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What's your opinion on "Save or Die" effects?
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<blockquote data-quote="Luz" data-source="post: 7592982" data-attributes="member: 94725"><p>Good point. AFAIK, there aren't (technically) any save or die effects in the 5e core rules. The closest things are attacks that bring a character's hit points to zero (a banshee's wail, a bodak's gaze, a demilich's howl, etc.) Similar forms of attack like a wraith's life drain ability might also be considered a save or die effect, as well as spells like <em>disintigrate</em> and <em>finger of death</em>. </p><p></p><p>Maybe some of the adventure books? I've heard ToA has a few, but I haven't read enough of it to validate this.</p><p></p><p>I can only assume that the various "save or suck" effects that are oft criticized would be things that don't outright kill but incapacitate a character instead, like a <em>symbol of stunning/hopelessness/pain</em> or a medusa's gaze. In that regard, they may as well be grouped with the various "save or die" effects I already mentioned. </p><p></p><p>I assumed the OP referred to more of a preferred style of play, such as running an old AD&D module with 5e rules but preserving the save or die effects used in some of them. I've done this on occasion and don't have any issues. Again, it comes down to the DM being able to forecast these before hitting the PCs with them.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Luz, post: 7592982, member: 94725"] Good point. AFAIK, there aren't (technically) any save or die effects in the 5e core rules. The closest things are attacks that bring a character's hit points to zero (a banshee's wail, a bodak's gaze, a demilich's howl, etc.) Similar forms of attack like a wraith's life drain ability might also be considered a save or die effect, as well as spells like [I]disintigrate[/I] and [I]finger of death[/I]. Maybe some of the adventure books? I've heard ToA has a few, but I haven't read enough of it to validate this. I can only assume that the various "save or suck" effects that are oft criticized would be things that don't outright kill but incapacitate a character instead, like a [I]symbol of stunning/hopelessness/pain[/I] or a medusa's gaze. In that regard, they may as well be grouped with the various "save or die" effects I already mentioned. I assumed the OP referred to more of a preferred style of play, such as running an old AD&D module with 5e rules but preserving the save or die effects used in some of them. I've done this on occasion and don't have any issues. Again, it comes down to the DM being able to forecast these before hitting the PCs with them. [/QUOTE]
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What's your opinion on "Save or Die" effects?
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