D&D 5E Killed Me a Lawful Stupid Paladin

[Schmoe]

@Zardnaar FWIW I think it's a humorous story, and I probably would have done something similar in your shoes. The most shocking thing to me is all of the posters telling you how wrong and how much of a bad DM you are. That's not very nice.

I'm trying to be diplomatic here, but people play many different styles of games, and there is literally nothing wrong with running a game where players can get their characters killed for doing stupid things. For example, my players would be bored in the kind of game many here are describing. The condescending judgment of several posters here is not a good look.

 

[Zardnaar]

@Zardnaar FWIW I think it's a humorous story, and I probably would have done something similar in your shoes. The most shocking thing to me is all of the posters telling you how wrong and how much of a bad DM you are. That's not very nice.

I'm trying to be diplomatic here, but people play many different styles of games, and there is literally nothing wrong with running a game where players can get their characters killed for doing stupid things. For example, my players would be bored in the kind of game many here are describing. The condescending judgment of several posters here is not a good look.

Heh yeah I do a living world and I'm LN DM apparently.

 

[Zsong]

Let the dice fall where they may. If a 5th level PC u knowingly challenged a 20th level fighter to a duel and does then so be it. He had a chance to avoid the encounter and it is a valid death. I would never try to rebalance the encounter. The PC gets what is coming to him.

 

[jgsugden]

Let the dice fall where they may. If a 5th level PC u knowingly challenged a 20th level fighter to a duel and does then so be it. He had a chance to avoid the encounter and it is a valid death. I would never try to rebalance the encounter. The PC gets what is coming to him.

You have your order of events wrong from the story.

The Player made a challenge, then the DM determined the challenge of the enemy. He selected a foe that was too hard with the knowledge that the player would likely not back down. This was akin to putting magical darkness in the path of the PCs and then deciding it is a Sphere of Annihilation after they state they're going to walk into it.

This is bullying. This is abusing your power, and it is something that often drives players away from DMs.

 

[Zsong]

You have your order of events wrong from the story.

The Player made a challenge, then the DM determined the challenge of the enemy. He selected a foe that was too hard with the knowledge that the player would likely not back down. This was akin to putting magical darkness in the path of the PCs and then deciding it is a Sphere of Annihilation after they state they're going to walk into it.

This is bullying. This is abusing your power, and it is something that often drives players away from DMs.

I never disagreed with you. Just let the dice fall where they may.

 

[Zardnaar]

You have your order of events wrong from the story.

The Player made a challenge, then the DM determined the challenge of the enemy. He selected a foe that was too hard with the knowledge that the player would likely not back down. This was akin to putting magical darkness in the path of the PCs and then deciding it is a Sphere of Annihilation after they state they're going to walk into it.

This is bullying. This is abusing your power, and it is something that often drives players away from DMs.

I didn't think he would go through with it.

Every other player was saying don't do it, one left the room.

They knew what would likely happen.

Asked this week what everyone though as I wasn't a sure. No one cares, one thought it was funny.

They knew how I roll.

I had already told said player what he wanted to do was suicide, sent up warning flags.

We played togather with different DM in weekend. I don't know how this one rolls but he said something like "you guys are so paranoid I love it".

To me it's common sense until you figure out how a DM rolls.

 

[Mannahnin]

The Player made a challenge, then the DM determined the challenge of the enemy. He selected a foe that was too hard with the knowledge that the player would likely not back down. This was akin to putting magical darkness in the path of the PCs and then deciding it is a Sphere of Annihilation after they state they're going to walk into it.

This is bullying. This is abusing your power, and it is something that often drives players away from DMs.

Absolute nonsense.

Players have the right to make bad choices. If a character makes a self-destructive move, the DM is under no obligation to countermand or mitigate it, especially if the player insists on the course of action. This isn't bullying or abuse, it's just playing a game in a way which adds to verisimilitude, and honoring player agency. Zardnaar's expanded comments through the thread make clear that the danger was signposted, that the other players caught on and knew it was a bad idea, and that the consequence being death was the player's idea.

Multiple people have offered constructive suggestions about alternate ways this kind of situation could be handled. Albeit at the cost of removing some choice from the player, but with the benefit of speeding resolution and having their showboating take less time and focus away from what the group was doing. That's a useful outcome for the thread. Some good discussion about different ways to handle a difficult situation like this.

 

[Zubatcarteira]

Well, if he really just picked a fight for no good reason and almost won anyway, I wouldn't fault the DM. I wouldn't actively send PCs against enemies they can't beat, but if they're just attacking randos then they gotta deal with their bad choices.

 

[Zardnaar]

Well, if he really just picked a fight for no good reason and almost won anyway, I wouldn't fault the DM. I wouldn't actively send PCs against enemies they can't beat, but if they're just attacking randos then they gotta deal with their bad choices.

If the player used lay on hands for 25 hp probably would have won.

Chewed through 80/112 hp. One of the other players forgot about haste. Probably would have won.

Forgot about aid and could have started with extra hp.

It was a stinker not automatic death sentence.