D&D 5E What to do when Pc's die? What then for that player?

[AmerginLiath]

I like the idea of taking advantage of the tiers built into the system (even perhaps subdividing the 4-11 tier into 4-7 and 8-11 for such purposes). To be fair, I think that bounded accuracy and the XP/CR system of 5e helps, but it also depends on the nature of the particular campaign and setting.

As I've mentioned before, I'm used to gaming in a setting (Dragonlance) where there aren't supposed to be many high-level characters and more of a mix of combat, exploration, and social sessions fit into the "epic fantasy" setting. As such, characters who get into the 12-16 tier are semi-retired anyway and brought out again only for special occasions, while a player might have a range of characters in what's now the 1-3, 4-7, and 8-11 tiers (5e really seems to be built for the precise game we played in 2e and kept adjusting 3.x to try to keep going!).

As more campaigns transition back more away from the "encounter model," (I think many of us can remember how we hilariously played 3.0 like it was still AD&D and rarely fought anything for months until we grokked the new paradigm) a range of a few levels within a party will be less of a difference since the Encounter and Social aspects of the game will be more specifically supported at all levels of play. But every edition has that learning curve of retraining ourselves for using the ruleset in the most conducive way for adventuring and campaigning, and that heavily impacts how to deal with introducing new characters. But, I don't see a huge issue of having a slight range (especially as there's the matter of learning complexity for certain classes, where starting a few levels back and then gaining up XP might be better than trying to figure all the new abilities all at once)...

 

[TarionzCousin]

In my groups, players have been rather attached to their characters. Our party sets aside money for resurrections, and charges the formerly dead character gold pieces if he/she died because they did something stupid.

 

[Agamon]

To me, the obvious solution is to always go for a TPK.

Rocks fall, the rest of you die.

Hmmm, that has potential...

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

I'm going to give 1st level a try I think. So far the only PC death is was when everyone else was still level 1 so it wasn't an issue.

 

[fba827]

Personally I'd start the new pc at the current party level.

Always at level 1 will become super harsh when the rest of the party is at, say, level 10. But some other options to consider..
-Your new character comes at at your dead character's level minus 1
-your new character comes in at the base level for the current tier of the party (this keeps pcs in the same 'zone' as enemies)
-your new character starts at the lowest level of the same proficiency bonus as the rest of the party ( thus keeps the new PC with the same accuracy etc, to be more equal, but not always the same number /power of class features)

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

I was going to ask if DM's who don't do a level penalty have removed resurrection level penalty from the game only to see that WOTC did that themselves. Now you have a minus to rolls until you get a few nights rest then you are right as rain apparently. That is going to be house ruled. I've always hated the level penalty and was more in favor of permanently losing CON each time you died. Interesting.

I need to read the book cover to cover, but that is hard to do.

 

[Umbran]

I was going to ask if DM's who don't do a level penalty have removed resurrection level penalty from the game only to see that WOTC did that themselves.

I was never a fan of the level penalty. I generally prefer an approach that has the character inflicted with a geas/quest from whatever power is responsible for the resurrection. Rather than having that spiral of Constitution loss, the powers that be are likely to realize that bringing you back repeatedly isn't a winning proposition, and stop doing so.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

IMC dying should permanently mark a PC, and if you die too much you will probably be pushing into retirement as you can't take anymore. And probably had enough of the BS that keeps getting you killed as it is. Each time you come back you are a little less than before. Maybe a CON save to see if you survive the process ala 1e as well.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I have the player roll up a new character at the same level as the party. Losing a character is generally enough of a penalty by itself.

In my current campaign, since 5E has proven to be fairly lethal, at least at low levels, I've recommended that players have a backup character ready. My only concern is that a player might become dissatisfied with his or her current character, and itching to play the backup enough to let a character die. But, that seems not to have happened. If they really want to switch characters, I'll let them do it at the next story break.

 

[the Jester]

I just want to note that a lot of folks keep referring to starting at lower level than the rest of the party as a "penalty". I prefer to think of starting a new pc above 1st level as giving them unearned benefits.