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<blockquote data-quote="Lyxen" data-source="post: 8522742" data-attributes="member: 7032025">I agree, it's important that the player feels a victory at the time without the DM embarking too many constraints for the future. It's one of the most important difficulties in particular for high level adventures, what defenses the villains and strongholds have. We have all used things like strange materials, magic-infused walls, reinforced with walls of Force, magical fields, etc. but that is really high level, and having an axe that cuts through all mundane doors or even walls is a very strong plot-cutting element that might hamper the DM in creating appropriate challenges, in particular if he does not think about it when preparing the adventure. The DM already has to think about all the magical means at the party's disposal, so the more like this we add, the more difficult his job becomes.It's all about the circumstances, but on top of that, there is a design principle at work here, which is absoluteness. It's very often better to state something like &quot;it gives you a huge benefit...&quot; than &quot;it always...&quot;, because it avoids something becoming an absolute. Absolutes have a way of coming back to contradict each other (unstoppable force meeting immovable object), and to create problems in game design. Unfortunately, 5e has a few examples like that, can't think about one just now, but I'm sure you know what I think. Adding more (adamantine axe will cut through any door / substance) is usually a bad idea.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Lyxen, post: 8522742, member: 7032025"] I agree, it's important that the player feels a victory at the time without the DM embarking too many constraints for the future. It's one of the most important difficulties in particular for high level adventures, what defenses the villains and strongholds have. We have all used things like strange materials, magic-infused walls, reinforced with walls of Force, magical fields, etc. but that is really high level, and having an axe that cuts through all mundane doors or even walls is a very strong plot-cutting element that might hamper the DM in creating appropriate challenges, in particular if he does not think about it when preparing the adventure. The DM already has to think about all the magical means at the party's disposal, so the more like this we add, the more difficult his job becomes. It's all about the circumstances, but on top of that, there is a design principle at work here, which is absoluteness. It's very often better to state something like "it gives you a huge benefit..." than "it always...", because it avoids something becoming an absolute. Absolutes have a way of coming back to contradict each other (unstoppable force meeting immovable object), and to create problems in game design. Unfortunately, 5e has a few examples like that, can't think about one just now, but I'm sure you know what I think. Adding more (adamantine axe will cut through any door / substance) is usually a bad idea. [/QUOTE]

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