GMMichael
Guide of Modos
I'd say it makes "know your enemy" a bit easier...? I wouldn't expect PCs to feel weak and powerless unless they meet Strahd on the street, realize that messing with him is a bad idea, and then turn around and get thrown in the stocks by the street sweeper because one of them accidentally littered while fleeing Strahd.What impact does having these kind of NPCs interacting the PCs at low levels have on the player's enjoyment and the progress of the campaign? Does it give a sense of epicness or does it make the players feel weak and powerless? Or both? What are the risks
These problems will come up if you treat the HPMI (high power magic item) like a character sheet extension. If you instead treat it like a part of the world, it might not be such a jealousy-causing boon.Similarly what happens when magic items far out of a players normal reach comes into the mix early on? A staff of Power, Vorpal Blade, or Holy Avenger at level 3 or 4? Does it cause resentment if every PC doesn't have one? Does it make player advancement less fun? Does it cheapen other magic items?
"So, guys, Sparky got too close to the vorpal blade last night."
"You mean you didn't give it to the king's treasury?"
"Uh, I thought I'd keep it, and . . . "
"And now your hunting dog is headless. Good call!"
Sure, but that's the "poorly" situation. If done right, the PCs get to do this:Me and my players absolutely hate it. Done poorly, it very much feels like the game is about the antagonist and how cool they are instead of the PCs.