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Message: <blockquote data-quote="MerricB" data-source="post: 1407386" data-attributes="member: 3586">Huh? I really must have missed something.In 1E, there were basically two types of effect: either you took damage, or you were hors de combat - e.g. poisoned and dead, or paralysed and useless, or fleeing and useless. The third type was energy drain - something that a lot of people hated due to the difficulty of getting restoration spells and XP.In 3E, there are a multiplicity of states, many common: ability score penaties, damage and drain, paralysation, states of fear (shaken, frightened, panicked), nausea, sickened, fatigued, exhausted...In 1E, disintegrate was "save or die", but so was poison, flesh to stone, phantasamal killer... and hold person and fear were also of that nature.Where 3E markedly differs from 1E is in its support of high-level play. In 1E, with characters assumed to be retiring at 12th level, they've only just reached the level of disintegrate and flesh to stone. In effect, spell levels 7-9 are irrelevant to most game play of AD&D.In 3E, play above that level is encouraged. If the best spell you have is "save or die" as a 11th level wizard, then what for the next nine levels? Is there anything to look forward to? Thus, the really deadly spells are bumped upward in level or reduced in power.Filling the gap are the multiplicity of states I mentioned earlier.3E is not noticibly less deadly than 1E, as actual hit point damages can be quite severe, but it doesn't rely on the "save or die" mechanic quite so often.Cheers!</blockquote>

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