Do you pull the chain?

[Doug McCrae]

Right. And the fact that a 10th level character might survive up to 19 x 13 = 247 mortally dangerous situations means that dungeon delving is, statistically, safer for imaginary adventurers than real piracy is for real pirates.

D&D games vary substantially in their death rates. I think the type of game Bullgrit is describing is an old school, high danger one, where disturbing moldy sacks of flour releases yellow mold which kills you if you don't save vs poison and touching curtains means you turn to green slime.

There's nothing like that in our world. By our standards you would have to be a madman to enter such a place. But the players are expected to, and that's fine, that's how the game works.

You're right that a high level D&D character has been in a ridiculously large number of hand-to-hand fights, more than anyone in our world could ever have been in. But I don't know if we can really make a comparison. The D&D combat system doesn't work like combat in our world. There are no hit points in real life.

The dungeon is more dangerous than anything that exists in the real world. But I think individual D&D fights might be safer than fights here. I believe that in the early editions, they tend to be at their most deadly at low levels (1-4), then safer toward mid (5-8), then deadly again at high (9+), but by then raise dead is available.

 

[pawsplay]

The dungeon is more dangerous than anything that exists in the real world.

Only in the sense that it's like an office park for danger, with all sources of danger conveniently located in one place. In point of fact, a typical D&D crawl which might involve:

- A caravan attack by goblins
- Taking shelter in nearby ruins
- Dealing with locals of varying hostily
- Fighting several dangerous large animals
- Fighting a well-armed group of locals looking to make a power play

such as the plot of B4: The Lost City, is not that different in scope than an expedition into Viet Nam or Afghanistan.

As for the yellow mold flour sacks and other old school dangers, there certainly are places that deadly, like tin shack towns built onto dumps, some areas of dense rain forest, and Berlin circa 1945.

 

[Doug McCrae]

The highest real world death rate I can think of is that of World War I pilots. According to this Daily Mail article the average new pilot (analogous to a low level D&D character) lasted only 11 days.

You make a good point, Paws, that real people do choose to do dangerous things, such as mountain climbing or police work. I would maintain that, for low level characters, the rate of death per hour of dungeon crawling compared to mountain climbing or active police work is vastly higher. As I understand it, the majority of police officers in the US will never experience a shootout.

But perhaps D&D PCs are not like mountain climbers or policemen, who freely choose to do what they do. Perhaps they are desperate, driven men. Or fanatics, seeking to destroy evil. Maybe there is a state of war between men and monsters, and the PCs are mercenary soldiers on the frontline.

 

[haakon1]

I would not pull the chain, but I'd rig something to pull it.

First idea: Just thread a rope through a link of the chain, tie it off, and use a piton to spike it to the floor, and pull from the door (the piton turning the horizontal pull into a vertical one.

But I don't play the rogue -- the rogue might think of something better.

 

[EricNoah]

I may need to trick another pary member into pulling it, but I make sure it gets pulled somehow!

 

[Chainsaw]

In an abstract sense, we always pull the chain - risking life and limb during the hunt for treasure is the heart of the game for us.

I would not pull the chain, but I'd rig something to pull it.

Good call - we do this sort of thing as well. We'd attach a rope to the chain, back out of the room and, while peeking from behind the door, pull the chain. Using our brains while risking life and limb is what keeps us alive to collect the goods!

 

[El Mahdi]

Okay...everyone just wait one damn minute...

D&D isn't Real Life????


I've been duped..

This is real life, not D&D.

I even thought I was a real 9th level Harpy. Next you'll probably tell me I'm just a minion...

 

[Ed_Laprade]

Okay...everyone just wait one damn minute...

D&D isn't Real Life????


I've been duped..





I even thought I was a real 9th level Harpy. Next you'll probably tell me I'm just a minion...

Nah. You've probably got more than 1 HP. And maybe a level or two in peasant or something.

 

[Cor_Malek]

Okay...everyone just wait one damn minute...

D&D isn't Real Life????


I've been duped..





I even thought I was a real 9th level Harpy. Next you'll probably tell me I'm just a minion...

Test is simple and accurate, but might be risky. Have someone hit you. Do you die instantly? This is version if you think you're not a minion.
Of course, if you think you might be, it will be safer to put your clothes on fire, if it doesn't damage you... well, you probably should stand up to your partner/parents/boss more often. Don't overdo it though, you don't want to become a solo, do you?

edit: Wee fng Jaas - having sex in 4e must be awfully stressful! I mean what if she/he is a minion? There's a scratching/biting accident, and it's gonna be helluva more serious than snarky comments at the gym. What about hickeys? Are those 1hp-worth?

 

[Dice4Hire]

I even thought I was a real 9th level Harpy. Next you'll probably tell me I'm just a minion...

Only if you have been playing D&D less than 18 months.

Msot liukely you have some human levels form the basic game, and fighter/mage stuff from later editions or a non-weapon proficiency (or *gasp* some Skills and Powers stuff), add to that some skills and feats from 3.5 and of course a background for 4E and maybe an Epic Destiny......

In short, you are a mess.