Victory *and* death: Would you enjoy this?

[Mouseferatu]

Note that the following assumes that you're the type of player who enjoys story-arc-intensive campaigns. If not, this question probably isn't directed at you.

So, let's say that you've been playing through a relatively long-term campaign. Maybe not every single adventure is tied into the background plot, but there's a definite story throughout. Definite evil building, definite threat to the world, all that stuff.

So you've finally reached high levels, and you're obviously approaching the end of the campaign. And at the end, you succeed... sort of.

Maybe you succeed in saving the world, but you must sacrifice yourself to do so. Maybe you can't stop reality from ending, but your sacrifice ensures that the world to come in the next cosmic cycle will be a far better place, free of evil. Maybe (to use a Star Wars example), by fighting a battle that you know will kill you, your sacrifice allows Princess Leia to escape with the Death Star plans long enough to reach Tatooine and the start of A New Hope.

Would you find this sort of ending to a campaign dramatic and fun to play? Or frustrating and unfair? Would you enjoy this, assuming it was a change from the norm and not something that happens all the time? Or would it bother you that your character died, even though it was the last game of the campaign anyway and he accomplished something grand in the process?

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Depends on whether there was every any other possible alternative. If it was completely scripted than I wouldn't enjoy it as much. If it was the natural consequences of player actions and how things just played out, I'd think it was pretty awesome.

 

[Glyfair]

That depends.

If the campaign ended with a very tough battle (or other deathly situation) and players but themselves in deliberate sacrifical positions, that's one thing. If the campaign is designed (or is seemed to be designed) so the players must sacrifice themselves so succeed, that is another.

The first is cool and memorable. This sort of thing is, IMO, the best way to end a campaign.

The second seems like a railroad ending to the campaign. The DM seems to have an ending most of the time and is putting the PCs on the road to accomplish his goal.

I can see the second option working if it's handled just right, and with a DM that knows what the players can handle and can't (or won't). I think it fails far more often.

 

[Goblyn]

Definitely fun, yes. This happened in a 2e game I played in in which my character was a demon hunter(title, not class) and the only way to destroy one known as Binquis was to convince the madman he was in cdontact with to kill himself. As the madman in question was a prophet of doom, the easiest way was to show him that the world was ending, and that to complete its destruction he had to die. Unfortunately, so did the one telling him this. So the demonhunter allowed herself to be slain by his deathknight, he flung himself off a roof, and Binqis was banished for another 1000 years.

It was excellent.

 

[frankthedm]

I think it is a great idea regardless of player tastes. If they are so wrapped up in a "My character is too cool to die!" attitude, they can enjoy a miserable end.

 

[Wik]

I don't know, to be quite honest. I don't think I'd really enjoy that a whole lot, unless I felt 100% positive that the idea to kill myself was for the best.

I love making "last stands", and when they occur, I get this huge grin on my face. There have been numerous times my paladin has drawn his sword while the rest of the group runs and said something like "You guys go on... I'll hold them off... for a while."

I *Love* that.

But, if I felt like the game was engineered for some cosmic doom? Nah, I wouldn't enjoy that nearly as much.

 

[Herobizkit]

If my high-level characters don't die in a blaze of glory, there is always the temptation to play them again. And given the amount of time I actually play, I'm more interested in plot resolution than keeping PCs alive. "Getting There Is Half The Fun", after all.

 

[Vegepygmy]

So, let's say that you've been playing through a relatively long-term campaign. Maybe not every single adventure is tied into the background plot, but there's a definite story throughout. Definite evil building, definite threat to the world, all that stuff.

So you've finally reached high levels, and you're obviously approaching the end of the campaign. And at the end, you succeed... sort of.

Maybe you succeed in saving the world, but you must sacrifice yourself to do so.

Interestingly enough, my group just finished the Age of Worms last week. I played a character from 1st to 20th level, and--with the rest of the party down and no hope left--the would-be god Kyuss killed my character...setting off a 20d6 explosion from his righteous aura that was just enough to destroy Kyuss.

Awesome. Totally awesome.

During the wrap-up, one of the other players said: "Of course, we'll resurrect Sledge."

"No, don't," I told them. I mean, there's no place to go but down from a moment like that.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Holy crap. I would kill to be part of a campaign ending like that.

Kudos and congrats, man. That sort of confluence of events doesn't come often.

 

[Meloncov]

With my current charecter, I am planning on asking the DM to make sure he dies in the final fight for the ideals he believes in. Part of that has to do with the charecters persoality (he wants to let others choose the course of the newly freed land, not unintentionally make himself a leader) and part has to do with it just being cool.