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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Arkhandus" data-source="post: 3285503" data-attributes="member: 13966">....Just how a Str 10 low-level character allowed himself to get slapped through the heart by a Shadow is beyond me.  Or how a DM allowed the Shadow to get so close to the weakling without any chance of keeping it away or preoccupied by other creatures.Shadows are CR 3 in 3E (maybe different in 3.5?), and have +2 Turn Resistance, so it'd take a high roll by a low-level cleric to turn them.  But at least they'd have several chances, and would also be capable of driving them off with Cure Light or Cure Moderate spells.  They'd also have access to Shield of Faith and Protection from Evil.  All of which could help protect a PC or maim a Shadow.The party's mage could've had Mage Armor, Protection from Evil, Cat's Grace, or Shield (for himself/herself anyway) to protect against such, and 1 or more Magic Missiles to harm the Shadow, perhaps Magic Weapon to imbue the melee guy's weapon with magic, allowing it a 50/50 chance of harming the Shadow (and the melee guy's the most likely one to survive one or two touches from a Shadow).  Even with a standard party, a Shadow is tough to handle, since the party might not be prepared to face it (no Magic Weapon, Magic Missile, Mage Armor, Shield of Faith, or Protection from Evil spells ready, for instance).  But at the very least, the cleric would have a chance of turning it, and thus allowing the PCs to run away.The DMG specifically states that undead are given Challenge Ratings based on the assumption of an average party; 1 cleric, 1 rogue, 1 wizard or equivalent, and 1 fighter or equivalent.  It specifically mentions expecting the party to have a cleric (and thus, access to significant anti-undead effects).  You should always, ALWAYS, by the core rules, consider undead to have a higher Challenge Rating (or Encounter Level at least) if the PCs are lacking a critical part of the iconic archetypes, especially clerics or wizards/sorcerers.This means you can expect a non-standard party, or a totally surprised and unprepared party, to treat a Shadow as a few CRs or ELs higher than normal, thus rendering it a likely-deadly encounter for very-low-level PCs.  Slightly-low-level PCs should at least have been able to avoid getting their physically-weakest member seriously bushwhacked, by a Shadow, totally out of the blue.  But these are all up the DM not going out of his way to kill the PCs or just throwing random monsters at them without any earlier consideration.Sorry if it seems harsh, but I see too many DMs screw over their PCs just out of a total lack of planning or consideration.  My own PCs included.  It's stupid when a DM goes around slaughtering or ruining PCs at random just out of poorly-conceived preprations, and then has the gall to just say 'Oops, sorry.  Oh well, too bad for you.  Bye.'  Especially when there was absolutely nothing the player did to warrant such screwing-over, and nothing they could've done to prevent it after it began, as in the case of your Shadow encounter I would be willing to bet.  If a PC dies without having done something foolish or brazen to earn it, then fault must surely fall squarely on the DM's shoulders as a jerk, fool, or lazy bum.  Acceptable somewhat with a novice DM, too inexperienced to have learned the ropes, but no one else.</blockquote>

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