What do you do about PC deaths?

Doug McCrae

Legend

• Nov 27, 2004

• #1

It seems to me that the rules for both raise dead and creating a new character kinda suck for the player in question. Both of them cause you to lose a level which hurts a lot in DnD.

In our current game when we die the GM has us come back to life (for weird campaign specific reasons) minus 1000xp but this actually seem a bit too lenient.

So... what do you guys do when a PC dies?

 

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H

hong

WotC's bitch

• Nov 27, 2004

• #2

I resurrected (har har) the survival rolls from 1E/2E, albeit in slightly modified form. To survive a resurrrection, make a level check vs DC 10. The next time it's DC 15, then DC 20, and so on. Adjust the figures up or down to suit the level and desired lethality of the campaign.

 

fafhrd

First Post

• Nov 27, 2004

• #3

I set them back the normal amount of xp but I allow them to keep xp that had accrued but not yet been awarded. That way death still hurts but not quite as badly. They can rapidly(sometimes immediately) get back to where they were but the rest of the lot has gotten a little further ahead in the interim.

 

Last edited: Nov 27, 2004

Zweischneid

First Post

• Nov 27, 2004

• #4

Dead stay dead. No resurrection in my campaign (as of yet)

 

Z

Zethnar

First Post

• Nov 27, 2004

• #5

I dont kill PC's. I mean I have control over their life being the GM and whats the fun in making them dead 'just cos the dice said so.' I've played in campaigns like that and it wasn't very fun loosing a character you've spent the last 2 years investing time into.

How does it benefit you as the GM to kill off a character anyway? I mean sure if someone does something stupid that deserves that they be killed (like leap at a well guarded emperor with a poison dagger) then by all means, but if some ogre in a forrest somewhere simply does a critical that kills the character, whats the point? All it does is create hassles for you as you now have to think of a reason for this new character to be there because the party is a week into the forest with no real intentions of returning to town any time soon.

 

IronWolf

blank

• Nov 27, 2004

• #6

When a PC dies then they come back via the standard Resurrection/Raise Dead rules or roll up a new character that comes into play one level below the party average.

Why let the player's die? Because in order to be heroes there has to be the feeling that their is something at risk. I find as a player I like to know my character can die. Does it disappoint me when a character I have worked hard on making and working up a background on and invested hours of time playing dies. Sure does, but its all a part of the game in my opinion. I want there to be some risk...

 

R

rumblehed

First Post

• Nov 27, 2004

• #7

fafhrd said:

I set them back the normal amount of xp but I allow them to keep xp that had accrued but not yet been awarded. That way death still hurts but not quite as badly. They can rapidly(sometimes immediately) get back to where they were but the rest of the lot has gotten a little further ahead in the interim.

Click to expand...

This is also a rule I follow. It keeps the gap between individual levels in the party to a minimum. I also allow characters to sacrifice a magic item as a substitute for the standard diamond material component, so long as the item's worth the same amount or more. No; the PC's don't get any "change" back from an item worth more than the standard amount. The item is completely consumed. I've also placed a limit on the number of times the character can return from the dead: 3 times. After that, the process is too draining on the caster and the departed spirit can no longer be reached.

 

Nifft

Penguin Herder

• Nov 27, 2004

• #8

I hand out "Fate Points" for doing OOC stuff that makes the game better -- drawing a map of a region, drawing detailed floorplans for the PC's current stronghold, writing up the previous session, the like.

One Fate Point can be cashed in a variety of ways, including "I'm Not Dead Yet", which immediately restores the PC to 0 hp (from ANY negative value).

Then, let the dice fall where they may. The players do my fudging for me.

-- N

 

C

Cithindril

First Post

• Nov 27, 2004

• #9

I have had characters occassionally die...certainly if they're playing stupidly but more rarely in the 'epic, climatic battle'. I agree that these events should not be due to the random, lucky Ogre with a crit for the most part, but if there's NO death some of that heroic feel is lost.

As a standard practice, I direct every player to have a fully thought-out backup character in the wings so that they can drop him in without delay should the primary bite the dust. In most cases, this backup character has a story connection to the primary so all of the creative work they've done isn't wasted. I also ensure that resurrection/raise dead options are available, especially at the higher levels.

Bottom line: if a player is playing intelligently, character death is there to raise the threat level and make the whole affair 'feel heroic' but it should be an epic event and not something left strictly to the vagaries of the dice, IMHO.

**EDIT** I should also say that in those cases where a player DOES die and wishes to be brought back from the beyond, I use all of the standard XP/Level penalties from the core rules..

 

Last edited: Nov 27, 2004

the Jester

Legend

• Nov 27, 2004

• #10

"Here's 4d6...."

If a pc is raised or resurrected, I run it by the book these days.