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<blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 6535827" data-attributes="member: 4937">I'm not sure.&nbsp; I can't recall using rats on low level characters in the last 20 years or so.&nbsp; There are lots of things that you can slot in the that 'low damage foe' slot that have basically the same stats but aren't rats.&nbsp; I can see it being necessary in 1e, particularly with 'death at 0 hit points' to use foes with damage of 1 or 1d2 to buffer PC's up to 2nd level, but it's really not that necessary lately.More to the point, there is a vast difference between encountering rats in a dungeon environment and having a quest be performing a mundane task of extermination as applied by a 'rats in the dungeon' quest.&nbsp; If I had to guess, published modules and D&amp;D have more of a thing with 'large but not too large' vermin than they do with rats.&nbsp; Killing dinner plate sized spiders in ruined castles is more traditional D&amp;D than rats in basements - the original DMG has this as it's example of combat in play.&nbsp; U1, T1 all the classic intro modules involved lots of vermin hidden all over ready to leap out and attack the players.&nbsp; Rats maybe, but hardly as a focus or worthy of becoming the definitive D&amp;D starting encounter.Basements are rarely a feature of D&amp;D play.&nbsp; D&amp;D doesn't need 'basements'.&nbsp; In a computer game, they form a small screen sized single room dungeon that involves very few developer resources to create and serves as 'tutorial by play' for new players.&nbsp; But in a paper game..?</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Celebrim, post: 6535827, member: 4937"] I'm not sure. I can't recall using rats on low level characters in the last 20 years or so. There are lots of things that you can slot in the that 'low damage foe' slot that have basically the same stats but aren't rats. I can see it being necessary in 1e, particularly with 'death at 0 hit points' to use foes with damage of 1 or 1d2 to buffer PC's up to 2nd level, but it's really not that necessary lately. More to the point, there is a vast difference between encountering rats in a dungeon environment and having a quest be performing a mundane task of extermination as applied by a 'rats in the dungeon' quest. If I had to guess, published modules and D&D have more of a thing with 'large but not too large' vermin than they do with rats. Killing dinner plate sized spiders in ruined castles is more traditional D&D than rats in basements - the original DMG has this as it's example of combat in play. U1, T1 all the classic intro modules involved lots of vermin hidden all over ready to leap out and attack the players. Rats maybe, but hardly as a focus or worthy of becoming the definitive D&D starting encounter. Basements are rarely a feature of D&D play. D&D doesn't need 'basements'. In a computer game, they form a small screen sized single room dungeon that involves very few developer resources to create and serves as 'tutorial by play' for new players. But in a paper game..? [/QUOTE]

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