DM's: Are you afraid to kill PC's because of how players might react?

[Emirikol]

Are you afraid to kill PC's because of how players might react?

Also, post if you actually have the following rules in your house rulebook:
1. Replacement character rules (how much x.p. and how much g.p. they start with)
2. Whether or not a dead PC's items are buried with them or if the party gets to loot the body
3. Rules for switching characters without PC death.

Is it true that people without cut and dried rules in these regards are more likely to be afraid to kill PC's?

jh

 

[lukelightning]

I tried to not kill a PC, even to the extent of offering to fudge the damage and say the character is just dying but not dead. But oh no, the player insisted the character should be dead (he was at -15 hit points).

That taught me a valuable lesson: My players like it when their characters die. It gives them a chance to play one of the hundred other character ideas they have floating around in their sneaky little brains. Part of this, I think, is because I'm running an Arcana Evolved game and the players were all torn between all the various fun new classes.... spryte magister or giant warmain? Dashing litorian unfettered or overbearing verrik mind witch?

Replacement character:

Come back as same level. We don't have a hard rule about what items stay and what items go, but generally most of the items leave with the departed PC (in both cases of character death in my game, the body was returned to the character's familly or clan, along with their goods).

A player can retire/replace a character at any reasonable time. In the middle of combat is not a good time But in town or even wandering around in the wilderness is fine, as long as I've been given a heads up.

 

[Grymar]

I don't want them to die in a stupid random meaningless encounter because that leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth. That doesn't mean I'm going to hold back, but I don't want it to happen.

If they die fighting a BBEG or a major encounter or in some really cool way? Then hell yeah, I'll kill them.

 

[DragonLancer]

My players want that risk of death, so the dice fall where they may.

If a PC does die, then the replacement comes in on the starting XP for the average party level.

 

[The_Warlock]

So, as part of my story arc in my campaign (now entering it's 12th year in real-time), I had to count up all the dead PCs, henchman, and other party members of some form or another, since their spirits would be called back by a ritual to invest a set of armor and weapons to assist/allow the defeat of the BBEGroup. Seven of the dead over the past 12 years were cohorts, henchmen, NPCs helping the party, etc. TWENTY THREE (23) were PCs. So, no, I have NO problem killing a player's character.

Players are informed of this up front. I can be brutal. In my world, heroes take the risk - and sometimes, heroes die.

Previously, I made new characters come in one level lower than the party current (so there was no metagame benefit vs being res'd), they got 3 random magic items approprpiate for their race/class (like any starting character in my campaign), any basic equipment they wanted which fit their race/class and that they could carry, and a base sum of "pocket change". If their character died in the pursuit of or completion of their personal or backstory goals, or at least in the idiom which they set themselves, they got bonus "cash" to spend on magic and gear above the basics.

The bodies of the fallen could be looted by the party, though invariably, much of the magic wasn't easily distributed due to specialization.

Since 3rd ed. and a lot of insight into leveling and death mechanics, I've upped the level of new characters coming in after a death to the lowest current character level, but otherwise retain all of the other gear and gold restrictions.

As for dying, I have one lenient bone in my body, and that states that if a character is killed by some method which doesn't completely discorporate their body, anyone with magical healing has until the dead character's initiative count to get to them and get them to a positive HP number. If they do, the character was literally a last breath away from death. If nobody gets to them with magic healing by their init count after reaching dead HPs, they are completely dead.

I also use a variant Raise Dead mechanic inspired by The Game Mechanics article/spells, which lays on temporary negative levels rather than permanent level loss. However, if a character is recovering the temp neg levels after being raised/res'd, and dies again, they can't be brought back if the temp neg levels applied by another casting + their current temp negative levels would make them level 0 or lower.

In the twelve years of running, I've never had a player get mad at me about a character death, and I've killed quite a few characters. I've had player's curse the name of NPCs who had a hand in their character's death, but never my name. And they know I won't hold back and keep their character's alive, that's their job. chuckle.

 

[FunkBGR]

The story is better if the characters die.

If we're playing a game, and nobody can die - then what's the point? We might as well remove the rules and just sit around and tell a story.

Death means that they actually HAVE to think, and that I'm not going to save their butts. I don't go out of my way to kill them, but if they die - they die. Thems the breaks.

 

[takasi]

I am in three campaigns, two of which I run and the other I don't. Here are the rules for each:

1.) 10 player linear monthly marathon game session. (I DM)

Character creation: 32 point buy for core only, 28 point buy for core starting with expansion slots (non core options) at odd levels, 25 point buy for 3 expansion slots (non core options) at starting level and an addition slot at odd levels, non-elite array for +1 LA (same expansion rules as 25 point buy), standard array for +2 LA (same expansion rules as 25 point buy).

