Poll: Do you want Save-Or-Die in 4th Edition

[WarlockLord]

It would work better if D&D had some sort of spell-duel mechanic, in which my spellcaster, noticing you casting Wail of the Banshee, could immediately respond with Silence, and follow up with Dominate Monster, to which you respond with Protection from Evil, etc, etc.

This would be very, very cool. WoTC, please do this.

 

[ptolemy18]

I like save or die effects. However, I don't think they would work well in 4th edition's system of attacking the saves. Having a player roll a d20 to avoid instant death is one thing. Rolling a die behind the DM's screen and then telling the player that his character is dead is something else entirely.

I agree with this poster, and this is the main reason I don't like the 4th edition style of "defense targets" instead of "saving throws." If 4e is really going to do this, the only way I can see to make "Save or Dies" feasible is to have some kind of "action points" system (as I've heard they will) wherein players can spend action points to cause their opponents to miss their "targets." This is the best compromise I can come up with.

Anyway, though -- Save or Dies are totally acceptable. So you can go from being perfectly healthy to dying (or being petrified, polymorphed, whatever) with a single die roll -- well, sure! That's called risk. And risk equals fun. Anyone who objects to Save-or-Dies is either playing with a too-cruel DM (who overuses Save-or-Dies... I played 3.x for six years straight and only lost one character to a Save-or-Die) or is way too attached to their character.

 

[ptolemy18]

I have absolutely no problem with save-or-die and resurrections. So long as they are epic or near epic in scale. With 4E running all the way to 30th level, I would prefer to see those effects limited to levels above 20, most of the time. Prior to that, only a few legendary critters should have save-or-die and any chance of bringing a character back from the dead should involve a quest to go and get the soul.

Those are elements of the genre, though. So, I very much want to see them retained.

I agree completely. Make them very rare, but keep them in the game.

 

[ptolemy18]

One of my main beefs with the current high level game is the myriad of save or die effects and the endless loop of spending 50k to true rez somebody after they botch a save.

This wasn't a problem for me exactly. By the time one of my characters has died, I'm usually more interested in playing a new character (because there's just so many options!) than having to relive an old level with the existing character. So since the DM in my old campaign gave the same XP penalty for creating a new character as for dying, I chose "creating a new character" 9 out of 10 times.

 

[Simia Saturnalia]

Anyone who believes that opposition to their point of view stems from one of a small selection of personal failings is, inevitably, wrong.