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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AtomicPope" data-source="post: 8399874" data-attributes="member: 64790">1. The DM and the dice decide whether or not the PCs live or die.2. Again, the DM decides what the challenges are.  When PCs are optimized then neither are the challenges.3. Balance is usually decided by WotC and what they publish.  Some classes fill roles better than others.****  This is probably the only way a DM can balance the PCs against one another by excluding certain options, whether it's feats, spells, abilities, or subclasses, or buffing them with houserules.  In my own experience, we have a Beastmaster Ranger that uses the best options from the UA or PHB, her choice.  That seemed to fix the character quite nicely.What a DM should focus on is bringing balance through encounter design.  The invincible Fighter is probably useless when it comes to magical traps.  If you don't think that's possible, then look to #3 and excluding or altering something with houserules.</blockquote>