Cont. >>96007736
And by
>Might be viable for ensuring a small party isn't punished needlessly.
I do not mean on-the-fly bethesda fuckery to match them, but rather cutting monsters overall with some internal blanket rules to be roughly "half" difficulty, such as capping their HP total potentials to where anything rolled above half = half (and obviously things with additional powers would still be exponentially harder).

The "special bonus award" on page 85 of the DMG also gives me an idea. For new players some kind of "insurance policy" might also be in order... a "free" restoration to life once per month, that levies a debt to be paid after, if their body can be returned to the temple. And increasing the monthly gold piece cost, with the option to (with a termination fee) drop the policy later if they should so wish. A bit like a light version of Cyberpunk's Trauma Team + the debt of Cruelty Squad... The benefit is the "raise now, pay later". The monthly fee is to account for absconders.

Gives low level players a reason to recover their allies' bodies too.