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<blockquote data-quote="jgsugden" data-source="post: 7482273" data-attributes="member: 2629">To an extent, yes.&nbsp; If the PCs are going to continue to adventure for 200 more hours at 20th level, that is different than if they are going to do a 5 to 15 encounters at 20th level and retire.&nbsp; However, the issue I'm addressing would not be different in a campaign where the Gods could die... Why?&nbsp; Because it isn't about where the Gods fit in the story, it is about where the PCs fit.&nbsp; There are different types of stories you tell at different levels.&nbsp; Fighting goblins in a cave at level 1, is different than fighting off hill giants attacking a city at 7th, or traveling to the Abyss to fight demons at 13.... Or being amongst the greatest champions of legend at 20.&nbsp; They need to feel different for the game to evolve.If Gods can die in your campaign, and the PCs are fighting the God killers - those are the few exception to the general rule combats I mentioned.&nbsp;&nbsp; That are the big fights.&nbsp; The key moments.&nbsp; If every encounter the PCs have is against something that can kill a God - well, your world likely won't have many Gods.It is essential - people often do not understand that this is a fundamental assumption in the DMG encounter construction guidelines.&nbsp; Why have easy encounters?&nbsp; Because easy references the challenge to the PCs survivability.&nbsp; It is a resource management tool aimed at assisting DMs to determine how long resources will last.&nbsp; It does not reference how hard it might be to stop the enemy from reaching their objective.&nbsp; One kobold cutting one rope can change the world - and if that kobold is secured the right way, it can be a challenge for even high level PCs to stop it before it cuts that rope.You need to rely upon that mentality more at high levels if you want the PCs to feel like epic heroes.&nbsp; If you don't, and every battle is a grind for survival, they do not feel like epic heroes.&nbsp; They feel like cogs in a greater game - which is something they should leave behind before they are retired as the greatest heroes of legend.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="jgsugden, post: 7482273, member: 2629"] To an extent, yes. If the PCs are going to continue to adventure for 200 more hours at 20th level, that is different than if they are going to do a 5 to 15 encounters at 20th level and retire. However, the issue I'm addressing would not be different in a campaign where the Gods could die... Why? Because it isn't about where the Gods fit in the story, it is about where the PCs fit. There are different types of stories you tell at different levels. Fighting goblins in a cave at level 1, is different than fighting off hill giants attacking a city at 7th, or traveling to the Abyss to fight demons at 13.... Or being amongst the greatest champions of legend at 20. They need to feel different for the game to evolve. If Gods can die in your campaign, and the PCs are fighting the God killers - those are the few exception to the general rule combats I mentioned. That are the big fights. The key moments. If every encounter the PCs have is against something that can kill a God - well, your world likely won't have many Gods. It is essential - people often do not understand that this is a fundamental assumption in the DMG encounter construction guidelines. Why have easy encounters? Because easy references the challenge to the PCs survivability. It is a resource management tool aimed at assisting DMs to determine how long resources will last. It does not reference how hard it might be to stop the enemy from reaching their objective. One kobold cutting one rope can change the world - and if that kobold is secured the right way, it can be a challenge for even high level PCs to stop it before it cuts that rope. You need to rely upon that mentality more at high levels if you want the PCs to feel like epic heroes. If you don't, and every battle is a grind for survival, they do not feel like epic heroes. They feel like cogs in a greater game - which is something they should leave behind before they are retired as the greatest heroes of legend. [/QUOTE]

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