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<blockquote data-quote="jlhorner1974" data-source="post: 461732" data-attributes="member: 8628">Are there any other ideas out there for this?I hate to kill PCs also, but I believe that there has to be a threat there or there is too much security and recklessness.&nbsp; Powerful monsters, deadly spells, and treacherous traps shouldn't be a minor inconvenience, they should instill fear!&nbsp; By the same token, I don't think the PCs should be paranoid that they will die all the time either.I do want to use something of a &quot;hero point&quot; or &quot;fate point&quot; system to help prevent deaths in the first place -- but I don't want to cringe every time a monster uses disintegrate on a PC either.&nbsp; I want death to happen occasionally -- just enough to keep the PCs on their toes.I don't like the &quot;lose a level&quot; mechanic, although it is effective as a penalty.&nbsp; I think it is frustrating and doesn't make logical sense.&nbsp; Suddenly my monk lost his spell resistance just because he died?&nbsp; And adjusting your character sheet to revert to a lower level is a pain.I also want to run a more long term campaign, so I am not super keen on rolling new characters unless the PC really wants to try something new.Someone posted a mechanic where you gain an XP &quot;debt&quot; of about 500 XP per level and the debt must be paid before you can level up, and you gain a negative level until the debt is paid.&nbsp; I like this better, but it hardly seems much worse than a temporary energy drain, and two unlucky deaths in a row could result in a pretty uneven party.I also thought about raising/resurrection spells giving a temporary -2 CON penalty that cannot be removed by any magic means.&nbsp; Only time.&nbsp;&nbsp; If a character dies several ties in a row, this would be particularly painful.Maybe the answer is just to limit the access to the spells or the material components.&nbsp; Maybe the material component should be an offering to the god (gold, gems, magical item) worth at least 250 gp or 500 gp per level of the deceased?&nbsp; This would be effective for a high level party, but a 1st or 2nd level party could have a rough time scraping up the cash.What method do you think provides enough of a penalty to discourage carelessness about death without being too harsh and inconvenient?</blockquote>

[QUOTE="jlhorner1974, post: 461732, member: 8628"] Are there any other ideas out there for this? I hate to kill PCs also, but I believe that there has to be a threat there or there is too much security and recklessness. Powerful monsters, deadly spells, and treacherous traps shouldn't be a minor inconvenience, they should instill fear! By the same token, I don't think the PCs should be paranoid that they will die all the time either. I do want to use something of a "hero point" or "fate point" system to help prevent deaths in the first place -- but I don't want to cringe every time a monster uses disintegrate on a PC either. I want death to happen occasionally -- just enough to keep the PCs on their toes. I don't like the "lose a level" mechanic, although it is effective as a penalty. I think it is frustrating and doesn't make logical sense. Suddenly my monk lost his spell resistance just because he died? And adjusting your character sheet to revert to a lower level is a pain. I also want to run a more long term campaign, so I am not super keen on rolling new characters unless the PC really wants to try something new. Someone posted a mechanic where you gain an XP "debt" of about 500 XP per level and the debt must be paid before you can level up, and you gain a negative level until the debt is paid. I like this better, but it hardly seems much worse than a temporary energy drain, and two unlucky deaths in a row could result in a pretty uneven party. I also thought about raising/resurrection spells giving a temporary -2 CON penalty that cannot be removed by any magic means. Only time. If a character dies several ties in a row, this would be particularly painful. Maybe the answer is just to limit the access to the spells or the material components. Maybe the material component should be an offering to the god (gold, gems, magical item) worth at least 250 gp or 500 gp per level of the deceased? This would be effective for a high level party, but a 1st or 2nd level party could have a rough time scraping up the cash. What method do you think provides enough of a penalty to discourage carelessness about death without being too harsh and inconvenient? [/QUOTE]

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