What Do You Do When You're Dead?

[Aberzanzorax]

Some ideas:

Actually used:

Have the player run a monster

Have the player run a party hireling/follower NPC



Plan to use:

I'm using the (don't remember the name) group healing pool spirit link that came out at the end of 3.5. Essentially, they adventured for a spirit/ghost who now helps heal them. When they die they can run the spirit by aid anothers (as was suggested earlier in the thread) provide healing, etc. As the party levels, this spirit gets better and has more options.

If the character is dead and not just incapacitated, their own spirit merges with this being temporarily, and it has their personality and some of their abilities (I've identified these for each character). So if a wizard, it may have their remaining low level spells. If a rogue, it may have a sneak attack, etc.





ANOTHER ISSUE THAT'S RELATED

Depending on the game, even waiting for your turn when there is a large group can be boring. If it takes 15 or more minutes between turns, players need more to do, in my opinion. In this case, I'm thinking about implementing something like encounter powers or heroic/action points that allow for an "immediate interrupt" of a very small effect. This is something that would be minimal. For example, an "aid another" for a single attack roll or bonus to ac versus a single hit. One other potential option would be a initiative boost to move up one in the initiative rankings.

I'd love to see a game implement something where when it's my turn I'm the "star actor" but everyone else has something to do as well.

EDIT: forked this to here:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/271903-what-do-when-its-not-your-turn.html


AND an important distinction:

It's one thing if a player's character dies or sleeps and is going to "pop up" alive at the end of the battle.

It's quite another if the player dies in the first encounter of the day, and there is no reasonable way to get that char back in the game for the entire session (but they plan on being resurrected). I think there need to be some good options besides making a new guy just for the session or leaving.

 

[Abraxas]

[Threadjack]

I'm using the (don't remember the name) group healing pool spirit link that came out at the end of 3.5. Essentially, they adventured for a spirit/ghost who now helps heal them. When they die they can run the spirit by aid anothers (as was suggested earlier in the thread) provide healing, etc. As the party levels, this spirit gets better and has more options.

Does any one know if this is written up somewhere? I find it an interesting solution to a problem I'm having in a game I run right now and if someone else has done all the work I'd like to see it.
[/Threadjack]

 

[Alan Shutko]

It's quite another if the player dies in the first encounter of the day, and there is no reasonable way to get that char back in the game for the entire session (but they plan on being resurrected). I think there need to be some good options besides making a new guy just for the session or leaving.

Exactly. I've been "benched" for up to 2 hrs before. Since I like to play D&D and not just watch it, that is boring. (I don't like actual play podcasts either, just bore the hell out of me.) Me, if I'm going to be unable to do anything for a half hour or more, I will find something else to do. I don't think that's any more rude than expecting someone who came over to play a game to sit it out quietly.

 

[Janx]

I've been playing since 1990. It's relevant, only in the sense of how few PC deaths I've seen over 20 years.

I've had 1 PC die, get resurrected the his henchmen died. While my PC was dead, I focussed on my henchmen during that part of the session, so I wasn't out.

I've had a few instances where my PC was KO'd (perhaps bleeding to death, but not dead and out for the session).

I've seen a few others PCs die over the years. It's just not that common and event for the groups I've played in.

Under my longtime friend and DM, I can't think of a single time where it was permanent. Generally, it meant you were out for a bit, until somebody came up with a way in game to rez you (which the GM usually made available for the price of a few more encounters...

As a DM, I've killed PCs in the first adventure. I'm a deadlier DM, compared to my friends.

But generally, being dead means you sit out. Don't like it, don't die.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

There are a couple of things that I do in this situation.

1. The player runs an NPC that is currently with the party. At the moment the party has a Favoured Soul NPC (was previously a PC but the player changed characters) that basically functions as the party heal-bot so if anyone is killed they could run that NPC until theirs is back in the game or a new character is made.

2. The player runs some/all of the monsters for me. This is normally really good fun in my group. You get some PvP action without all of the bad feelings and anger that are often associated with that sort of situation. And some friendly smack talk happens at the table between the players and their new "enemy". It also frees me up as DM as I don't have to concentrate on so many things at once.

Between those two options that's done the job in our campaigns to date.

Olaf the Stout

 

[The Shaman]

But generally, being dead means you sit out. Don't like it, don't die.

That's some of the best advice ever posted on this board.

 

[Thunderfoot]

I've handled this a couple of ways over the years:

*Back in 1e days we always came to the table with multiple PCs... (never really liked this one as a DM)
* Had player(s) play their henchmen, followers or other party NPC's
* Had player(s) play the monsters and roll for combat.
* Had the player(s) go ethereal and ghost the adventure - this one has some great possibilities for role-playing due to players wanting to warn the party about something they can see and being unable to manifest.
* Have given the player(s) a set of rulebooks and let him/her/them play lawyer(s) (ie final rules decision or at least finder) until rezed.
* Had the player(s) sit quietly, reassuring them, that yes, they will be brought back in more quickly if they aren't interrupting as often.
* Gave him/her/them (a) character sheet(s) and had him/her/them roll up a new character(s).

Each one has/had advantages and disadvantages, but I found that when I had a clear idea of when there was a possibility of player death, that there was usually a way to reverse that problem available within a fairly short period of time.

 

[howandwhy99]

Some players are hardcore and won't let a player contribute if they don't have a character (e.g. dead character). It depends upon the group really. I don't see a problem with sharing your ideas just because your character is dead. I don't mean metagaming necessarily, but simply offering strategic suggestions.

Also, a quick character generation system means you could quickly be back in the game in real time.