D&D 5E Do you think 5e is deadly enough and do you finish off downed characters?

[MatthewJHanson]

As a DM I'm perfectly capable of making encounters deadly when I want them to be deadly, though most of the time I don't want them to be.

I voted that I don't finish off downed characters, but I do on very rare occasions. Most recently it was a dragon after the PC in question threatened her eggs.

 

[Blue]

"Deadly enough" is entirely a table preference. It's also one where the DM has great control over it. The question is mostly meaningless.

5e provides a large buffer between "fear of death" and actual death, and I like that as I can push the PCs hard and not worry about the swinginess turning it into a TPK - the only thing to really avoid considering both new characters and the various ways to fix death.

 

[Charlaquin]

Do your PCs spend actions attacking a downed opponent when there are others still in the fight? It is not something I have seen.

As a PC I have kicked an opponent I was particularly angry at when he was dead, but only after the fight.

I don’t think that’s a very effective litmus test, since monsters typically die as soon as they reach 0 hit points.

 

[el-remmen]

I don’t think that’s a very effective litmus test, since monsters typically die as soon as they reach 0 hit points.

"If They Have a Name They Get Death Saves. . ."

 

[Charlaquin]

"If They Have a Name They Get Death Saves. . ."

Sure, but then I imagine players will occasionally spend their action attacking 0HP named creatures.

 

[Shiroiken]

Depends on how you want to define "deadly." My first 5E campaign went from level 1-18, with about a dozen or so deaths. However, the only one that was permanent was when the Cleric was the one who died, so Revivify wasn't available. They had no reasonable way to bring the body, so the PC was abandoned. Every other character has been saved by Revivify, Raise Dead, or the rare Wish. It's not hard to kill a PC, but after level 5 it gets hard to keep them dead.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

Monsters too easy?
try:

The Monsters Know What They’re Doing

Monster combat tactics for Dungeons & Dragons 5E

www.themonstersknow.com

 

[The Green Hermit]

Monsters too easy?
try:

The Monsters Know What They’re Doing

Monster combat tactics for Dungeons & Dragons 5E

www.themonstersknow.com

I haven't read this one yet, but I've read the sequel and it's good.

 

[MarkB]

Do your PCs spend actions attacking a downed opponent when there are others still in the fight?

They do if it's a troll and it hasn't been set on fire yet.

 

[tetrasodium]

attacking downed characters is generally a pointless endeavor that accomplishes little or nothing. Depending on class & archetype 6-8 of the 13 classes are capable of healing a downed character for one or more hp of healing. Of those five of them can do it as a bonus action without giving up their action. A monster would need to make 1 attack to drop a PC, a second attack to burn two death saves, & a third attack to execute them all before any PC of those 6-8 classes/archetypes has a turn. To further ensure the choice is a no brainer for those 6-8 classes the characters most likely to be in melee & be downed as a result tend to have the highest damage output of any class.

This complete lack of risk can be compared to things like 2e & 3.5 where a mid to high level wizard or sorcerer was in fear for their life & actively making efforts to keep away from trash like zombies & skeletons even if it reduced their effectiveness. Crunchier classes were not left out of that "I'm in danger" pit in their stomach either with creatures like ghoul/ghast & the wraith were able to exude enough lethality to change the whole approach to combat simply by existing on the field alongside monsters that might very well be incapable of threatening the PCs.