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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DEFCON 1" data-source="post: 6868405" data-attributes="member: 7006">Actually... I kind of see this as a positive.We've reached the point in gaming where we players almost reflexively think now that the game needs to be balanced across the board so that anyone can run it without causing major disruption or extremely volatile effects.  In fact, that was one of the hallmarks of 4E... the game was designed such that almost anyone could start DMing it and just by following the ground rules avoid making those kinds of massive mistakes and incidents that cause new players to run for the hills.  Which, at the time I was all in favor of, as it made DMing a much more viable job for some players to pick up, resulting in more DMs jumping into the pool.But now... the new edition had widened the possibility of diverse results based upon DM action, and thus both DMs and players have to be much more vigilant with the game.  They can't just bust down the door, attack the monsters and collect the loot, expecting the game to keep them at arms-length from long-term consequences anymore.  Which again...I think in this point in gaming and D&D history is probably the right call.  Now the game sometimes sets things up such that both players and DMs are going to learn hard lessons.  We had that in Hoard of the Dragon Queen with the Adult Blue Dragon arriving in Chapter 1... and we have it in spades here in Ravenloft with pretty much everything.  Attacking everything in sight and expending to not only survive but also thrive is no longer the default approach to the game.So I gotta say... if ever there was an adventure location that was primed to teach new players and new DMs that the standard call-and-response of "break down door, kill monster, take stuff" is NOT the default way every campaign is to be run and played... Ravenloft is *definitely* the place to use.  Because at the end of the day, the legend of Barovia is only going to grow as new players experience just how much of a grinder the lands are as they get stomped upon time and time again when they just try and bum-rush every encounter without consideration or forethought.That's how we learned about the legend back in '83... and now its time for the new generation to learn about it too.</blockquote>

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