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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Kannik" data-source="post: 5841191" data-attributes="member: 984">Must spread XP around before... and all that.I concur with what you're saying.  Save or Die may be able to add excitement and tension to the game, but I think it has an equal or greater potential to be anti-climactic or add frustration to the game.  I think the excitement/tension aspects can be handled in much more elegant ways and eliminating the need and downsides of instant death.  Effects that occur over time (perhaps with multiple saving throws -- turning to stone gradually with detrimental effects) that allow the party or the player to intervene is much more exciting to me and builds much more drama and tension than "oh, hey, now you're dead."  Temporary effects that last until the end of the fight or until the party has a reasonably easy way to return the PC would still be a major blow but are not necessarily instant killers.  Things that can do serious (HP) harm in one blow are nasty enough on their own.  Thresholds such as Mearls describes might not work that bad either (when a PC is at 1/4 or less of their HP, this can take effect, and so you have to keep your strength up).  Any of these would be dangerous and things to avoid, and still leave some avenues open to rectify them if a PC is affected by them (and if the party cannot do what's necessary, then the PC dies).Then include a module for those who really want to re-create the style of play where you can die, not pass go, and not collect $200.  In some ways it is similar to me as saying "I don't want a DM who railroads me," because you want to choose what your fate is, and to be crafty and think.  Let the players choose, be crafty and think as they run across dangerous creatures and traps, even when they've already been hit by it (good hollywood scene of the choice -- do you save the mage from turning to stone or do you fire off a spell that may finish the big bad right now... maybe the mage is screaming to ignore him, or the opposite... ) and I think it would prove to be much more amazing than I-rolled-a-3-and-now-i'm-dead.peace,Kannik</blockquote>

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