D&D 5E When a PC is dead and gone, what options do the players have at your table(s)?

Sacrosanct · Sep 20, 2018

Mostly roll up a new lvl 1 PC. With the way xp scales, they catch up quickly. Otherwise they can bring in another existing PC from a different campaign (as long as that campaign isn't currently also going on) as long as level is less than or equal to every one else's.

smbakeresq · Sep 20, 2018

About what PMing does, level - 2. It depends on what role you are replacing. A wizard at -2 levels is still ok, you can hang back and be relevant and relatively safe. If you are the tank though, it’s a different story.

The goal is to not PC too far behind, after all they just lost a PC. You can catch up fast but are still relevant.

77IM · Sep 21, 2018

Level 1, but you advance super fast (1 level per session) until you catch up with the rest of the party.

Kobold Boots · Sep 21, 2018

Generally, when characters die I give players a few options.

1. Once characters level once, I usually make them aware of the benefits of having retainers with the party.
2. If they die in the field and a retainer is available, they jump on to running the retainer.
3. If they die in the field with no retainers available then it's a matter of getting to the nearest "civilized" area and seeing what or who they can hire should they decide to continue to quest.

My session 0 document usually provides advice such as making sure you have plans for when things go horribly sideways so if players don't have characters or a back up group of folks ready to quest to save them it's rare.

That said, at minimum if you die you lose a level. In many cases the retainers who are hired are not as experienced as the PCs and they don't get to know their stats or run them until they need to. Added benefit there is a "fightery retainer" could be any class the player wants to play and so on, as I don't back myself into a corner by over-elaborating on retainers in game.

Draegn · Sep 21, 2018

My players have their primary characters and several alternates each. When the primary dies permanently they bring in one of the alternates all who are a few levels lower than the primary characters.

The group is current level 8-13 with the alternates being level 5-9. Some due get played more than others.

When in the middle of a plot, I give them an NPC to run which can become the new primary character if they chose.

cmad1977 · Sep 23, 2018

In this case I would confine the player to his or her cage in the basement and drag up the next one in line.
They would probably start at 4th to 5th level depending on wether they were good.

Mad_Jack · Sep 23, 2018

Nagol said:
What? No Blackleaf option?

When their characters die, players at my table are automatically vaporized by the antimatter lasers installed on the ceiling above their seats...

clearstream · Sep 23, 2018

DM Dave1 said:
This may skew to the "same level" answer as I know many like to maintain parties with everyone at the same level, but thought I'd ask anyway.

If you need a better visual... Imagine a party of four PCs: a fifth level fighter, a sixth level rogue, a sixth level cleric, and a seventh level wizard. The rogue dies trying to disarm a devious trap with no hope of being raised/resurrected/reincarnated/etc. Where does that player get to start their new character? 1st level? 4th level? 5th level? 6th level? Wait, I missed one... oh yeah, or is that player out since they "lost" at D&D?

Ok, go...

I chose Try to keep up, but in fact new characters come in one level below the lowest, at the bottom of that level. This has worked well over a two year campaign.

That said, I don't stint on revival magic: characters can generally access whatever they can afford. I do include a casting cost on top of the material costs, though. Getting to the front of the queue for a raise means paying the creature doing the casting beyond their material costs! The ratio that is working well for me is three times the material cost.

I should add that evil creatures at my table will eviscerate a downed foe. Partly to forestall Healing Word shenanigans, and partly from spite.

clearstream · Sep 23, 2018

Seramus said:
Everyone stays at the same level. More fun for everyone at my table.

Different groups find fun in different things, of course. The reason as DM I have my characters come back one level below the lowest level survivor is oriented toward the fun of the challenge. Survivors get to feel that their efforts to survive were meaningful. For me, coming back at the same level removes some of that meaning: it made no odds, mechanically at least, if the character lived or died.

I can see this been seen as a narrative-versus-mechanical focus thing. What I don't totally follow is that where a group is more narrative focused, why would coming back at the same level be needed? It feels to me like there is some mechanical concern going on there, even if unacknowledged.

Seramus · Sep 23, 2018

clearstream said:
I can see this been seen as a narrative-versus-mechanical focus thing. What I don't totally follow is that where a group is more narrative focused, why would coming back at the same level be needed? It feels to me like there is some mechanical concern going on there, even if unacknowledged.

It is definitely mechanical for us. There's a sense of progress and achievement that comes with gaining levels, along with fancy new powers that are fun to experiment with. Losing levels (or progress towards the next level) represents a step backwards: a longer period of time before you get new things to play with. The time interval between level ups is already pretty long at my table, so nobody wants to extend that unnecessarily.

The story will be awesome either way.