D&D 5E Lava and magic items

[ECMO3]

Personally I don't see it as "taking" players magic items. It is part of the game.

I actually find it kind of roll my eyes at the trope that you are captured, but then you find all of your gear in a storeroom during an escape.

Having players lose items or money can be pretty darn fun as they try to survive without that stuff and/or rebuild their inventory.

 

[ECMO3]

Even boiling water at 212 degrees F is likely to kill a person dropped into a pool 20' deep by 30' across if they can't manage to get themselves out within the few seconds it would take for their muscles to begin to cook or have someone pull them out. The burns would probably kill them eventually anyway. Whereas the writers have assigned a 10d10 damage expression which according to the Damage Severity and Level table on DMG p. 249 is a dangerous rather than deadly amount of damage for a 13th-level character which they're likely to survive as long as they can get out within a round. Also on p. 249, as cited above by

This is true but it is hardly the only example of things that would kill you but don't. Falling 5 stories will kill you pretty close to 100% and a 6 level character can brush that off with ease. Heck you could fall 1000 feet and have 60% chance of survival even if you go to 0 hps and after an hour you can be up and walking around again.

Get stabbed 40 times by a dagger and not only still be alive but be fully healed after resting for 8 hours.