It won't be hard to put insta kill back into the game, will it?

[Treebore]

Just like the title says, it should be easy, right? Just change save effects to "make it or die", correct?

I would think so, with them saying the mechanic is still identical to 3E.

 

[Glyfair]

Probably, but it will require a lot of re-balancing of abilities. Especially since we know the general balance of spells will be shifting (the spells a 5th level caster can start casting will likely be slightly lower than today's 3rd level spells).

 

[Treebore]

Probably, but it will require a lot of re-balancing of abilities. Especially since we know the general balance of spells will be shifting (the spells a 5th level caster can start casting will likely be slightly lower than today's 3rd level spells).

Thats why I am asking, I have by no means been following every announcement or Blog post, so I wasn't aware if other changes in the mechanics were in the works.

Still, even rebalancing like that should be pretty easy.

 

[WarlockLord]

Yay! I'm not the only one who's going to miss them!

 

[Korgoth]

It remains to be seen.

I like insta-kill effects, but only extremely rarely. I can't recall, in all my years of DMing, actually using one, though I'm sure I've used Poison effects before (just don't recall actually doing it).

I like them around, but rare and terrifying. Like Level Drain.

EDIT: Oh, wait. I remember using a couple in Ravenloft games.

 

[Treebore]

Yeah, I like insta death effects, but like you said, I control how much I use them. I definitely use them more often then you. I will often use them when it is the key encounter fo the current adventure.

Still, it depends. Like for me I also consider what level they are, have I had the opportunity for the PC's to make friends with high level NPC's yet? Plus I use luck rules (adapted from Unearthed Arcana) and the classic "God Call" to also mitigate the threat.

Still the threat is there, and so is the adrenaline rush of making such critical rolls. I would prefer the player suffer the effects of a successful roll, but the possibility of death is what makes the roll so adrenaline filled in the first place. So its a trade off I deal with.

 

[RandomCitizenX]

With the new defense system I can't imagine insta kill stuff being fun for players since the DM will be making that roll. Then again rolling high enough as a player on your magical insta kill attack would prolly feel very good. I must say that I have always prefered the "might as well be insta kill" approach that replaces auto death with silly ammounts of dmg.

 

[howandwhy99]

Good lord, of course you can do this.

Just declare that everyone has 1 hit point and no more.

And make 0 HPs = dead.

 

[Exen Trik]

Insta-kill will be as easy as always!

DM: "Rocks fall, everyone dies"

 

[Aloïsius]

saves are passive, so, we can imagine that scoring a crit with a disintegrate or slay living maybe a "insta-kill".