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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FrozenNorth" data-source="post: 8384791" data-attributes="member: 7020832">A couple of points to this.1) If we are talking about 5th level characters (which we were), saying “yes, but on the plane of Gehanna…” or “yes, but Death Tyrants…” doesn’t really show that exploration challenges are on the same footing.  On the contrary, (though I realize this isn’t your intention), it makes it seem like you have to invent contrived examples to provide an exploration challenge to 5th level characters.2) At 5th level, the party is absolutely still facing mundane social and combat challenges.  They can (and on occasion should) face fantastical social and combat challenges, but a bandit captain supported by guards is a good 5th level combat challenge, as are cult fanatics with cultists.  Same thing for social challenges.  My 7th level party has spent the past few sessions in a city interacting with various NPCs, and there has been virtually no change in the social challenge aspect of the game.Which I think goes back to the initial point.  If mundane exploration challenges are virtually negated at low levels due to common and widespread abilities and spells, it’s normal that DMs find the exploration pillar more frustrating to deal with than the social or the combat pillar.</blockquote>