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Message: <blockquote data-quote="evildmguy" data-source="post: 5049763" data-attributes="member: 6092">I was not completely clear, so my bad.  So, let me ask this:  What purpose does it serve to have it so that a (non plot protected) player character can die from a lucky shot?  Indeed, what is a plot protected player character and how do they exist?  I see part of the answer is so they don't waste resources in terms of NPCs.  I rarely ran 1E with the PCs having lots of hirelings or henchmen.  The idea was to tell the story of the heroes, the individuals, not the generals of armies.  To that end, I had a very different goal than you.  While I was aware of the Battlesystem sub system for mass combat, I loathed it.  I didn't want to wargame.  I do agree that game terms and role playing were not in synch.  The rules say that most NPCs are 0-level (which still means more potential hit points than a wizard at first level and equal to a rogue's first level total) and even the most elite of guards are only 5th level.  When a DM has a party that exceeds 6th level, these rules seem strange now.  How can the DM challenge the party when most monsters aren't that tough anymore?  There is this disparity between what is said and how the game handles them.  Further, there is the problem of realism as well.  How is it that the characters only ever face problems they can handle?  What about when the fourth level PCs meet a powerful dragon or demon, whether by accident or design?  Again, to me, that's just part of the level based system 1E created.  It's also why I claim that 1E stops around 12th level, and maybe earlier, because the entire game system seems to break down.  Very few monsters are a tough challenge so what's a DM to do?  What I saw, then, was that players are getting excited about the higher levels and really wanting to play but I was ready for a new story with different characters.  It was a constant struggle.  I think this is why, the more I think about it, level limits are actually pretty good, with no adders for high ability scores.  When you consider that 12th level is really high in the game, even though it has rules for well beyond that, 5th to 7th level is a good level at which to be constrained.  Again, though, then there is a disparity between what is talked about in role playing terms versus the game rules.  How do the long lived PC races (elves, dwarves, etc.) have such a "low" level limit?  Unfortunately, the game mechanics offer to advice on this.  Perhaps the game world should have been more written with what the game rules did.  I don't know.  What I would probably do today is slow down advancing by a lot.  I would hopefully manage the players expectations and try to show how they are better than most.  Even now, when they don't advance at a steady rate, my players think they aren't doing well in the game.  For 1E, I think that's something that has to be managed better.  Or a sub system that gives them game mechanic growth has to be introduced so they can see the game mechanic changes of their characters.  But, again, I don't know the specifics at this point.  It would be trial and error for me, if it were to happen.  But a good discussion!  Thanks!edg</blockquote>

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