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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Imaro" data-source="post: 4493387" data-attributes="member: 48965">Okay, no one is arguing that a badly run NPC/encounter/etc. isn't a badly run NPC/encounter/etc. However, I think the point of this thread in comparing the nature of mundane and fantastic, is in assuming a good DM, since a poor DM will fail on both ends of the axis and to use the poor DM as a basis really proves nothing.  I will disagree with this to an extent. As a kid, I had read about dragons, in different fiction books...but the first time I and my friends fought one in D&D it was a monumentous occasion. These were (at least in our minds) the Big Bad's of the setting, The DM used their mystique and rarity in his campaign world to help inspire this feeling of wonder, excitement and fear...so no, I don't agree that rarity does not help in creating this feeling, and sometimes it can be all that's necessary to invoke said feelings.    Okay, why don't you presuppose a good DM is actually running this hypothetical game. Now if the DM runs the above encounter or even similar encounters to the above over and over again does it keep it's wonderous nature or does it become ho-hum...even if the Dragon NPC is played well it becomes something they've done a million times and thus nothing to get excited about.  Because you're whole argument seems to be based on the assumption that the DM is sub-par at running NPC's and encounters. This isn't even the point of this thread, a bad DM is a bad DM whether he is using lots of the fantastical or mostly mundane.  Now a good DM sets up player expectations in the way he structures his campaign setting...by making the fantastical rare he invokes a greater sense of wonder from his players when it is encountered. By making it common, he invokes a sense of magic is commonplace and not something to be looked at with wonder and awe, but to be easily utilized, understood, and conquered. Neither of these assumptions in a game world is better than the other, but D&D 4e definitely leans towards the latter without heavy modifications and tweaking.</blockquote>

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