Death Penalty: TPK or bust. When you get to -10 you take a "time out" until the battle is over. You cannot be healed until all nearby enemies are dead. People are still very pissed when they die, especially at the beginning of battle.

Replacement: If a TPK occurs the session ends and everyone must make new characters for the next monthly session. You cannot choose the same class or race. Characters start off at the same level but with half of their expected character wealth.

Loot: If a TPK occurs all loot is lost.

Switching characters: You can retire your old character at any time, but you must play through at least one of the monthly sessions 2 levels lower than the party level. (Each session players go through 2 levels of play.) You cannot play your retired characters.

2.) 7 player semi-linear weekly game session. (I play)

Character creation: 32 point buy for core only, 28 point buy for 1 expansion slot (non core options) at starting level and an additional slot at odd levels, 25 point buy for 3 expansion slots (non core options) at starting level and an addition slot at odd levels.

Death Penalty: All characters (not companions, familiars, cohorts, etc) have action points per the Eberron/UA rules. You can spend 2 action points to prevent your character from dying (similar to WFRPG fate points).

Replacement: Players start their new characters one level lower than their previous party level.

Loot: Gear that is recovered is given to the next party member, who can sell the gear to use as a replacement.

Switching characters: You may not switch characters in this campaign.

3.) 5 player non-linear weekly game session. (I DM)

Character creation: 3d6 down the line (option 7). Starting wealth and hit points are rolled randomly. Core rules only to start, but if a character survives to odd certain levels he can earn expansion slots for non-core options when building new characters.

Death Penalty: -10 = dead. Also, you do not confirm critical hits. We use the good hits and bad misses from Dragon. At least one character dies in every session.

Replacement: Players must start their characters at level 1 with standard equipment (starting gp is rolled) regardless of the level and wealth of the rest of the party.

Loot: Gear that is recovered is considered party treasure to be sold and split evenly.

Switching characters: Your PC can become an NPC at any time, but cannot accompany the party on quests. Replacement character are created at 1st level. You can use your old PCs at any time.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Are you afraid to kill PC's because of how players might react?

Nope.

Also, post if you actually have the following rules in your house rulebook:
1. Replacement character rules (how much x.p. and how much g.p. they start with)
2. Whether or not a dead PC's items are buried with them or if the party gets to loot the body
3. Rules for switching characters without PC death.

1. Yes.
2. That's not a rule, IMO, but purely a matter of in-game circumstance.
3. No.

 

[Graybeard]

In my game, players know that their PC can get killed. Only once did I fudge things a bit to bring back a PC. The party was in the middle of the mountains. The nearest village was days away. This one PC died while fighting 2 trolls. In my game, the gods are actively involved in the lives of selected mortals. One of the other PCs is playing a cleric of Athena. I allowed the gods to raise him from the dead with some penalties. A bolt of lightning struck the body. The group went to check it out and found him to be nearly dead. Afterwards, the PC has fewer XP than before and less gold (thousands less gold). This player is found of taking treasure he finds and not telling the group about it. He also has a tendacy to attack anyone he feels is even slightly threatening. His hostile behaviour will ow be restricted by the gods as payment for returning him to life.

Otherwise, my rules are:

Raise from dead: come back at same level but with 500 X lvl less XP. If the other PCs loot the body first, so be it.

Retire a character, same as above.

If either happens twice, the next PC will start at a level lower.

 

[kigmatzomat]

Heh. I got over any fear of killing PCs back in 2nd edition; I gave the party a semi-cursed artifact that would either Resurrect you or turn you into a greater undead that hated the party with all its black heart. Oh the fun we had with that.

Now IMC I had people die in a setting without ready access to Res magic. By chance, the party managed to avoid any PC deaths until meeting a fey powerful enough to cast Reincarnate. Unfortunately, the player wasn't too hip to his character becoming an elf and the monk wandered off.

Replacement PCs are generally about a half-level behind the party, which is only a minor penalty for about 2-3 levels when the level differential is eliminated. Half their gear is randomly generated to reflect the weird stuff you find and to avoid over optimization.

The party has brought back the High Magics to the world but still is less than pleased by death. First off, the Spirit of Death tends to give them jobs to do. Secondly, there is an Uber-Marut that hunts down people who've cheated death by magic whose special attack takes 10 years off the target's natural lifespan, which tanks any future resurrection.