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<blockquote data-quote="Abraxas" data-source="post: 1900194" data-attributes="member: 1266">But, unlike your real world teamwork/combat by strength of numbers, greater numbers in the game world may not help you and in fact may hurt you, significantly.&nbsp; The presence of multiple combatants in D&amp;D only helps if they can attack effectively, if the characters/creatures can flank, or if they use the aid another action.&nbsp; The fact that these creatures may get killed doesn't just mean the BBEG has fewer targets to choose from, it very well could mean that you are going to get cleaved because your ally died.&nbsp;In the real world you don't have magically created teammates who just attack the enemy unless you can communicate with them and they have enough intelligence to follow your orders.&nbsp; In the game world these summoned creatures don't use teamwork, they use mob tactics. They aren't normally an organized force and they only last until brought to 0 hit points or the spell ends.&nbsp; They aren't your buddies who you have been risking your life with for the last 7 levels.&nbsp; They aren't going to stop and stabilize you, or use curing magic on you, or pull you ass out if you drop. They are going to keep attacking unless someone tells them to do something else.&nbsp;Now to turn it around.&nbsp; Because you choose to gain the benefit of one more meaningful attack compared to anything all of the summoned creatures could manage together.&nbsp;Because the PC does die.&nbsp; Because the PC has been my character's ally for the last X levels.&nbsp; Because the PC isn't a spell effect.&nbsp; Because I don't send the PC in to trigger a trap. Because the PC can think for himself and do more than dog pile on the BBEG.&nbsp; Because the PC is not an expendable asset and the summoned creatures are.&nbsp;Thats wrong.&nbsp; Forgetting for a second that the characters are probably friends, his level loss makes the party weaker.&nbsp; Done enough times he becomes a liability and a drain on resources (it costs money to have someone raised - plus they can decide not to come back after you've spent that money).&nbsp; This isn't true with summoned creatures. No matter how many times they die, they are exactly the same when they come back. No matter how many times you send summoned creatures to their death, you will still be able to summon more.&nbsp; Send your PC buddies to their death even once and they may not be there for you ever again.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Abraxas, post: 1900194, member: 1266"] But, unlike your real world teamwork/combat by strength of numbers, greater numbers in the game world may not help you and in fact may hurt you, significantly. The presence of multiple combatants in D&D only helps if they can attack effectively, if the characters/creatures can flank, or if they use the aid another action. The fact that these creatures may get killed doesn't just mean the BBEG has fewer targets to choose from, it very well could mean that you are going to get cleaved because your ally died. In the real world you don't have magically created teammates who just attack the enemy unless you can communicate with them and they have enough intelligence to follow your orders. In the game world these summoned creatures don't use teamwork, they use mob tactics. They aren't normally an organized force and they only last until brought to 0 hit points or the spell ends. They aren't your buddies who you have been risking your life with for the last 7 levels. They aren't going to stop and stabilize you, or use curing magic on you, or pull you ass out if you drop. They are going to keep attacking unless someone tells them to do something else. Now to turn it around. Because you choose to gain the benefit of one more meaningful attack compared to anything all of the summoned creatures could manage together. Because the PC does die. Because the PC has been my character's ally for the last X levels. Because the PC isn't a spell effect. Because I don't send the PC in to trigger a trap. Because the PC can think for himself and do more than dog pile on the BBEG. Because the PC is not an expendable asset and the summoned creatures are. Thats wrong. Forgetting for a second that the characters are probably friends, his level loss makes the party weaker. Done enough times he becomes a liability and a drain on resources (it costs money to have someone raised - plus they can decide not to come back after you've spent that money). This isn't true with summoned creatures. No matter how many times they die, they are exactly the same when they come back. No matter how many times you send summoned creatures to their death, you will still be able to summon more. Send your PC buddies to their death even once and they may not be there for you ever again. [/QUOTE]

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