What level is appropriate to encounter save or die effects?

[monboesen]

But I do not concede that poison lethality need coincide with the size of the creature. I'm thinking mainly save DC. That doesn't sit well.

Of course it doesn't have to, but it should be the common situation. It's true that there are spiders and snakes that are potetially lethal. But their numbers are small compared to those that are just painful/distraction to humans.

And yes a small, but infamous unimaginable poisoneous creature, can be a fun thing in the game. Especially with forewarning

 

[Imp]

Sure, but in a heroic adventure game, I should think the adventurers are going to run across the skull-faced stonefish of Death's River, or whatever, as often, or more, than they are going to be running away from bees! What I'm saying is the biological average isn't really worth adventuring about. The baseline should be higher. If the DM really wants a PC to get bitten by an average snake, or suffer a dart coated with the poison of the Average Poison Toad Of The Hills Outside Of Town, then the danger should be lower than the baseline, which usually isn't very impressive in the current rules.

 

[wayne62682]

The two aren't mutually exclusive. A PC can make a bad choice and experience a SoD effect (e.g. rushing in and attacking a bodak without averting his gaze, etc.)

And the first time someone does that, you (not a literal you) call him for metagaming because "Your character doesn't know what a Bodak is, you don't know it has a death gaze so you can't avert your eyes!"

I know they aren't mutually exclusive, but I still feel a PC shouldn't buy the farm because of bad luck. Yes, I'm the "I play D&D to tell a story" kind of person.

 

[Piratecat]

I strongly dislike them, and prefer to substitute other effects for "save or die." With a few exceptions, I just don't find them fun or interesting.

 

[Davek]

I dislike them. I usually drop the affected character to-9 and then give them some kind of chance to stabilize, and allow their companions a chance to stabilize them as well. Of course this depends on the type of effect. They might stabilize after having a mountain drop on them, but then die because no one could dig them out in a reasonable amount of time.

If they do stabilize, I have them enter into a comatose state for a minimum of 1 day. This forces (usually) their companions to spend more resources recovering them and getting them to safety. How long they are comatose depends on the original effect, and the lesser cure spells do not reduce the time (although HP are cured). Only high level healing affects the coma.