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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Brother MacLaren" data-source="post: 1364141" data-attributes="member: 15999">I can understand the original poster's point.  It's not entirely about the PCs not knowing that there's a BBEG with insta-kill coming up; it's partly about the *players* not knowing there's a particularly dangerous BBEG.  The same encounter could have had a lot more drama and build-up around the table if they knew that the final door was guarded by the mysterious and powerful Shadow Golem.  Even if the PCs have no way of knowing the thing's capabilities, the players still get the fun - yes, fun - of anticipation and that feeling of entertaining dread when their PCs finally meet it.  Like a good horror movie.So that's my take on it.  I, as a player, can have more fun looking forward to a horrible confrontation than by having my character keel over dead from something I didn't expect (although I have no major problem with the latter if it makes sense in-game, the former is more fun).  But that doesn't ruin the possibility of attacks that are a surprise to the PC - since I know the abilities of the assassin PrC, I'll have a much higher sense of dread than my PC will if I know he's being stalked by an assassin.I once had a player who wanted nothing bad to ever happen to a character other than losing hit points.  No charm, no paralysis, no poison, no polymorph, and definitely no insta-kill.  HP were the only mechanic to go with.  I couldn't ever agree to limit a game that much.  Transmutation and enchantment effects in particular have way too much of a history in literature and folklore to do away with.</blockquote>

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