It's easy for a long-running series to become lazy and self-perpetuating. Fans expect similar plots, enemies and settings, so the urge to present a familiar product can be tough to fight, especially when there's no way of predicting whether taking risks will delight or alienate existing customers,...
Your sidekick is a Seaman
Getting 1-shotted by every monster in a dungeon that I had no idea I was too low-level for