Quote:
Originally Posted by Michael Thayne
What I wonder though is whether you need to go so far as postulating spellcasters with NPC-only abilities and such. Weight of numbers, combined with the fact that there's not really any way to "buy off" certain basic mortal vulnerabilities, might be enough. Maybe.
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I think the "basic mortal vulnerabilities" go a long way toward handling this issue.
A town guard with a crossbow is a viable threat to most PCs. Sure, a prepared delver can counter that threat, but this encourages dramatic moments in the fiction. ("I take an all-out defense and prepare to do an acrobatic dodge!" or "I try to fast-talk the guard while the thief sneaks around behind them!") The reality is that if that crossbow bolt hits, most PCs, especially if they're in street clothes, will be in serious trouble. Give that guard a few similarly armed buddies, and they are likely to be taken seriously.
In default D&D, it is hard to imagine why PCs would take any mundane opposition seriously after the first few levels. A crossbow bolt simply can't seriously harm a character.
I like having the NPC-only stuff in my back pocket, just in case, but I've never felt the need to flex those muscles yet.