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

[howandwhy99]

If a player loses their character, they can start the game over.

Roll ability scores and whatnot, pick a class, race, equipment and supplies. Maybe spend some time putting together a background, some idea of goals, personality if desired. And then give the new PC to the DM to look over and find an easy way to introduce the new character to the group.

Sometimes this can mean waiting. It depends on the DM and what's happening. Maybe they are in the middle of a combat? Or somewhere particularly closed off from other creatures? What can help is working with the DM with a backstory that might get your character on site more quickly. Like you often go for hikes in the woods. You angered a cruel wizard who teleported you randomly. You have been hiding aboard ship all along since the last port. That other PC is your sibling and you tracked them here. You were captured and the monsters who stripped you of your belongings carry them as they march you to jail.

In the meantime I know some players like to roll the dice for the monsters. Others might help players or the DM do the little things like moving minis about or mapping. It all depends. You might stop and do something else like read a book, watch TV, or play a videogame even.

 

[Mouseferatu]

You might stop and do something else like read a book, watch TV, or play a videogame even.

As always, play in whatever way works for your table, and more power to you, but...

AFAIAC, a game session that results in anyone doing something else for entertainment instead of gaming--at any point--has failed in a pretty catastrophic manner.

 

[Uchawi]

And bored players start to infect the rest of the table.

 

[howandwhy99]

As always, play in whatever way works for your table, and more power to you, but...

AFAIAC, a game session that results in anyone doing something else for entertainment instead of gaming--at any point--has failed in a pretty catastrophic manner.

This is standard D&D. A player lost his character. Maybe they died? So the player spends time making a new character so he can join back in the game. When a point in the game comes that the DM has a starting point for the character the player can start over.

Creating a new character is the real impediment of current games. I've had this take hours now, especially with characters of increased level becoming the norm. Getting the PC to the DM to copy stuff over and then put them in the game in the middle of a session takes time too. But in general I've never seen it take hours. Like I said, sometimes the group is in combat. Sometimes they are trapped in a prison cell. Who knows? But there are ways the player can help too.

The player can stay and be a part of things even while not playing or they can relax and come back when a moment arrives for them to join the game again.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Obviously there's going to be some time spent not playing, when a character dies. But most of that should be creating the new character. I've seen players sit around for hours, or even more than a whole session, because the DM didn't think it made sense to bring in a new character yet.

Not for me. This is one place where "game" trumps story or realism. Unless the player has deliberately made a character who's particularly difficult to work in, the DM should find a way to bring the new character in within moments of the new character's completion, IMO.

 

[SuperTD]

I always have characters at the same level, no matter what. I don't see why a player needs to be punished for dying. Losing a character you're attached to is bad enough without then being forced to come back to the game and be worse than everyone else. I don't want to encourage players to be extremely cautious, as that makes for boring stories. Character death is interesting, but sitting at the back of the party casting magic missile at the dragon twice a day and hoping no-one notices you isn't.

 

[Anth]

Obviously there's going to be some time spent not playing, when a character dies. But most of that should be creating the new character. I've seen players sit around for hours, or even more than a whole session, because the DM didn't think it made sense to bring in a new character yet.

Not for me. This is one place where "game" trumps story or realism. Unless the player has deliberately made a character who's particularly difficult to work in, the DM should find a way to bring the new character in within moments of the new character's completion, IMO.

I thought that's one of the reasons why characters have henchmen: to have a ready spare PC if he dies.
(the player can can customize the henchman when he has time, but he has a new character the same second he dies)

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

What do you guys do with dead pc's? I'm the DM for our 5E game right now.

Have the player report to the disintegration chamber immediately.

My players die a lot. ... The player of the fighter just died last night.

Good grief. I've heard of killer DMs, but you take it to a whole new level!

But seriously ... though I used to be an advocate of "reenter play at level 1", over time I've come to the realization that the purpose of the game is to have fun, and that means the minimum possible time waiting around to rejoin the game or to be able to hang with everyone else.

So now I just have the player decide if he wants to group to try to resurrect or otherwise recover the character or not. If yes, he gets to play an NPC as soon as possible to fill in until the character is revived. If no, then he/she rolls a new character equal in level to the lowest level party member and joins the party at the soonest opportunity (rescued prisoner, wandering adventurer, etc).

 

[Keeblrkid]

Do you mean you have one list of 100 achievements, or do you make 100 per campaign? I'd love to see (one of) the list(s) though, it seems like a really cool idea.

Wow, now that is a lag in response. I apologize but for whatever reason I seem to rarely log in, I just lurk normally.

To answer your question, I create 100 per campaign, but somewhere from 30-60 rollover. The achievements that do not rollover are campaign specific, and might include particular events and npcs. The rollover achievements are generic and cannot be attempted at on purpose, as they just happen. Some examples of rollover achievements include:
-Roll the first critical hit in a campaign
-Roll 2 crits back to back on a single turn
-Roll 3 crits back to back on a single turn
-Be killed by an enemy with a CR that is less that 1/4 your level
-Say something so funny at table that the DM tears up

Once an achievement is earned, it cannot be earned by any other player that campaign.

 

[PnPgamer]

Playing fifth edition our npc ranger died, dm just created new one at level 1st and gave him double xp until he had catched up to us.