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<blockquote data-quote="jgsugden" data-source="post: 8136938" data-attributes="member: 2629">D&amp;D needs to have a risk of failure.That risk of failure absolutely does not need to be death.My games typically feature only a few 'deadly' combats per level, but I strive to make sure there is something to be achieved other than fighting when it is not a deadly fight.&nbsp; They might be saving someone (or something) before it is killed/destroyed.&nbsp; They might be trying to avoid someone raising an alarm.&nbsp; They might be trying to solve a puzzle while keeping their resources available for the real fight coming up.&nbsp; They might be chasing a fleeing enemy.&nbsp; They might be fighting someone that can have them turned into criminals if they attack back... all sorts of options are available to make sure that the game has challenges, even if the PCs are not at risk of death absent incredibly bad luck.I'll go so far as to say that I find it essential to have combats with no real threat of death to make the PCs feel like heroes.&nbsp; If every battle is a struggle, they feel weak and barely capable of getting by ... but if they fell a mighty beast with a flourish, it gives them that feeling of being mighty heroes.&nbsp; That can feel like Spider-man fighting off thugs rather than like Robin escaping the Joker's clutches.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="jgsugden, post: 8136938, member: 2629"] D&D needs to have a risk of failure. That risk of failure absolutely does not need to be death. My games typically feature only a few 'deadly' combats per level, but I strive to make sure there is something to be achieved other than fighting when it is not a deadly fight. They might be saving someone (or something) before it is killed/destroyed. They might be trying to avoid someone raising an alarm. They might be trying to solve a puzzle while keeping their resources available for the real fight coming up. They might be chasing a fleeing enemy. They might be fighting someone that can have them turned into criminals if they attack back... all sorts of options are available to make sure that the game has challenges, even if the PCs are not at risk of death absent incredibly bad luck. I'll go so far as to say that I find it essential to have combats with no real threat of death to make the PCs feel like heroes. If every battle is a struggle, they feel weak and barely capable of getting by ... but if they fell a mighty beast with a flourish, it gives them that feeling of being mighty heroes. That can feel like Spider-man fighting off thugs rather than like Robin escaping the Joker's clutches. [/QUOTE]

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