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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Steel_Wind" data-source="post: 2492839" data-attributes="member: 20741">If you are referring to the "obscure death" rule, that was a story telling device put into the module series early on. As the product line hit the market, a number of DMs and players complained about it.By the time the market feedback was received by TSR - they changed the products not yet released to address this concern in 1985 starting with DL8 - Dragons of War. (A module that includes the map to the largest castle yet created for an RPG, I might add)It's not that it's a *wholly* bad idea.  The obscure death plot device is a cinematic and comic book story telling trick that many DMs use in their campaigns from time to time  - and they continue to do so even - gasp - in 2005.  As a matter or fact, it is suggested as as advanced and "artful" DM trick often on ENWorld.  CRPG designers use the rule often and for the same reason.  As a matter of fact, WotC continues in 2005 to require a variant of the rule to be used for any "named characters" who might be engaged in licensed Forgotten Realms computer game products as a condition of licensing approval.  See? You learn something new every day... However, as an inflexible "rule" it surely sucks.  There are many DMs who can do this artfully so that the "man behind the curtain" remains hidden from view and the game is advanced happily and enjoyably for all.And then there are those who will screw it up horribly and their attempt to use the device will break the suspension of disbelief on the part of the players.  Can't win for losing on that one.The "rule" itslf - if it ever was one - was removed in the series in DL8. So for the last half of the classic module series - even "by the book" there was no such rule in DragonLance.But don't let my facts confuse your hat that know no limit.  By all means - continue to react <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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