Dm Suicide!!!

[Robert Edwards]

Hello all, Long time reader first time poster from New Haven,

First, Some back up information before the question:

I have a player in my campaign right now who wants to make a new character because she is unsatisfied with her current PC. My problem with letting her roll up a new character is this: Her current character is suffering from two curses, one affecting her ability scores (She is a half elven fighter/mage suffering from negative combat modifiers), the other affecting her spell casting abilities. Both curses were obtained by the character's own actions and were preventable. The spellcasting curse specifically involved taking an item of which the characters knew beforehand was cursed.

I don't want to give the impression to the other players that if something adverse happens to thier PC's that they are allowed to just roll up a new character, as this particular game is supposed to be more about role playing than "roll" playing?

So any thoughts or comments helping me out here as far as setting a precedent goes would be appreciated.

My question I guess would be this...

How many DM's have experienced a character suicide and what do you do about it? More to the point what do you do about a player who, rather than seek a cure for their problem suddenly begins acting "out of character" due to frustration, becomes violently self destrcutive, begins acting in character using player knowledge rather than character knowledge to seek a cure, and begins posing a threat to the other characters by engaging in self destructive behavior in hopes that the DM will let her roll up a new character?

premptive thanks to my peeps on this one!

Robert Evans

 

[Grendel]

I don't force players to play characters that they are unsatisfied with, it saps the enjoyment out of the game.

But allowing players to make new characters all the time can disrupt the storyline. Also characters made at higher levels generally have more streamlined (min/maxed) than a character that is worked up through the ranks.

My suggestion is to bring in new characters are 1 level lower than the lowest level character in the party, and with 75% of the listed PC suggested treasure in the DMG.

 

[Mishihari Lord]

Hello, and welcome!

This can be a problem if you start new characters at the same level or average party level. I start new characters at 4 levels under the lowest level party member, though I'm thinking of switching this to 4 levels below average party level. This approach would discourage your player from switching characters frequently or due to temporary setbacks. There are various plusses and minuses to this method, which I may post later if I have time.

 

[Vhane]

That soooooo lame

If you use the point-buy system use the next category down, and the new PC starts at level 1 (or at least lower than the last one).

Normaly I'm very pro PC but this attempt to weasle out of bad calls on the part of the player is very lame, a player should always be able to die accidently with the GM none the wiser. Most people never realize that if you fudge your dice rolls to your charicters detriment no one looks twice.

 

[Pielorinho]

On the one hand, it sounds like a lame attempt on the player's part to get out of playing a character with defects.

On the other hand, she may feel that you as a DM are punishing her as a player for what you consider to be stupid decisions. She's playing a fighter/mage with poor combat abilities and impeded spellcasting abilities; this does not sound like a particularly fun character.

She's playing the game for fun, and being punished isn't fun. If that's what she feels like, then you won't solve the problem by forcing her to stay with the punishment (the curses) or by inflicting another punishment on her (a low-level character).

I'd talk with her about it casually, ask her if she's enjoying the game, and if there's anything that could change that'd make her enjoy it more. If she says that she wants to play a new PC, ask her if she'd consider playing the current PC if the curses changed.

Then consider providing a method by which the curses could be removed, or at least transformed. Make it enhance the story: perhaps someone sends them on a quest, the reward for which will be the removal of her curses. Perhaps the cursed item will begin to offer her her powers back, if she takes a certain course of action. Perhaps she has dreams suggesting a prestige-class whose requirements include suffering a long-term curse; on joining the PrC, she undergoes a purification ritual that removes the curse.

As a DM, you have a responsibility to organize the game, to provide the framework for everyone's fun, and to be the final word on rules. But if the players start seeing you as a Dispenser of Justice, they'll stop having fun. It's a tricky line to walk.

Daniel

 

[Eraslin]

Hello,
I pretty much agree with Pielorinho, it's no fun to be punished. I don't claim to know where your game is going, or exactly why the player is sick of her current character. But, I've had players who have genuinely become tired of the character that they're playing (due to the character just not meeting what their initial vision of the character is), and if this is the reason that she wants a character switch then I'd definately let her (NPC the current character); it can be detrimental to the game if you don't.

On the other hand, if it is the curses which aren't making it enjoyable, then perhaps ask her to just play one more session with the current character and during that session basically offer her a definate way to get rid of the curse -- a prophet of yadda-yadda comes forth and announces that the waters of the fountain of so-and-so will be imbued with the ability to cure all ills/enchantments/curses on those who bathe in its waters, on the evening of the next full moon, three days hence, and then collapses (for dramatic effect ). Then you can either come up with a way to directly tell them where the fountain is (a vision, of a bubbling fountain in the forest, had by her character; a ranger, in town for supplies, lets slip that he knows that fountain [whispered to himself, PCs have a chance of overhearing] and can be convinced to show it to the PCs if convinced; etc), or let them investigate it themselves. Basically, give her a way out, and if she still wants a character change then let her; if a definate way out is put in front of her, and she doesn't want it, then she's probably not just sick of the curses...

-Eraslin

 

[Hand of Evil]

I as a DM hate when players kill their characters and as a DM I take them off to the side and discuss it with them. Why? For the most part they don't tell you they dislike the character, they don't take responability for actions.

And what happens the next time? And how long before they dislike the new character?

I say work with the player, talk to her and find out what she wants her character to be and then see if you can move the character into that direction. I mean it is curses, find the cure, build a game around it!

I have done; player lost his hand (holding it in lava), player did not think his character was cool and his playing was down. In game, he started to drink, become a loner until he heard about a gnome that could create him a clockwork hand!

 

[Falex]

I agree with Eraslin, however I would not have it an individual side quest, not one that rewards exp. at least. Perhaps you could do an individual side quest with a reward of only being the removal of the curse. However, check with your other PC's and see if they have a problem with it. If they do, it could be like a side-adventure for the group overall. Despite the fact that your PC was just plain stupid, you shouldn't really do anything that would kill your campaign on your PC's mentality. Try and be fair in your judgement, you don't want to be rewarding, but a little forgiving. Remember, your the DM so you can do anything... well almost anything.... you want. Just remember that it's your PC's which make you a DM .

 

[Zerovoid]

Players should always enjoy playing their character. Otherwise, I want them to make another one, because the game works best when everyone is having fun. The important thing is to do the transition in an interesting way. You mentioned character suicide. It would be pretty terrible if the only way to get a new PC is with suicide. Just say the PC doesn't want to weigh down the party, and has gone off to seek a cure to the curses on their own. Then discuss the situation with the player, and find a way for their new PC to join the party in a story motivated fashion.

If the player wants a new PC just to get rid of the curses, then then your curses are probably too harsh, IMHO. A cursed, existing PC should always be more interesting than a new PC, and doing some things like starting the new PC at a lower level will help achieve this. I think its more likely that the player just wants a new character. Some players just can't stick to a PC for very long. Just make sure long term story arcs are centered around the PC's who are in it for the long haul, and everyone should be happy.

 

[Tyrion]

Something I've found works well is to allow each player to make a new character once per campaign, no questions asked. Only allow new characters beyond this in exceptional circumstances.

In my experience, players will not suicide frivolously with this rule in place...but if they really hate their current character, they'll go ahead and make a new one.