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Message: <blockquote data-quote="knifie_sp00nie" data-source="post: 4488657" data-attributes="member: 62610">This is inspired by <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-4th-edition-rules/241997-forked-thread-what-would-you-have-done.html" target="_blank">another thread</a>, but is really about a larger issue-- Player paranoia. I'm sick and tired of dealing with it. It's a tradition that gets carrie over to every DnD edition and other RPGs.In the inspiring thread, the players wouldn't open a door that could provide an escape and save their lives because something might jump out at them. Every square inch of a dungeon has to be meticulously searched for traps or secret doors. Every door is potentially trapped, every goblet of wine is poisoned.How do other DMs deal with this legacy of arbitrary death? I can't always blame the players. Sometimes there is a trap or a monster waiting in ambush, but most of the time they're just slowing things down or acting paranoid because there's too many stories or past experiences that say death is a giggle and a die roll away. Another related aspect is when a fight does occur, retreat is almost nonexistent. A party will fight to nearly the last man rather than retreat and regroup.I suppose they're all artifacts of the game. It is a game after all. There's supposed to be challenges and pitfalls, but also some story and drama. Is it just a particular style of adventure design? I'm currently running KotS, but have been playing for years and always see the same issues. Are there any adventure design tips to avoid this?Do other groups have this paranoia problem? And what have you tired to keep it from interfering with the game? I often just chuckle and tell them the door is fine before they can even finish asking about traps. I like the passive perception idea, but it's not enough to keep the party from searching everything. I've promised not to punish creative movement in a combat area. Still, if it has an element of the unknown, it's avoided.</blockquote>

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