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<blockquote data-quote="overgeeked" data-source="post: 9190903" data-attributes="member: 86653">Nothing needs to change. As always, the PCs are so far beneath the villains that they effectively go unnoticed. If the PCs stupidly decide to attack, the villain can simply leave them on death's door and walk away. Adding humiliation to insult and injury.In my experience it tends to focus progress. Instead of being a vague &quot;we're getting more powerful...yay&quot; it changes into a long and often far too drawn out revenge plot. For good or ill.In the moment it definitely makes the PCs feel weak and powerless. In the long term, especially after the PCs defeat the bad guy, it makes them feel epic. This is also part and parcel with why so many people like old-school gaming. The PCs start weak and progress with victory never guaranteed. So when the PCs do succeed they feel a far greater sense of triumph. But, to do that, there needs to be a real chance of failure. A real sense of challenge and overcoming tough obstacles. Not everyone likes that. A lot of people just want an easy win with no challenge or obstacles.That's a terrible idea. You've recreated the Avengers problem. Thor on a team with Hawkeye and everyone has to pretend that they're somehow equals. In a game that's designed around monster fighting and power fantasy, it's basically impossible to maintain that lie. Even getting a &quot;normal&quot; magic item a session or two ahead of the rest of the party creates resentment. Handing out an epic artifact at level 3-4 to only one PC while the rest of the group just gets nothing even comparable for...a dozen levels...if ever...that's going to cause far more problems than it's worth and likely lead to players quitting the game.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="overgeeked, post: 9190903, member: 86653"] Nothing needs to change. As always, the PCs are so far beneath the villains that they effectively go unnoticed. If the PCs stupidly decide to attack, the villain can simply leave them on death's door and walk away. Adding humiliation to insult and injury. In my experience it tends to focus progress. Instead of being a vague "we're getting more powerful...yay" it changes into a long and often far too drawn out revenge plot. For good or ill. In the moment it definitely makes the PCs feel weak and powerless. In the long term, especially after the PCs defeat the bad guy, it makes them feel epic. This is also part and parcel with why so many people like old-school gaming. The PCs start weak and progress with victory never guaranteed. So when the PCs do succeed they feel a far greater sense of triumph. But, to do that, there needs to be a real chance of failure. A real sense of challenge and overcoming tough obstacles. Not everyone likes that. A lot of people just want an easy win with no challenge or obstacles. That's a terrible idea. You've recreated the Avengers problem. Thor on a team with Hawkeye and everyone has to pretend that they're somehow equals. In a game that's designed around monster fighting and power fantasy, it's basically impossible to maintain that lie. Even getting a "normal" magic item a session or two ahead of the rest of the party creates resentment. Handing out an epic artifact at level 3-4 to only one PC while the rest of the group just gets nothing even comparable for...a dozen levels...if ever...that's going to cause far more problems than it's worth and likely lead to players quitting the game. [/QUOTE]

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