Are you a killer DM?

[Piratecat]

Re: Statistics

Fethoth (tiefling Rog1) - fell down a 20ft pit and died
Lukan (human Ftr2) - died of poisoned gold coins
Moukyon (vanara Mnk8) - died at the hands of a Bbn9
Fredegar (human Ftr3) - took a wrong turn, ended up in Baator
Aelor (aasimar Sor2/Rog2) - attacked a dire bear in hand to hand
Divinus (human Wiz4) - disembowelled by a Hieracosphynx
Crassius (half-dragon Ftr4) - soul destroyed by a huecuva hill giant Clr1
Aristos (human Rog7) - died in his first session by a poison trap

A is for Amy who fell down the stairs.
B is for Basil assaulted by bears.
C is for Clara who wasted away.
D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh.
E is for Earnest who choken on a peach.
F is for Fanny sucked dry by a leech....

I think I end up killing about 1-2 people a year in my regular game. I don't pull punches, but they're pretty resilient.

 

[Silver Moon]

I voted softie. I actually did kill off quite a few characters during our early years, but during the past decade I'd say I'm only at around one a year. NPC's are a different matter entirely. As for pulling punches, depending upon the circumstances I might occassionally pull the first punch, but never the second.

 

[shilsen]

I can't vote, since I rarely kill off PCs but my players fear me. Something about the combination of hanging onto life by their fingernails and knowing that dying might actually be the easy way out, I guess

 

[MerricB]

Quite a lot.

Last session, a 3rd-level PC got eaten by an Allosaurus. The party had wandered into a dangerous place, and hadn't twigged to the warning signs. (The large herbivorous dinosaur, the plesiosaurus, etc.)

I'm well over 50 PC kills since 3E was released. The last year and a bit have seen me running both a fortnightly and a weekly campaign, though.

On average, it's about one every four sessions... or perhaps a bit more often. I've had two TPKs, and a few "one survivor" experiences.

How to be a Killer DM

Cheers!

 

[Deadguy]

I can't vote, since I rarely kill off PCs but my players fear me. Something about the combination of hanging onto life by their fingernails and knowing that dying might actually be the easy way out, I guess

Aha! Someone who thinks like I do! I have very rarely killed a PC in a D&D game, and then only when there was rank stupidity. My better players know that, if they help me to help them tell a good story, I will go out of my way to soften the blow. And those who don't are taught that, indeed, there are far worse things than dying! The living can enjoy a whole world of pain that those who ahve fallen to Oblivion avoid!

This cinvematic style has served me well down the years, keeping the players coming back. Which is, after all, what counts!

 

[Kareyev]

I'm in the 3-5 PC deaths a year range. A bit of that is that I do not DM that often. As a player I tend to loose characters at a good clip, but that is the risk I take as I love playing the weak underdog. As a matter of fact I've lost 3 charcters in the last two games I've played!

Mr. Chance took out both of the PC's I was running this weekend. Gonna be hard to tell the player whoes PC I was running about this. Of course he is the DM who killed the other character the previous weekend so it all works out!

 

[Sanackranib]

depends on the year. all of the above have applied at one time or another. but I believe 5 or 6 in one game was my personal best.

 

[A'koss]

Today? I'm nowhere near the uber-slayer I was in the old days, but ahhh, so many fond memories....

Of course, I learned long ago (as have many true Evil DMs) that the dead don't suffer. (usually... ) PCs who have to live with the consequences of failure, dishonor and and costly mistakes are much more entertaining than just another skull in the trophy case...




Cheers,

A'koss!

...who's TPK'd entire parties on their first (and yes, random) encounter...

... and made many more wish I had.

 

[NiTessine]

Thus far, it's five characters this year. One was an elf sorcerer in D&D, and the rest were Godlike characters. That game can be deadly, especially after the Germans figure out who you are and deploy the heavy artillery...

 

[Mark Chance]

Mr. Chance took out both of the PC's I was running this weekend.

Wasn't me. It was that bebilith and the undead sorcerer/cleric.

Gonna be hard to tell the player whoes PC I was running about this. Of course he is the DM who killed the other character the previous weekend so it all works out!

So it was revenge that motivated you to have Samril drop his weapons before entering combat. I thought that whole "gotta try the Improved Unarmed Strike feat" excuse was a little weak.