The problem with every attempt to map D&D onto anything like…normal human power levels, or any specific genre of fiction or film, is that the only thing D&D is designed to emulate…is D&D. 4E is maybe the exception, as it is explicitly Heroic Fantasy and pretty good at it.
It doesn't start as gritty, pulp fantasy and suddenly transition seven level later to plane-hopping, reality altering nonsense.
— Matt Colville? (@mattcolville) September 2, 2021
