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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JohnSnow" data-source="post: 3962683" data-attributes="member: 32164">I understand what you're saying, and I think people are reading a little too much danger into what the WotC designers have said about "points of light." The whole point is that the settled and safe areas are few and far-between compared to the wilderness between them.Primarily, I think people are getting caught up on "points" as opposed to "blobs." Not to put too fine a "point" on it, but a "blob of light" is just a somewhat larger point.I think that the points of light conceit is a way to explain WHY, with all the magic and late medieval technology available in a D&D setting, we're still looking at basically medieval settlement patterns. Given the age of most D&D worlds, without that darkness, most settings would have advanced past renaissance type civilization a long time ago. Worlds like Eberron would be the standard, not the exception.In order to correct that, the assumption is that the generic D&D world is dangerous enough that kingdoms like Galifar do not long endure. Empires rise...and fall. Cities can fall into ruin, monsters, plague or famine can wipe out a village that was there last season.It's not exactly rocket science, but it IS something that probably does need to be pointed out to 21st century humans, most of whom have never lived on a farm, gone hunting, or really had to cope with nature much. In other words, most D&D players have no real concept of the world in which our characters live. The sheer controversy of the "points of light" conceit is the biggest proof of this.Think of iron age, (both pre- and post-Roman Empire) and early medieval (the so-called "dark ages") Europe, or bronze age Greece. In a D&D world, many of those other ethnic groups are actually other races.This world can be pretty dangerous without being totally a death sentence. If there was a mere 10 percent chance of death, most people wouldn't risk it. However, for those who do, there's the potential for huge reward. Consider that during the age of exploration, many missions ended in death. Even successful expeditions might lose half their members. But the rewards for those who survived were substantial enough that people were willing to take the risk.That's how merchant caravans work in a "points of light" world. It's reasonably high-risk, but probably worth the payoff.People today are just too used to "safe." Our risk is so managed, most of us can't conceive that people might be willing to do something that had a 5, 10, 20, or even 50 percent risk of death. Of course, that's still not certain. It would keep the stay-at-home types (like most modern people) at home. But for those willing to accept a little risk? It's far from a death sentence.And THAT is where "Points of Light" comes from. It's just sensible people acting sensibly in the face of a risky world.Of course, adventurers aren't sensible.</blockquote>

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