D&D 5E Do PCs at your table have script immunity?

[Oofta]

Doesn’t sound like you’re playing a 5e D&D game. My thoughts were for such where it’s common for people to have more developed characters, and be more emotionally invested in them before they even start the game.

First, I agree. A PC for a lot of people is not just a pile of numbers that can be easily replaced with a new PC or hireling. I know I put a fair amount of thought into my PCs, toying around with different ideas and concepts before I ever assign a single ability score. Thing is though, it's not just a 5E thing. There have always been people who think about these things, going back as far as the first games.

On the other hand, for some people the PCs are just a pile of stats and replacing them is just a matter of pulling up a different character. There have always been players like this as well.

There is no one true way. I will say that my current home game that I formed after moving has some old school gamers that have expressed how awesome it is that they're 15th level now and how much fun it's been to have the same group of PCs for the campaign. That they've never had a campaign with such a low lethality rate and didn't realize what they were missing. So I think the attitude is changing, but it doesn't mean that people with different preferences are "wrong". People like what they like. Some people like PCs dropping like flies. Like you, I don't and never have.

EDIT: it's a spectrum. PCs are a pile of numbers to PCs are like a real person to me. People can be on either end of the spectrum and not care whether their PC dies or not.

 

[S'mon]

I like well developed PCs and I don't like when PCs die. But I very much want the possibility of PC death. It makes victory so much sweeter.

 

[HammerMan]

I was recently reading an older RPG and came to a part about "script immunity". Basically, the PCs aren't supposed to die unless it is necessary for the story being told. It got me thinking about something that has bothered me with D&D for a while now (particularly in 5E). I feel like the PCs aren't supposed to die, and I have heard how several groups now house-rule TPKs turn into captures, or the "it was all a dream" fake-out when PCs die, etc. Many DMs don't like bad luck killing off a PC unless they were doing something foolish (I've been in this position before as DM).

My view is that the main characters don't die in stories... 90% of the time (looking at you Martian and SoIaF) when they do it is a fake out. So death should always FEEL like a possibility, but rarely come out.

Having said that death happens. I remember a campaign (I want to say 3.5) where by the end of the campaign not only was there no character from game 1, but most players were on 3rd or 4th characters...and we all agreeed that did not make for a good campaign (in fact we only continued it after about the half way point because DM promised it would get better...it did not)

I can count on 1 hand the number of campagins since 2e that have NOT had a PC death in it, AND lasted more then 2-3 sessions. So death happens in our games, just only from time to time.

 

[Argyle King]

I don't see death (or failure in general) as a hindrance to a good story.

Other than very rare exceptions (a player didn't understand rules; the DM didn't convey information accurately; etc) I let the dice fall where they may.

 

[aco175]

My players and I always feel like death is on the table, but only one PC has died in the several campaigns in 5e. There are close calls and near deaths, but actual death is so rare I should have voted #1 instead of #2. The players have made some good calls and retreated before and sometimes make friends with local priests that can raise them is needed. Each group saves 5,000gp to raise a PC, but does not need it that often.

Not sure if it is the 5e rules being easier than the 2e rules where we died a lot, or I'm getting old and soft about letting there be a chance to find a potion or a skill roll to catch the ledge before falling off the cliff. Some may be just gathering with friends and family to tell a story and roll dice.

 

[embee]

PCs can die, usually from stupidity, sometimes from bad luck.

And usually it's a combination of the two, like when a Level 7 character who the player had really come to love died after picking a fight with a dragon and then stayed dead because the cleric forgot that he had revivify.

Though to be fair, I would have made the party all go through their inventories to make sure they had the diamonds. Which they didn't.

 

[Stormonu]

Death is never off the table, but I don't need my player's permission for a character to die. It is a relatively rare thing though, as my games aren't an arms race between the PCs and their adversaries. If someone wants a dead character back, that's good enough for a quest or defunding the PCs of a large portion of excess treasure. Most that I've run across, however, see it as an opportunity to try out a new character concept they've been itching to try.

I didn't always subscribe to this; back in 2E, after reading the DL adventures I gave PCs a sort of immunity to dying until they'd reached at least 3rd level. I don't remember ever having actually used it, though.

 

[Dausuul]

When a PC's life is on the line, I become much more open to desperate ideas from the players that don't quite comport with the rules.

But if they can't come up with any, or their ideas fail, yeah, that PC dies, and resurrection is generally very hard to come by.

 

[Yora]

If characters don't die, why have combat rules at all?

 

[MGibster]

No, not at all. But I am generally rooting for them, though.

Me too. And I would certainly prefer a good memorable death if death is going to occur. I do greatly empathize with those who choose less lethal gaming. It can really throw off a campaign if you ever find yourself in a situation where none of the original PCs are among the living. And in some games, character generation is labor intensive and it can be off putting to lose one for randomly for some lame reason.