DragonQuest combat falls midway in complexity between "D&D" and systems such as "Runequest" or "HârnMaster". It can take several hours to resolve battles. Tactics, choice of weapon, and use of spells are keys to victory. A feature of "DQ" is that novice characters and mighty adventurers have nearly the same ability to absorb damage—i.e. they can both be killed fairly easily (unlike "D&D" in which high-level characters can take remarkable amounts of damage without dying, but similar to "Runequest" where character hit points are mostly static). This requires parties to have a balance of fighting and magic skills, since a party cannot be centered on a single nigh-invulnerable figure (a "Conan the Barbarian" type).