D&D 5E How many PCs have you had die?

[iserith]

If I'm losing PCs at that rate, at some point I'm just going to stop trying. I'll just roll up barely disguised carbon copies of the lost PCs and continue apace. I'm certainly not going to actually try to craft a three-dimensional character.

If you're losing PCs at that rate, you're probably not trying very hard to stay alive in the first place. Smarter play tends to result in greater odds of survival. As well, sometimes throwing your character to his or her death is what makes for the best story in a given moment. I've done that myself a few times.

Bear in mind, too, that my pool of players is quite large, so it's not like I have had 4 players lose 20 characters in the last year.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Fairbeard the dwarven warrior, torn apart by ghuls in a game run by Ken St. Andre himself. Last words "I told you I was unlucky!"

Yesterday was my birthday when I lost my 2nd character. One of the other people the table said without hesitation, "Lesson here, is don't play D&D on your birthday, because something bad is bound to happen."

 

[the Jester]

Quite a few have died in my campaign since I started running 5e. More accurately, quite a few from one of my groups; the other hasn't lost a single pc yet.

As a player- well, I haven't actually played 5e yet.

 

[The Crimson Binome]

As a DM, there have been four deaths in my game. Seventy-five percent of those were from Beholder death rays, and all of them were fixed with Revivify.

 

[Morinth]

If you're losing PCs at that rate, you're probably not trying very hard to stay alive in the first place. Smarter play tends to result in greater odds of survival. As well, sometimes throwing your character to his or her death is what makes for the best story in a given moment. I've done that myself a few times.

Bear in mind, too, that my pool of players is quite large, so it's not like I have had 4 players lose 20 characters in the last year.

That does put a rather different complexion on things.

 

[Jaelommiss]

So far death has claimed seven of my characters in 5e.


Anonymous (memory related) - Wizard 1 - Death by pit trap

Osborn Alderleaf - Halfling Ranger 4 - Captured, tortured, left near gate outside town naked and impaled on own sword. Reincarnated by friendly druid (same gender and race, somehow), and retired.

Elemmírë - Aasimar Death Cleric 5 - Death by undead monstrosity in rampaging horde of undead. Earlier that day lost arm to an uncooperative Otyugh

Matmaerus Firespear - Air Genasi Fighter 1 / sorcerer 1 - Death by giant crab in sunken shipwreck

Bane - Human Death Cleric 1 - Death by hungry giant frog

Rendethar Evlian - Eladrin Enchantment Wizard 3 - Death by SURPRISE! specter coming out of the wall, critting, rolling in 98th percentile on damage, reduced to negative double max HP

Aedilsyth Blackfield - Human Life Cleric 5 - death by three CR 0 hyenas while fighting gnolls, one attacking while down for two failed death saves, and following them immediately in initiative


Edit: I just realized that all of those were with the same DM. In a game with another DM, I'm the only person still on their original character after over a year of play.

 

[mflayermonk]

Most Humiliating Death:

Transdimensional Biker Dude in TMNT shredded to pieces jumping out of a helicopter and getting caught in the blades.

TMNT was a good game. Turtles in Space!

 

[hejtmane]

I am the DM so far we had one die, two that almost died one was at zero and a troll on top but his buddies still had attacks they ran over one healed him and one guy had tavern brawler used grapple and grabbed the troll and drug him. The other almost died he had failed his death saving throw and failed a second one before some one did spare the dying cantrip and one of the fighters had did goading attack on the monster.

Though we have one guy that is stone he failed back to back petrifying saves from a Gorgon they are only 8th level so no level 5 greater restoration spell. They are currently pulling him in a hand cart they built to a city that they where already heading towards (quite funny was not planned just worked out that way). He is playing in a sub backup character I worked into the story line for a bit until they can spend some big money on getting him back. Everyone is having fun with him being a statute.

 

[Mercule]

In 5E: None, so far. I had one who should have died, but it was the most absolutely chump way of going out that I've ever considered that I told him he survived -- I won't try to explain in detail, just that he was down long enough that his own party forgot he was there. I informed the group, though, that that was the end of any leniency I had as a GM and they should have backup characters ready.

Otherwise: If you discount explicitly killer adventures, a handful over the last 30-35 years. I think I've actually had more PCs lose their souls than their lives.

 

[Ovinomancer]

TMNT was a good game. Turtles in Space!

It was a fun game. Not quite the same thing.


On topic, I've killed six in the last year in my game. Most in a near TPK (one character ran and got away). Haven't had the opportunity to be a player rather than a DM enough for my lack of character death to be meaningful.