When Do You (GM) Kill PCs?

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

Have I cleared up my comment or ?

Makes perfect sense, however I think I was a big vague in what I meant.

Dying at -10 is the same at dying at 0. All you're doing is giving them 10 extra hp. The negative doesn't really do a thing at all but give them more hp, so why not just add it on on top and give every character 10 extra hp? Then they'll end up dying at 0, and you're right there with how diaglo does it.

My point was that WHERE the hp scale is when you die doesn't actually matter. Make any sense or am I just rambling?

 

[TerraDave]

In my current campaing, I just give the players a "fudge" that they can use when they want each time they go up a level (like action or hero points, but more focused on death prevention). I balance things by giving some NPCs fudges as well. Otherwise it is open roll, and the dice say what they say. It has increased survivability while maintaining tension.

 

[JoeGKushner]

Makes perfect sense, however I think I was a big vague in what I meant.

Dying at -10 is the same at dying at 0. All you're doing is giving them 10 extra hp. The negative doesn't really do a thing at all but give them more hp, so why not just add it on on top and give every character 10 extra hp? Then they'll end up dying at 0, and you're right there with how diaglo does it.

My point was that WHERE the hp scale is when you die doesn't actually matter. Make any sense or am I just rambling?

Actually, I think this is another spot where the D&D system shows another weakness. The transition from fully healty to dead at 0 sucks. It's slightly more grainular at -1 being unconscious (where you're out but still alive) and -10 being death.

Ideally there's some way without overburdening the paperwork gods of showing players gradual failings due to hit point loss similiar to Rolemaster, but hey, then we get that paperwork issue again. Arcana Evolved tries a little with the negative in Con bit, but it's sstill a very minor issue for higher level opponents to do enough damage to put you in the -20's/30s/40s as levels go up, especially if you miss a save.

 

[ray53208]

newbies need a lil fudge... mmm, fudge...

im currently introducing my nephew to gaming. its a magical time in a young boy's life when he slays his first kobold. well, since hes new and i dont want him to get discouraged ill fudge the dice for his forst few levels... just until hes ready to take the blow of losing your first character.

you never forget your first character.

as for d20 rules (house rules) i use the CON stat as the primary multiple for massive damage or final death. example: if you have a CON of 14 you dont die until your HPs reach negative 14 instead of -10. if you have a CON of 8 you have to save against massive damage of 40 points instead of 50. tougher folk last longer, frail fellas die quicker. thems the breaks.

ray

 

[Nebulous]

I don't really like killing characters, especially when there's been a large investment of time. If the player does something to really unwise bring all hell down on his own head, well, that's his own fault. Otherwise i'll try to make in-game concessions to keep them alive. I don't really fudge die rolls much, but i'll have an enemy make a less than tactically sound decision, or forego an extra attack, or even die a little earlier than they normally would.

I'm running Midnight now so resurrection is impossible anyway. Healing is tricky too.

 

[Psion]

I don't kill PCs. I provide them with the rope, then they hang themselves.

I went with the "let the dice fall where they may", but that doesn't tell the whole story. In some ways, I am of the "when dramatically appropriate" school.

You see it's like this: if I don't think pc death is warranted, I don't put a situation in the game that would kill a PC. When I want death to be a possibility, then I ratchet up the danger.

I find people who complain about "instant death" traps and the like to be rather, um, blind to their condition. I find it odd to complain that the dice produced a character death when you, the DM, are the one who decides to put that potentially deadly situation in the game. I am of the mindset that if you don't want character deaths, don't fudge the dice, because if you do that, they just become a placebo for your predetermined idea of the way the game should go. You should be making those sorts of decisions before the dice ever hit the table. If you don't want death, don't put potentially deadly situations in the game!

With this in mind, I don't make off the wall encounters potentially deadly. But when I want a grim, dramatic encounter, I put in tougher opposition and let the dice fall where they may.

My mantra is thus: Don't roll a dice unless you are willing to pay the price. Which is to say, don't design anything into your game unless you are willing to accept all possible outcomes, otherwise you are just wasting your effort.

 

[derelictjay]

I let the dice roll. If the PCs die, its because of of bad rolls (by DM or PC) or stupid actions. I once upon a time used to fudge rolls, but my players have become excellent tacticians and now rarely do stupid things now.

 

[Alhazred]

Although I generally let the dice fall where they may, I occasionally fudge the dice to keep a character alive. I'd rather the players develp their characters than constantly create new one's (with which they may have no attachment and thus not develop). That being said, BBEGs and foolishness on the part of the players never results in dice fudging.

Only once have I purposely tried to kill a PC - and thereby p*ss off the player (who was constantly disrupting play and disparaging the other players). It was a prelude to tossing him from the group. Childish, perhaps, but so very satisfying

 

[CarlZog]

My mantra is thus: Don't roll a dice unless you are willing to pay the price. Which is to say, don't design anything into your game unless you are willing to accept all possible outcomes, otherwise you are just wasting your effort.

I'm with Psion on this, and not just 'cause he sounds like Baretta...

Manage the threat to characters on the front end, not the back.

Carl

 

[the black knight]

Die, you filthy worms.