D&D 5E Do you think 5e is deadly enough and do you finish off downed characters?

[Oofta]

I think that’s a clear difference of preferences. To me, the story is whatever happens during play. “What makes sense to the story” is what the players’ decisions dictate and what the dice decide. If that’s a single group of characters together for years, great. If that’s a never-ending revolving door of characters, great. It’s not my job to decide what the story is for the players. It’s all about their decisions and the dice.

Absolutely. It's something I discuss during a session 0. However, I will note that I have an old timer gamer in my current group that made a comment about how much more "developed" the group was because we haven't had any deaths. He had never experienced a campaign where PCs weren't dropping left and right so it was kind of a revelation.

But, YMMV. I don't guarantee I won't kill a PC and use tactics I think appropriate for the enemy. On the other hand, I don't go out of my way to kill PCs (I rarely double tap) because raise dead is limited in my campaign for thematic reasons so if a PC dies they're probably perma-dead.

 

[ad_hoc]

I think that’s a clear difference of preferences. To me, the story is whatever happens during play. “What makes sense to the story” is what the players’ decisions dictate and what the dice decide. If that’s a single group of characters together for years, great. If that’s a never-ending revolving door of characters, great. It’s not my job to decide what the story is for the players. It’s all about their decisions and the dice.

Right but you or someone else is setting the parameters of what is possible in the game.

Just because the PCs can go challenge the adult dragon at level 1 doesn't make it a deadly game. They could do that but probably won't so it's moot.

However not having anything for them to do at level 1 that isn't a death sentence does make for a deadly game and is not their decisions and dice deciding what happens.

At some point you're making decisions about what is available in the world, even if you're making it up as you go along.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I think that’s a clear difference of preferences. To me, the story is whatever happens during play. “What makes sense to the story” is what the players’ decisions dictate and what the dice decide. If that’s a single group of characters together for years, great. If that’s a never-ending revolving door of characters, great. It’s not my job to decide what the story is for the players. It’s all about their decisions and the dice.

But is it actually 'whatever the player decisions and the dice decide' when the DM is constantly putting their thumb on the scale trying to make deaths happen more, whether by making enemies endanger themselves to kill downed foes rather than deal with active threats, cranking the CR or houseruling to make deaths more frequent?

It's no longer consequences or randomness; it's DM fiat with a catspaw.

 

[Urriak Uruk]

Here's what I do for sentient (meaning, creatures about as or more than intelligent than your PC) enemies.

1. In the beginning, just fight a PC until they're downed. After downing a PC, move on to someone else.
2. If a downed PC is healed and jumps back in the fight, then they down a PC and also make an attack on the PC (usually means 2 death saves).
3. If a downed PC is healed again, they try to finish off downed PCs for good.

Essentially, the enemies are learning "We gotta ensure these dudes are dead-dead, they keep getting healed and getting back up. Enemies shouldn't be dumb enough to play walk-a-mole forever, and this adds the added danger to getting downed.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Here's what I do for sentient (meaning, creatures about as or more than intelligent than your PC) enemies.

1. In the beginning, just fight a PC until they're downed. After downing a PC, move on to someone else.
2. If a downed PC is healed and jumps back in the fight, then they down a PC and also make an attack on the PC (usually means 2 death saves).
3. If a downed PC is healed again, they try to finish off downed PCs for good.

Essentially, the enemies are learning "We gotta ensure these dudes are dead-dead, they keep getting healed and getting back up. Enemies shouldn't be dumb enough to play walk-a-mole forever, and this adds the added danger to getting downed.

Also, they should start targeting the healer.