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Message: <blockquote data-quote="D'karr" data-source="post: 4159709" data-attributes="member: 336">Thanks MR, you saved me the effort of doing all that typing.I'll just reiterate a point.  In 4e the 1st level characters are more survivable.  That does not mean that they are invincible or indestructible.  It just means that they can take more than one heavy hit, which was usually not the case in previous editions.The hyperbole of giants against first level characters is what usually gets used around here when the point you are trying to make is weak or not valid.  An orc with a falchion was my example and I've seen it more than once be a killer against first level rogues, wizards, sorcerers and even a cleric once.That kind of damage pendulum makes the game very deadly at lower levels and that is one thing that 4e remedies.  It doesn't necessarily make the game less deadly.  It just flattens that damage curve so that you can take more than one hit and still survive.  You can't take that abuse indefinitely, and against the new combat paradigm which is multiple opponents you still have to be very careful.  But being able to take more than one hit is a good thing.Yes, John McClane is the protagonist of a movie and will only take flesh wounds.  In D&D the PCs are the protagonist of the adventure the difference is that they don't get plot immunity.  And if your PCs are not the protagonists of your adventures then I can see why some are complaining.If you had gone to see Die Hard and John McClane had died from the first shot fired at him the movie would have lasted 17:10 minutes and people going to see the movie would have felt ripped off.  If an evening session kills Kenny the wizard from the first crossbow bolt shot at him by a kobold I'm pretty sure that Kenny' player would feel pretty ripped off too.  "You bastards you killed Kenny!!!"  So what does 4e do?  It allows Kenny to survive that first shot, take a step back regroup (use second wind) and then blast the heck out of that pesky kobold.  He also goes and gets behind some cover.  If 6-7 kobolds are targetting Kenny, he'll probably still die.  But hey at least he goes out like Boromir, instead of like chump #1.So the new mechanics serve the game better because they make the fun parts of the game more fun, by leveling the playing field.  And because now you face more creatures per encounter it also makes the game more fluid and tactical.  Do you show your head around that cover and get it shot to hell by those 7 kobold archers or do you cast mage hand and lift that mirror to peek without getting shot.  Or do you step right out and cast a burst that ends up killing 4 of the 7 kobolds.I prefer my high fantasy heroic adventure to feel like one.  4e seems to do that pretty well.</blockquote>

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