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Message: <blockquote data-quote="billd91" data-source="post: 5455354" data-attributes="member: 3400">I've seen it work, but I think it works best if there are alternative choices that are credible, if apparently more difficult, options. I think it also works if the situation that involves a sacrifice isn't the entire lynchpin of the campaign, though, as I said, as long as there are other reasonable options, I wouldn't call it a railroad.In one case, the PCs had the option to entomb someone in rock for eternity, held in a semi-live status, in order to close off a major gate to hell. It wasn't directly germaine to the campaign's ultimate villainous plot, but by closing it off, the PCs would close off a significant source of evil in the setting. The DM didn't expect anybody would decide to make that sacrifice but was interested to see if someone would. Without skipping a beat, the chivalrous fighter in the party made that sacrifice. It was right in character and the player was justly proud of his accomplishment... as he then went on to roll up a new character in good spirits. We weren't railroaded into it at all, the situation was a side quest of sorts, and it was a real highpoint of the campaign.I used to be one of those players who had a hard time losing characters, but eventually something clicked. Maybe it was reading Lord of the Rings enough times that I was finally really inspired by Theoden and Aragorn riding out of Helm's Deep into what they believe is certain death or some other passage in the story to realize that coming to a good end is enough for me to feel that I've played the character well and be satisfied. Oh, sure, I'll fight tooth and nail to survive as long as I can as any character, but if the death is in character and helps to accomplish something worthwhile to that character, I'm good. And when the death of the 1e bard character I had been playing for 20 years came, in a heroic fight against the BBEG in which he sacrificed his own attacks to save the life of at least one other of his companions before he fell (the BBEG fell shortly thereafter thanks to one of the PCs my bard had saved), I was ready for it and content.</blockquote>

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