Frequency of death

[Tyler Dunn]

How often to players die in your campaigns and not get ressurected? It seems to me that it should be pretty rare after players go past level 5 and have spells like revivify available

 

[Oofta]

I haven't had a player die yet. PCs occasionally die, but never players. Thank goodness too, can you imagine the mess and all that paperwork? No thanks!

 

[Tyler Dunn]

I haven't had a player die yet. PCs occasionally die, but never players. Thank goodness too, can you imagine the mess and all that paperwork? No thanks!

My mistake lol, I meant the how many characters die and don't get resurrected.

 

[Oofta]

On a more serious note, it depends on the campaign. I have a session 0 with my players and we discuss things like how deadly a campaign will be. It's not all that hard to kill off a PC, just hit them a couple of times after they're down. Preferably target the cleric first or at least keep them away from the body. Nothing scares the players like the phrase "they start dragging your unconscious friend off to be eaten away from the combat".

So the question is: will it be fun for the players? That's going to depend a lot on the group, but I have killed off high level (around 15th) level characters before when the paladin went down in a blaze of glory taking out a vampire lord.

So not common but depends on the group, not really all that hard if you try. I'd rather have the group half unconscious with a last few desperate PCs struggling for survival now and then but still managing to carry the day.

Oh, and for what it's worth resurrection is pretty much unheard of in my campaign and even raise dead is highly unusual and not just a simple matter of casting a spell because I base my mythos on norse mythology where even gods can die.

 

[FrogReaver]

How often to players die in your campaigns and not get ressurected? It seems to me that it should be pretty rare after players go past level 5 and have spells like revivify available

Does anyone but a cleric get revivify at level 5? In a party of 4-5 why are you assuming there's guaranteed to be someone with that spell?

 

[Shiroiken]

Permanent death is really common before level 3, uncommon from 3-5, and rare afterwards. Even if there's not a cleric for revivify, players will often pool resources and seek out a priest to cast Raise Dead.

Even temporary death is uncommon after level 5, because players have significant HP to avoid instant death, and it usually takes a very stupid decision (or an evil DM) for the enemies to kill a downed PC. The only time I've seen someone die by rolled death saves is by rolling a 1 after already failing once (after which, the players learn to attempt to heal a downed PC that has a failed death save). Healing spells, healer's kits, potions of healing, etc. are far too common for characters to die due to lack of resources.

I'll go slightly off topic and blame revivify, a spell that I hate. It's not the idea of having a low level resurrection option, it's that it's better than higher level options. It lacks the penalty that Raise Dead and Resurrection have, and the time-frame "limitation" is seldom a concern since combat rarely lasts more than 5-6 rounds. Only once have I ever seen someone have to cast it in combat (against a pair of adult white dragons who managed to drop the bard on round 1). In my current campaign I've added the Raise Dead penalty to Revivify, which I feel should have been part of it from the beginning.

 

[5ekyu]

How often to players die in your campaigns and not get ressurected? It seems to me that it should be pretty rare after players go past level 5 and have spells like revivify available

I have had a player die twice in the last campaign which lasted 18 months. one right before each Christmas.

Their PCs however fared much better during that time.

#missingfriends

 

[Immortal Sun]

I'm pretty generous with letting my players live. Though it'll usually cost them.

They really only die when they do something remarkably stupid.

 

[DND_Reborn]

In our game we had 3 characters die before level 5 and it wiped out most of the loot we got to get them raised at different points. I remember one character died in the very first encounter against some orcs (our sorcerer)! Then we had a barbarian AND warlock die around 3rd level, but that battle was nearly a TPK! Wej ust finished our dragon battle/encounter last session. The druid died almost right off (I think on round 2) after the black dragon pulled him under the murky water, hit him with claws and the bite. He went unconscious and drown. No one could get to him because they were fighting the dragon. He was raised a few days later by the guardian naga we had freed from its continual watery grave at the bottom of the lagoon.

So, 3 before level 5, and one at level 5. None permanent though... I am surprised there isn't a check or something to see if they come back. I think in other editions there used to be (my 2E is a bit hazy).

 

[Draegn]

In my game there have been seven deaths, five maimings, two mutilations and a disappearance. Characters have more attacks and a higher chance of critical hits in my game than found in a standard one.