Death Effects

[the Jester]

By which I mean stuff with effects like "Second Failed Save: The target dies."

How often do you see this stuff actually kill a pc? Players, how often do you fight monsters with this kind of capability? DMs, how often do you use them?

I've used 'em several times, and have run two 4e parties to mid-paragon (my current group is just about to start hitting 15th level), but this last session was the first time I've actually seen someone die because of such an effect (the party's warden, no less!)- FTR it was a beholder death tryant (level 15 solo, from Open Grave).

 

[Ryujin]

Haven't used anything like that much. Closest I've come is to hit the party with Bodacs, a couple of times. They've come to fear Bodaks more than solo dragons as a result.

 

[The Red King]

I don't like the auto kill type attacks. I try to stay away from them especially if the party doesnt have a resurrectionist.

It's no fun to run a character up to level 10 or so them just die. These are heroes. They should dies heroes deaths.

 

[Ryujin]

I don't like the auto kill type attacks. I try to stay away from them especially if the party doesnt have a resurrectionist.

It's no fun to run a character up to level 10 or so them just die. These are heroes. They should dies heroes deaths.

I agree. At least with the Bodak you have to get two hits, for different effects, the second of which reduces the character to zero HP. If it wasn't for the fact that the party has a Pacifist Cleric, who can get anyone in the party up to more than 75% of hits from down with a wave of his hand, I wouldn't even use THEM.

Oddly enough the Pacifist was the first victim of a Bodak too, which certainly raised the party's pucker factor.

 

[the Jester]

I don't like the auto kill type attacks.

I think 4e's death effects strike a good balance- they aren't "One roll and dead" effects, and you have a little time to try to shake them off, but they feel very dangerous.

It's no fun to run a character up to level 10 or so them just die. These are heroes. They should dies heroes deaths.

Depends on your playstyle. Or, to put it another way, it's tons of fun to make a new character and try out new stuff.

 

[The Red King]

I think 4e's death effects strike a good balance- they aren't "One roll and dead" effects, and you have a little time to try to shake them off, but they feel very dangerous.



Depends on your playstyle. Or, to put it another way, it's tons of fun to make a new character and try out new stuff.

I was not as impressed with 4E to stick around and find out, and as for rolling up new characters, I love it as much as anyone else. I just hate to do it because the character looked around a corner and just died.

That doesnt make me want to roll up another character.

 

[the Jester]

I was not as impressed with 4E to stick around and find out, and as for rolling up new characters, I love it as much as anyone else. I just hate to do it because the character looked around a corner and just died.

LOL, I can agree with that! But the 4e system is less "look around a corner and die" and more "Monster attacks with death ray! Some damage plus, if you're bloodied, save at the end of your turn... You failed? Awesome, next turn, if you fail again at the end of your turn, you die!"

The pcs have a variety of methods of getting or granting extra saves, so it really isn't the old "One roll failed = DED" thing at work here.

 

[The Red King]

LOL, I can agree with that! But the 4e system is less "look around a corner and die" and more "Monster attacks with death ray! Some damage plus, if you're bloodied, save at the end of your turn... You failed? Awesome, next turn, if you fail again at the end of your turn, you die!"

The pcs have a variety of methods of getting or granting extra saves, so it really isn't the old "One roll failed = DED" thing at work here.

As for 4E, it felt more like playing DDO than a pen and paper RPG. Or maybe more like a superhero RPG than D and D.

 

[babinro]

I've probably ran about 10 battles that have effects like this and to date it's never worked. As such I like the mechanic because it adds that element of threat to the PC's, but it's also realistic to overcome.

I should also note that I've never seen a PC die from damage either. In my history of playing 4E it's either PC's win as a group or die in TPK. There's no such thing as losing only one character. Which is admittedly a tad bit disappointing.

 

[The Red King]

I've probably ran about 10 battles that have effects like this and to date it's never worked. As such I like the mechanic because it adds that element of threat to the PC's, but it's also realistic to overcome.

I should also note that I've never seen a PC die from damage either. In my history of playing 4E it's either PC's win as a group or die in TPK. There's no such thing as losing only one character. Which is admittedly a tad bit disappointing.

If it never works, how can the players really fear it? Why call it a death effect if it isnt so much a death effect as a string of ways to escape a death effect?

We have a character die every few months. Sometimes they are doing something heroic. Or in the case of the evil campaign I'm running now they just get into a fight with another PC, or with the whole group. Those are fun.

Either way, it does have to have a possibility of you getting killed, or where is the tension?