Is it OK to have a reasonable expectation for failure in a fantasy role-playing adventure. I created this adventure in the early days of 2008, and I thought at the time it was just another week’s adventure. After running The Grinding Gear for two different groups, I see it as something a little unusual, and that is why it is in your hands now.

Both groups failed to find the treasure that is the ultimate goal of the adventure. Yes, they escaped with their lives to adventure another day, but they didn’t succeed in this quest. And there are multiple chances in this thing to really rip a party to shreds.

How harsh is that?

None of my players’ characters died in any of those obvious kill-zones. Yes, we had a few PC deaths up in the spoiler , but that setup was so obvious that I consider those to be mercy killings.

So I don’t expect this to be a slaughterhouse dungeon, but the possibility is very real that the players will think that the entire thing is one big cruel waste of their time with no rewards. Are you prepared for that?