D&D General Matt Colville on adventure length

[EzekielRaiden]

Random character death is part of low level play. It's been since forever. Unlike older editions, 5e nerfed it with abundance of healing, pcs with more hp, cantrips like Spare the dying and death saves. On top of that, there aren't things like 3.x edition greataxe with x3 crit modifier where cr 1/2 orc with that weapon can on crit (3d12+12 dmg) one shot perma kill lv 1 barbarian, even lv 2-3 barbarians go into negatives with one decent crit from that thing.

To completly avoid it, it's better to just skip first few levels and start at lv 4-5.

@EzekielRaiden

You said that you are more ok with your character loosing limbs than getting killed. In hypotetical situation, instead of getting killed by random orc #23, your character looses a leg. You get makeshift cool pirate peg leg. And mechanicaly, you get disadvantage on all dex rolls (both save and skills), half speed, cant run/jump or use dash action. Why is it less demoralising to play that kind of character than just rolling new charater?

Because the dead do nothing. I had thought that was obvious.

Also, I'd be pretty pissed at a DM for imposing such harsh penalties. That's not demoralizing, but it might be a reason for me to depart the table anyway. Such harsh adjudication implies things about that DM's judgment I find deeply questionable and likely to create conflict between us, which I would very much rather avoid.

 

[tetrasodium]

Because the dead do nothing. I had thought that was obvious.

The living can prepare beforehand by seeking out & obtaining relevant spell components scrolls and/or agreeing to plans for what to do in a game where PC death is a revolving door if PC death happens.

Also, I'd be pretty pissed at a DM for imposing such harsh penalties. That's not demoralizing, but it might be a reason for me to depart the table anyway. Such harsh adjudication implies things about that DM's judgment I find deeply questionable and likely to create conflict between us, which I would very much rather avoid.

The game rules are very clear about how PC death happens, the DM is not hsnding "penalties" to a player wwhen that player's PC dies.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

The living can prepare beforehand by seeking out & obtaining relevant spell components scrolls and/or agreeing to plans for what to do in a game where PC death is a revolving door if PC death happens.

You have already been admonished for that discussion. I will not continue it now. Nothing good will come of doing so.

The game rules are very clear about how PC death happens, the DM is not hsnding "penalties" to a player wwhen that player's PC dies.

I was talking about the "disadvantage on all checks involving Dexterity and can't use certain actions and...and...and..." penalty for losing a leg.

 

[GrimCo]

Well, there aren't official rules for loosing a limb. I just gave example of penalty i would impose as a DM. Maybe even ad pernament -25% of dex stat for every limb lost. I don't see it as a harsh penalty. But i'm curious, what penalty would you give for lost leg? I fully aknowledge we have oposite playstyles, mine tends to gravitate to grimdark realisam usually.

 

[tetrasodium]

Well, there aren't official rules for loosing a limb. I just gave example of penalty i would impose as a DM. Maybe even ad pernament -25% of dex stat for every limb lost. I don't see it as a harsh penalty. But i'm curious, what penalty would you give for lost leg? I fully aknowledge we have oposite playstyles, mine tends to gravitate to grimdark realisam usually.

Seems fair to me but I might try to negotiate for just not being able to do anything that needs both arms (presumably an arm since leg would be rather burdensome on every session till recovered).

Finding some kind of temporary regeneration capable of regrowing an arm or a prosthetic replacement* isn't usually much more difficult than a raise dead or similar & it's usually much easier to recover from than "they leave you for dead but took this this and this from your gear while the party was out of it".

*Multiple forms were mentioned in a 3.5 eberron book and rising literally has a common prosthetic limb magic item that got reprinted in tashas

 

[Umbran]

Mod Note:
@tetrasodium and @EzekielRaiden - I had to warn one of you already for your interactions in this very thread. And you seem to be coming to loggerheads again.

That starts looking like one, the other, or both of you cannot let it go. Please let it go.