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<blockquote data-quote="Ketjak" data-source="post: 5114594" data-attributes="member: 1083">The error is the DM's. One encounter per day is almost meaningless and speaks to no time pressure. Time pressure should drive the PCs forward and convey urgency to make several encounters per day reasonable. Think &quot;the virginal sacrifice occurs at midnight&quot; and it's happening behind several groups of armed guards and a locked door for the skill challenge. Suddenly healing surges per day will matter. Items and powers that consume them for some benefit really eat them up, as do the short rests between encounters. Powers and items that don't use surges (cleric's utility 2 CLW) become valuable when the fighter or barbarian or avenger has no more surges in the battle with the BBEG.Also, death saves are a limited resource. Use three between extended rests and... Dead. Sure, you're really only out 50GP... And their powers. Not sure why the player thinks they can lay there for 7 rounds - maybe I have it wrong, but I thought the PC stabilizes on a save.I have killed four PCs in the last year, two to failed saves (not consecutive) and the others to hit point loss from AoE and ongoing damage. I have created other reasons to balance the damage output on marginal encounters to avoid a TPK, but don't let my players know. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink&nbsp; &nbsp; ;)"&nbsp; data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />Ket</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Ketjak, post: 5114594, member: 1083"] The error is the DM's. One encounter per day is almost meaningless and speaks to no time pressure. Time pressure should drive the PCs forward and convey urgency to make several encounters per day reasonable. Think "the virginal sacrifice occurs at midnight" and it's happening behind several groups of armed guards and a locked door for the skill challenge. Suddenly healing surges per day will matter. Items and powers that consume them for some benefit really eat them up, as do the short rests between encounters. Powers and items that don't use surges (cleric's utility 2 CLW) become valuable when the fighter or barbarian or avenger has no more surges in the battle with the BBEG. Also, death saves are a limited resource. Use three between extended rests and... Dead. Sure, you're really only out 50GP... And their powers. Not sure why the player thinks they can lay there for 7 rounds - maybe I have it wrong, but I thought the PC stabilizes on a save. I have killed four PCs in the last year, two to failed saves (not consecutive) and the others to hit point loss from AoE and ongoing damage. I have created other reasons to balance the damage output on marginal encounters to avoid a TPK, but don't let my players know. ;) Ket [/QUOTE]

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