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The original was posted on /r/osr by /u/redfizh on 2025-06-08 17:17:06+00:00.

I think it was a few years ago, there was talk that original DnD discouraged combat and that it was a last resort thing. Then older players responded to that, saying no, that wasn't the case. When DnD came out in the 70's they were kids, and they played it like kids who wanted to fight monsters and hack and slash through dungeons. There is still a combat is a last resort philosophy in the OSR that I've seen or at least heard expressed.

Is this the case for you? Do you or your players avoid combat?

Do you or your players embrace death in combat, or are people connecting to their character and wanting to keep them alive?

How do you make quests/adventures/factions that leave room to be resolved without combat?