Leatherhead
Possibly a Idiot.
Or worse, don't make death so commonplace and hardline that they lose interest in their characters altogether. Why bother getting attached to something that disposable?
Death is Final
- Thread starter Chris_Nightwing
- Start date
Or worse, don't make death so commonplace and hardline that they lose interest in their characters altogether. Why bother getting attached to something that disposable?
Mattachine
Adventurer
How death is handled depends a lot on play style.
In a story-based game, death and the possibility of resurrection should be story-based.
In a competitive game, or in a DM-as-adversary game (a completely valid style), death should be a big penalty, and new characters should not be as good as the dead ones.
In a standard game, magic does lots of things, including raising the dead.
The game just needs to provide the options, plus some DM advice on how it might work in different campaigns.
In a story-based game, death and the possibility of resurrection should be story-based.
In a competitive game, or in a DM-as-adversary game (a completely valid style), death should be a big penalty, and new characters should not be as good as the dead ones.
In a standard game, magic does lots of things, including raising the dead.
The game just needs to provide the options, plus some DM advice on how it might work in different campaigns.
Aenghus
Explorer
Also, death being final suits some players and not others.
Some players like continuity and keeping the same PC for an extended period, and their PC dying is something they really really don't want. Conversely, they may enjoy or be willing to put up with long term or short term adverse consequences that still allow the PC to be played.
Some players like playing lots of characters, and a PC dying is actually an opportunity for them to play a new one. However, they are likely not to put up with adverse consequences to an existing character, going so far as to retire or suicide the PC to avoid them.
So permanent death punishes some players, and rewards others, for their play style. I think it's a viable option for a game, but needs to be advertised in advance, along with expected death rate, so that players can make a rational choice about whether or not to participate.
Some players like continuity and keeping the same PC for an extended period, and their PC dying is something they really really don't want. Conversely, they may enjoy or be willing to put up with long term or short term adverse consequences that still allow the PC to be played.
Some players like playing lots of characters, and a PC dying is actually an opportunity for them to play a new one. However, they are likely not to put up with adverse consequences to an existing character, going so far as to retire or suicide the PC to avoid them.
So permanent death punishes some players, and rewards others, for their play style. I think it's a viable option for a game, but needs to be advertised in advance, along with expected death rate, so that players can make a rational choice about whether or not to participate.
Ahwe Yahzhe
First Post
Kill 'em all.
Making death final in 5E would just be swinging the pendulum in the opposite direction after the near-immortal characters in 4E.
I won't even go into how ridiculously impervious your average PC with full daily healing and limitless healing options is, suffice it to say players have NO fear of death, a little bit of which makes games fun and combat suspenseful.
Instead of fear of death, players now have fear of TPK, the only case where PC fates are truly in the DM's hands. Maybe there's a middle ground in 5E: Keep zero hp as mostly dead, and go back to -1/4 max hp for really dead? Healing surges are replaced by second wind? No daily reset, at least?
Death Story:
I once played a 2nd-edition Cavalier(?) with a Gallant kit, which was a pretty crappy sub-class. The only reason I played it was the class ability that lets the gallant recite his own elegy poem or funeral song for one minute upon his expiration, regardless of how horrible or absolute the death. I spent more time writing my character's death poem than the rest of the character himself, so it wasn't terribly surprising when he died at 3rd level. But that poem, oh -with false endings and blatently misrhymed stanzas so painful they could make a Vogon weep- that was a thing of beauty.
Making death final in 5E would just be swinging the pendulum in the opposite direction after the near-immortal characters in 4E.
I won't even go into how ridiculously impervious your average PC with full daily healing and limitless healing options is, suffice it to say players have NO fear of death, a little bit of which makes games fun and combat suspenseful.
Instead of fear of death, players now have fear of TPK, the only case where PC fates are truly in the DM's hands. Maybe there's a middle ground in 5E: Keep zero hp as mostly dead, and go back to -1/4 max hp for really dead? Healing surges are replaced by second wind? No daily reset, at least?
Death Story:
I once played a 2nd-edition Cavalier(?) with a Gallant kit, which was a pretty crappy sub-class. The only reason I played it was the class ability that lets the gallant recite his own elegy poem or funeral song for one minute upon his expiration, regardless of how horrible or absolute the death. I spent more time writing my character's death poem than the rest of the character himself, so it wasn't terribly surprising when he died at 3rd level. But that poem, oh -with false endings and blatently misrhymed stanzas so painful they could make a Vogon weep- that was a thing of beauty.
Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
So you're suggesting no more "once per day, when you die ..."?
My players might just play an infinite number of identical twins named Bob the Fighter ...
howandwhy99
Adventurer
I still enjoy Resurrection percentage.
Death is not insured, but neither is staying alive. If you have the means to trade for it, you can be brought back to life. However, you still need to roll and the character loses a CON point for every roll used.
This means death is almost certainly not forever the first few times, but it depends on the situation. Very early death may best be scratched off. Also each character is more unique as CON isn't static. And permanent death is still possible - for PCs and their enemies.
Death is not insured, but neither is staying alive. If you have the means to trade for it, you can be brought back to life. However, you still need to roll and the character loses a CON point for every roll used.
This means death is almost certainly not forever the first few times, but it depends on the situation. Very early death may best be scratched off. Also each character is more unique as CON isn't static. And permanent death is still possible - for PCs and their enemies.
S
Sunseeker
Guest
Yep. I make my players go to the local chapel or druidic circle, and I throw in flavor things along the lines of possibly ending up a new race/sex/hair color. Aside from the big cities, resurrection isn't perfect, and druids may do you a favor and bring you back as a "higher lifeform" like a bear.
howandwhy99
Adventurer
I'll admit I don't know many new computer games, but it was de rigueur to include a handful of lives in a game, but a "Game Over" when they were lost.
Of course, they had means to increase the number of lives one had too. Maybe we should look into that?
Of course, they had means to increase the number of lives one had too. Maybe we should look into that?
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