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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 667068" data-attributes="member: 4937">I think that the real source of the Pit Fiends powers is the inflated expectations over time of what a PC ought to be able to do.   Between early first and late first, we say an inflation of the average expected level of PC's and NPC's.   High level in early 1st edition meant 9-15th.  High level by late first edition meant 18th+.   By 2nd edition the high level NPC's had abilities on par with 1st edition deities.   The biggest inflation of power came in 2nd edition with the inflation of what magic items the character was expected to own.  I can remember in the early 80's having 10th level characters with +2 weapons - +3 weapons were about the limit you would expect to see in a published module and then only for 10th or 12th level characters.  I can remember modules in 2nd edition published for 1st-3rd level characters having +4 weapons.  Third edition expanded player abilities, which was fine, but maintained the high expectations of levels and equipment - so that you see players casualy suggesting and taking for granted that a give 15th level character has a +5 keen weapon.  All this expansion combined over time to belittle the game's monsters, which were already overmatced in 1st edition by 10th level characters.  The result is the linear progressions noted.  I wonder how long such trends can continue before they start being seen as the ubsurd conceit that they are.</blockquote>

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