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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lylandra" data-source="post: 7024471" data-attributes="member: 6816692">I'd second this. You want your players to be in charge of their characters and a scripted death takes this form of control or agency away from them. Now, if your players want a highly scripted campaign, this may be okay for them, but for the majority of them it would be quite a bummer. You can evoke tragedy and mature tones in a campaign by getting your characters involved with their environment (towns, NPC, other PCs...) and then put them into situation where they have to choose between two or more equally consequential actions. Let a seemingly "right" solution to a problem evolve to a dramatic outcome for someone else. Use rivals and enemies who like to hurt the PCs in a personal, maybe even vengeful way ("classic tragedy" stuff). Let them choose between quick and dangerous plans and longer, safer, but also less favorable ones. Let them decide which one is the lesser of two evils. But first and foremost: Let it feel natural and organic, not forced. Players tend to hate being forced because the DM wants to create meta-effect and they will realize what you're trying to do if you're not sensitive and careful about your mets-plans.</blockquote>