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Message: <blockquote data-quote="merelycompetent" data-source="post: 5896313" data-attributes="member: 33830">I'm going to take a slightly different tack than most here:Whatever you decide to do, do it with respect FOR the other people at the game table.If you take the attitude that you're having to coddle them along, baby them, give them warm fuzzies, or hold their hands, they'll pick up on it.If you take the attitude that you're having to scale things back because they're idiots, or make sub-optimal choices, couldn't "strategize" their way out of a wet paper bag, are professional tactical screw-ups, etc.... they'll pick up on it.It's all in the attitude that you have towards the players and their playstyle. If you show respect for them, and their in-game decisions (even the bad ones), then you can still do the single most important thing you can do in a situation like this: Talk to your players.If you don't show respect for them, your players will clam up on you. The frustration and aggravation will grow, until they either quit, or worse, continuing playing and simmering.You have a rare opportunity here to find out exactly what kind of game they want to play in. It sounds like you are all good enough friends that, once the frustration and, yes, embarrassment of royally screwing up, fades a little, you can all talk about the game. Specifically, what they expect from you as DM, and what you expect from them as players.If they're risk-averse and want PC immunity from death, you must find that out now, so you can tell them what kind of game you're running and where you're willing to bend so that you can all have fun. If you've got players who don't mind piling the paper in the character graveyard, that's necessary information for how you run things.Make it clear to the players that enemies will use good tactics and information that they gain about the PCs against them... IF that's how you're running things.I'm saying this as an old-school DM, who tells players up front that their characters will die, die, die horribly if they are stupidly suicidal. I'm also saying this as a player who doesn't like it when I find out that I've got PC immunity to death, but I'm OK with playing in that sort of game.Speaking of which, I need to renew my RBDM card...</blockquote>

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