Zardnaar
Legend
Random events with no purpose, premonition, logic, or reason are bad form regardless of whether or not they kill anybody. People will get bored and frustrated either way. Has nothing to do with rule set.
"You are walking down a hall. Whoops, you just triggered a trip wire. Okay, roll a save. Oh, you failed? DEAD."
That's naughty word. I never do that. That's what some people in this thread think a "challenge" is. IMO, that is me deciding that you should suddenly have a 35% chance of being done with your character.
If I have an instant death trap, it's a Disintegrate Glyph of Warding on an iron sarcophagus...in front of an altar to Iuz...submerged in a bath of blood...which is magically boiling...which can only be deconsecrated by getting the amulet off the powerful golem guarding it.
If you didn't cast Detect Magic on the thing and went home in an ashtray, that's on you.
Well, there are only two choices, aren't there? When the 14th-level module calls for rocs to attack the party, either I'm going to have them pick up their prey and dash them on the rocks, or I'm not going to. What I know about their character sheets will have absolutely zero effect on that decision...since it's logical for them to do that, they're going to. That's the point. I've heard people go as far as to say you shouldn't use flying enemies against all-melee party. My attitude is, flying enemies are out there, so don't be an all-melee party.
That is exactly what happened. I gave him two saving throws, too. One to grab onto the bridge, and another to grab onto a rock. Oh well!
That's my attitude as well. Get a bow even if strength based.