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<blockquote data-quote="Blue" data-source="post: 8477434" data-attributes="member: 20564">But the threat of character death can be a very interesting, recurring point in games like D&amp;D that feature lethal combat as a common challenge resolution.Both in and of itself, in the tension that risk creates is a spice for combat - which is a length mechanical aspect of the game when it occurs.&nbsp; Add in the simple fact that many/most combats, especially in the published modules, aren't about anything except overcoming in order to move forward in the plot.&nbsp; Leaving either it's foreordained you'll win, or having a DM willing and experienced enough to think of suitable alternatives every time.Plus in D&amp;D death isn't particularly non-interesting because it's so easy to undo.&nbsp; It's not like we're talking perma-death in most cases once you are beyond early levels.&nbsp; Heck, if there's a character who can cast revivify it's about the same amount of non-interesting as being knocked out for the length of the combat, which can happen even if death is not on the table.Again, this is in the context of a game where lethal combat is an expected and common challenge resolution.It's why games like CoC or BitD have alternate mechanisms such as sanity or trauma - in order to be able to provide that risk and the tension in a meaningful non-fleeting way without having it be the boolean alive/dead of D&amp;D.&nbsp; That's a great place to be from a system.But even there - I know players who'd rather kill a character and get an unwounded new one than have a permanent disadvantage.&nbsp; That's not me at all, but I'm not going to say their fun is wrong.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Blue, post: 8477434, member: 20564"] But the [I]threat[/I] of character death can be a very interesting, recurring point in games like D&D that feature lethal combat as a common challenge resolution. Both in and of itself, in the tension that risk creates is a spice for combat - which is a length mechanical aspect of the game when it occurs. Add in the simple fact that many/most combats, especially in the published modules, aren't about anything except overcoming in order to move forward in the plot. Leaving either it's foreordained you'll win, or having a DM willing and experienced enough to think of suitable alternatives every time. Plus in D&D death isn't particularly non-interesting because it's so easy to undo. It's not like we're talking perma-death in most cases once you are beyond early levels. Heck, if there's a character who can cast revivify it's about the same amount of non-interesting as being knocked out for the length of the combat, which can happen even if death is not on the table. Again, this is in the context of a game where lethal combat is an expected and common challenge resolution. It's why games like CoC or BitD have alternate mechanisms such as sanity or trauma - in order to be able to provide that risk and the tension in a meaningful non-fleeting way without having it be the boolean alive/dead of D&D. That's a great place to be from a system. But even there - I know players who'd rather kill a character and get an unwounded new one than have a permanent disadvantage. That's not me at all, but I'm not going to say their fun is wrong. [/QUOTE]

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