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Message: <blockquote data-quote="EzekielRaiden" data-source="post: 9543633" data-attributes="member: 6790260">The new default is one that actually meshes with one of the other design goals explicitly assigned to early levels: introducing new players. New players need to be able to make mistakes without fear of failure. Dead characters are always going to feel like failure to new players. Trying to make 1st level simultaneously serve as the gentle, measured introduction for brand-new players AND the gritty hard-as-nails meat-grinder that OSR fans adore is a losing proposition specifically because it will turn away vast numbers of new players.As I said, I have personally seen multiple TPKs or near-TPKs, ones that resulted in failed campaigns and prospective players--players I consider friends, whom I know have an interest in character development and roleplay--leaving the game indefinitely, perhaps forever. I have personally seen this design choice result in turning away both plausibly major contributors and long-term customers, people whom I knew were interested in exploring both rules-systems and thematic concepts, people who liked thinking about characters and creating characters. (Specifically, they're friends I met through an entirely casual writing "competition" inspired by a famous webcomic; the only "prize" was getting to pick the theme for the next twice-monthly competition.)</blockquote>