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Where does the punitive approach to pc death come from?
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<blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 6528785" data-attributes="member: 2067"><p>Ah, sorry, it's something I've used a lot, so it's easy to presume everyone knows about it. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>For 5e, I'd probably do it like this:</p><p></p><p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"><strong>Death Flag Variant Rule</strong></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">This rule can be used to give your heroic PC the same staying power that protagonists in movies and books have - the ability to stay alive even in dire circumstances, but to face death when it is appropriate. </p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">By default, the death flag is said to be lowered. While the death flag is lowered, characters don't die from failed death saves, or from negative HP. If a character falls unconscious and their party abandons their body (or the whole party fails), the DM does whatever they desire to your unconscious form - perhaps your enemies take you prisoner, perhaps your gear is stolen, perhaps you are taken to a slave pen or a food larder, or whatever else the DM can devise short of death. Your enemies have won and you don't get out of the consequences by dying. If your allies can recover your body, of course, the enemy won't be able to do what they want. </p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">After 8 hours, you spend 1 Hit Die and wake up, or wake up with 1 HP if you don't have any hit dice. You are likely in a compromising situation, and certainly in a lot of pain. </p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">With the death flag lowered, your PC won't die, though they can still fail and be put in horrible scenarios. However, when your character is confronting something worth risking their life over -- a time when they're ready to put it all on the line, to risk ultimate oblivion for something vital and important to them -- they can raise the death flag. </p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">The death flag can only be raised in response to taking damage (it doesn't take an action), and it is raised by any individual player when they determine their PC is ready to lay it all on the line. After it is raised, the PC gains a point of Inspiration that they must spend in this encounter. Once raised, all the normal death rules are in effect -- if you fail three death saves, or suffer damage that puts your negative HP total as greater than your normal HP total, you die. </p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p> <p style="margin-left: 20px">At the end of the encounter, the death flag drops again....until the next time the PC is in a vital situation. </p> <p style="margin-left: 20px"></p><p></p><p>TL;DR is that the DM agrees to normally not to kill you, but reserves the right to mess with you if you "die." You can tell the DM that you're willing to risk death, putting the normal rules back in force, and get advantage for dramatically risking your life.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="I'm A Banana, post: 6528785, member: 2067"] Ah, sorry, it's something I've used a lot, so it's easy to presume everyone knows about it. :) For 5e, I'd probably do it like this: [INDENT] [B]Death Flag Variant Rule[/B] This rule can be used to give your heroic PC the same staying power that protagonists in movies and books have - the ability to stay alive even in dire circumstances, but to face death when it is appropriate. By default, the death flag is said to be lowered. While the death flag is lowered, characters don't die from failed death saves, or from negative HP. If a character falls unconscious and their party abandons their body (or the whole party fails), the DM does whatever they desire to your unconscious form - perhaps your enemies take you prisoner, perhaps your gear is stolen, perhaps you are taken to a slave pen or a food larder, or whatever else the DM can devise short of death. Your enemies have won and you don't get out of the consequences by dying. If your allies can recover your body, of course, the enemy won't be able to do what they want. After 8 hours, you spend 1 Hit Die and wake up, or wake up with 1 HP if you don't have any hit dice. You are likely in a compromising situation, and certainly in a lot of pain. With the death flag lowered, your PC won't die, though they can still fail and be put in horrible scenarios. However, when your character is confronting something worth risking their life over -- a time when they're ready to put it all on the line, to risk ultimate oblivion for something vital and important to them -- they can raise the death flag. The death flag can only be raised in response to taking damage (it doesn't take an action), and it is raised by any individual player when they determine their PC is ready to lay it all on the line. After it is raised, the PC gains a point of Inspiration that they must spend in this encounter. Once raised, all the normal death rules are in effect -- if you fail three death saves, or suffer damage that puts your negative HP total as greater than your normal HP total, you die. At the end of the encounter, the death flag drops again....until the next time the PC is in a vital situation. [/INDENT] TL;DR is that the DM agrees to normally not to kill you, but reserves the right to mess with you if you "die." You can tell the DM that you're willing to risk death, putting the normal rules back in force, and get advantage for dramatically risking your life. [/QUOTE]
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Where does the punitive approach to pc death come from?
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