Thats why I said it was a bad choice - if a DM, which is just a different medium game designer - wants something to happen, it happens. Its a dick move to make people think they can do something about it and then do everything you can to make it so they fail so the thing you wanted can happen.That idea of making people feel helpless by giving them an almost certain to fail what 3? 4? checks? to get through shadow period without a dead kid...As a DM the times you say "If you roll a nat 20 Ill let it happen" are for when everyone agrees there is realistically nothing here for you to do. That is what they repeatedly fail. They are obviously having a story they would like to have happen and you can try to stop it. That works great for the main plot. The rest of the time is you just trying to put fires out because they will burn whatever it is to cinders if you don't. You rarely walk in with a chance to stop the fire from being started in the first place. Its the beat of the drum, your entry point into choices, and the odds being stacked against you that tell you how this story either should be or at least how it will probably go. Every time that dice pops up for a check in conversation, the player shouldn't drop their shoulders and mutter "fuck". It should be exciting.

What is the problem you are solving? Does your proposed change solve the problem? Is your change feasible? What else will be affected by your change? Will your change impact revenue? Does your change align with the goals and strategies of the organizations (Larian, WotC)?