NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pming" data-source="post: 6496482" data-attributes="member: 45197">Hiya!  I use them like all other things...if they are needed. I use them whenever it is reasonable and logical for them to "be there" in the setting. Unlike some DM's who actually "stick to CR's appropriate for the PCs", I'm one of those 'killer DMs' who is quite happy to have the group of 5th level PC's encounter a half-dozen Stone Giants...if the PC's are in the terrain where Stone Giants can be found, and the wandering monster dice dictate Stone Giants. The Giants are doing whatever Stone Giants would likely be doing in that area...walking along the road, crossing the small river, or investigating the smell of a campfire. What the PC's do is up to them.  Likewise, if the 5th level PC's are camping out in a forest and a random encounter is determined to be a Deer, then they 'encounter' a deer. The deer is probably just doing deer stuff...standing around, eating shrubbery, and looking cute. What the PC's do is up to them.  So, uh, basically I don't treat every creature as a "foe". They arn't. They are creatures doing whatever they typically do. Deer eat grass and look cute...stone giants wander around looking for good rock to mine...zombies shuffle aimlessly looking for brains to eat...squirrels chitter and distract dogs...etc...etc...etc. In short, I don't think in terms of "foes to fight the PC's"; I think in terms of "creatures that make up a believable world setting".^_^Paul L. Ming</blockquote>

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