference in an encounter. So can surprise and initiative. I normally start weak and build up. The first few encounters are not too slow that way, noone is killed right off the bat, the party learns to work together, and I learn what they can and can't do. Then I gradually make encounters tougher until I find the sweet spot to tax the party but not kill them unless they do something incredibly dumb. I have had one TPK in 36+ years, so it happens even when you try hard to avoid it, just reload and try again if that happens.