D&D General How Often Should a PC Die in D&D 5e?

[Crimson Longinus]

I think there's an underlying question here of "Do you need to see peril actually have tangible results for the rules to feel perilous?"

Like, if you play 40 sessions with 5 PCs, going from levels 1-10, and no PC ever dies, did the rules still feel perilous? Does seeing several "2 failed death saves" clutch saves do enough to make the game feel risky, even if no one dies?

I'm honestly not sure.

I think you can have the feel of peril even if no one actually dies. But if the chance of defeat indeed is genuine, then in the long run it becomes increasingly likely that some deaths might occur.

 

[TwoSix]

I think you can have the feel of peril even if no one actually dies. But if the chance of defeat indeed is genuine, then in the long run it becomes increasingly likely that some deaths might occur.

For sure. Maybe it wasn't exactly the intent of the OP, but I think the question of "How long can you go without a death before the chance of defeat doesn't feel genuine" is worth considering.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

For sure. Maybe it wasn't exactly the intent of the OP, but I think the question of "How long can you go without a death before the chance of defeat doesn't feel genuine" is worth considering.

Yeah. Though defeat doesn't necessarily mean death. In 5e it is pretty easy to knock people down without them dying, so characters being beaten unconscious and captured would be a resounding defeat, even if none of them died.

 

[mamba]

Shouldn't there be an option for: as often as it happens?

that would be a pretty meaningless option though

 

[TwoSix]

Yeah. Though defeat doesn't necessarily mean death. In 5e it is pretty easy to knock people down without them dying, so characters being beaten unconscious and captured would be a resounding defeat, even if none of them died.

Fair.

I would say that if you're in a game where the party all hits 0 every 8-10 fights, but the DM never actually kills the party, then the system is pretty lethal but the DM is pulling their punches.

Which is not a bad thing if the group prioritizes narrative continuity.

 

[dave2008]

yes, that definitely helps, but I would not consider your group to be the norm

Possibly, but when you are discussing how to make a game play a particular way, I don't really think "the norm" matters much.

 

[KYRON45]

that would be a pretty meaningless option though

I don’t plan Pc deaths seems like a valid option in a poll asking how often you plan pc deaths.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Are we talking just "death" or actual "character is gone permanently from the campaign" effect? Because those are two very different things.

Back in my day a long rest...or "sleeping" as the elite called it; only got you back 1 HP.

Well, yes. That is why we had to bully at least one of the group into playing a cleric: even a low-level one massively increased our recovery speed.

Combat can result in player deaths. The difference between how I run and how other GMs run is, I don't block player agency. If a player makes a decision that can 86 their PC, so be it. My adventures are loaded with dilemma and deadly combat and I let players know this with S0.

You know what "derailing" a campaign is? Ignoring dice rolls and player decisions because they aren't "the safest option". It's like being a player and your Mom is GM

Characters can make bad decisions or suffer runs of bad luck that will get them killed, and if the group does not have the capability or the DM blocks it, not be brought back.

However a TPK is almost always our fault as DMs. We misjudged the capabilities of our party. What in our head seemed to be clear warning signals weren't expressed as such and so weren't received. We didn't consider the character and motivations of the PCs.

There is generally no permanent character death that is a good thing: just a thing that sometimes happens. TPKs however are almost always a bad thing: they either derail or completely shut down the campaign that we're trying to run.

 

[payn]

FYI this means absolutely nothing to me... so I have no idea if you are trying to make a point or just be silly???

Yes.

 

[TwoSix]

Yes.