Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dark Dragon" data-source="post: 399321" data-attributes="member: 1115">Hi Thulsa,it's perfectly alright for a DM to ban a spell (or more), and it is quite simple and quickly done. But before doing it, perhaps you should consider possibilities to handle the spells to be banned in-game. E.g., if your players only use Harm and a quickened ILW, let the opponents use it as well, or use more undead as monsters. If they're overusing illusions, think of npcs with the blindsight ability, blind monsters, bad light conditions, a wiz with Dispel Magic at hand or monsters immune to illusions. Don't exaggerate, let the pcs be successful with their favorite tactic from time to time, but force them to be versatile (you've said that they are experienced players, so that shouldn't be a great problem). As a DM, you've to be familiar with ALL spells the group may use, and the ways how to counter abuse of certain spells (e.g. Wall of Force). This sounds hard, but it avoids unpleasant surprises. IIRC, Ormraxes said that you've banned Antimagic Field and Project Image. It would help when you explain your players (and the people here) the reasons. These spells are normally quite easy to handle (especially AF, which is often more dangerous for the caster than for the opponents). The high death toll is astonishing. 22 deaths - whew! As it was already said earlier, for roleplaying, the PCs need time to be developed. When they keep dying, this won't happen or slow down the process (and frustrate the players). Takyris pointed out several reasons for PC deaths. If your players are not completely stupid (I believe they aren't), it seems that a) something is wrong with your ECL calculation or b) the players have problems to realise what lies ahead for their PCs (rare or no hints, an opponent is much tougher than believed - I'm thinking of a level 15 kobold sorcerer...). An under-equipped party may have the same problems with a moderate ECL as a normal (after the table in the DMG) equipped party with a challenging ECL. Although it is sometimes funny for the DM to get the PCs on the run (and show them that there is always someone more powerful), this shouldn't happen too often and result in nearly TPKs, IMO. RttToeE is a very tough module and needs a good equipped party, even an experienced group has to fight hard to get along. I have no problems to let a stupid PC face death, but combat death occurs only rare, and for insta-kills like a Symbol of Death the party gets hints to warn them in advance. If a party does not retreat from overwhelming odds, it is their problem, not that of the DM. I'm player (and DM) in one group (running RttToeE with two level 14 and two level 15 PCs, believe me, the DM made it hard, but thanks to good planning and some luck, we had only 2 PC deaths til today) for now 11 years and DM in two other. I've never banned a magic item or spell, although I don't like some spells (especially those which are poorly worded). Mostly players and I agree how to handle these, if not, the DM has to decide. This decision lasts until a clear ruling is established (often with help from the boards here) or the DM changes. The players in my group say, that I'm quite merciless. This may be the case, because I'm playing the NPCs as smart and powerful as they should be. But I've killed only nine PCs (my own two times) in the last two years as a DM, four deaths resulted from player stupidity, one from suicide, three from very bad luck (failed save vs. massive damage) and one death was story-based (without permanent bad results for the PC). Just some thoughts.The Dark Dragon</blockquote>

Verification