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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Remathilis" data-source="post: 3821088" data-attributes="member: 7635">I'm resisting the urge to scream and rant right now. Mostly because I am absolutely amazed there are DMs (and to a less extent, Players) who cannot fathom a D&D game without finger of death. There are four types of non-damage dealing combat spells in D&D right now.1.) Save or take some weakness/penalty. (Ray of Enfeeblement, Poisons)2.) Save or suffer some Temporary condition that removes you from the fight (Charm, Hold, Paralyze)3.) Save or suffer some permanent-until-removed condition that removes you from the game (Petrification, Magic Jar)4.) Save or Die (Finger of Death, Wail of the Banshee, Coup de Grace)Nobody is complaining about one. They are useful, usually not permanent, and can add stress or tension. 2 is slightly more problematic, but used sparingly adds a different level of tactical element to the game ("Protect Bob", or "Subdue Tony before he kills us") Three can typically upset a campaign, but doesn't (at the end of the day) cause a PC's death (or, the PC can be recovered with the proper spells and items). Four is the worst and most debated. D&D currently (to many's chagrin) treats death like a level 3 combat spell (Slay Living vs. Raise Dead) and creates a revolving door of death. So what to do? No one is advocating the removal of 1, so thats a safe bet. Few will argue 2 as well. 3 gets trickier, but (IMHO) these are fine as well since they can negated (yet still cause fear in a player's heart). However, I think four (and the spells that return people to life) should be EXTREMELY LIMITED if not OUTRIGHT REMOVED. Why? They break verisimilitude (if you could kill a man by looking at him, why would you bother to learn another combat spell? and lets not get started on Raise Dead and world-building). They ruin the players fun (while a medusa'd statue is a Stone to Flesh away from recovery, a bodak'd PC is a whole new PC away from the action) and they can create anti-climatic encounters (akin to Wild West gunfights, whoever has the fastest initiative wins the duel.) Lastly, they treat death as a status ailment: easy to inflict, easy to remedy. (Not unlike Panicked, Paralyzed, Diseased, or Poisoned) I'd rather have SoD (and Raise) restricted to extremely high level abilities (epic) or outright gone. If the trade off is between a game with death being more difficult but more meaningful and running the Tomb of Horrors as written, I'll gladly take the latter.</blockquote>

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