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<blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 5613680" data-attributes="member: 4937"><p>I tend not to write plot lines that assume either the death or life of an NPC. If your plot is derailed by an NPC staying alive, or by an NPC dying, you've not built enough robustness into the plot.</p><p></p><p>That said, I for one believe that NPC's are just PC's with an 'n' in front of them. I have never liked the idea that there is one group of rules for PC's and one group of rules for NPC's, because sooner rather than later that will become the excuse for screwing with the players. In normal circumstances, it would be a very low level party indeed that couldn't keep a dying NPC from dying. It might happen, but they have so many options that if they get there in time, it's probably not too late.</p><p></p><p>That said, I have traumatic damage rules in my game and there are certain conditions that can be imposed on you if you fail a traumatic damage saving throw which a low level party would find very hard to deal with. It's concievable that I could run a dying scene with an NPC at low level and under the rules they'd have little chance to stop it. I'd have to fudge some rolls to pull it off though, and I generally don't like to do that, but it is at least possible. </p><p></p><p>To me it seems rather self-indulgent as a DM to set this up. What are you trying to prove? Do you think the players are going to applaud your scene, and give you a pat on the back for running a standard narrative trope without even the creativity to make it work under the rules? It's the DM acting as novelist and principal writer, and not letting the players take their fair share of the authorship of the game. If you want to be a novelist rather than a game master, you should be a novelist. Don't pretend that you are running a game.</p><p></p><p>If you NPC's are crafted well enough that the players actually care whether they die, then you are on a good path. There is no need I can see to break suspension of disbelief to force you game to act like a cliche. If you want ideas on how to kill off an NPC in a way that makes the PC's feel a bit helpless and unable to help, I can brainstorm up a few - you probably could as well. Don't not think before hand and then act as if stamping and shouting, "By golly, I created this railroad and now you have to ride on it!" is going to be all that impressive to your players.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Celebrim, post: 5613680, member: 4937"] I tend not to write plot lines that assume either the death or life of an NPC. If your plot is derailed by an NPC staying alive, or by an NPC dying, you've not built enough robustness into the plot. That said, I for one believe that NPC's are just PC's with an 'n' in front of them. I have never liked the idea that there is one group of rules for PC's and one group of rules for NPC's, because sooner rather than later that will become the excuse for screwing with the players. In normal circumstances, it would be a very low level party indeed that couldn't keep a dying NPC from dying. It might happen, but they have so many options that if they get there in time, it's probably not too late. That said, I have traumatic damage rules in my game and there are certain conditions that can be imposed on you if you fail a traumatic damage saving throw which a low level party would find very hard to deal with. It's concievable that I could run a dying scene with an NPC at low level and under the rules they'd have little chance to stop it. I'd have to fudge some rolls to pull it off though, and I generally don't like to do that, but it is at least possible. To me it seems rather self-indulgent as a DM to set this up. What are you trying to prove? Do you think the players are going to applaud your scene, and give you a pat on the back for running a standard narrative trope without even the creativity to make it work under the rules? It's the DM acting as novelist and principal writer, and not letting the players take their fair share of the authorship of the game. If you want to be a novelist rather than a game master, you should be a novelist. Don't pretend that you are running a game. If you NPC's are crafted well enough that the players actually care whether they die, then you are on a good path. There is no need I can see to break suspension of disbelief to force you game to act like a cliche. If you want ideas on how to kill off an NPC in a way that makes the PC's feel a bit helpless and unable to help, I can brainstorm up a few - you probably could as well. Don't not think before hand and then act as if stamping and shouting, "By golly, I created this railroad and now you have to ride on it!" is going to be all that impressive to your players. [/QUOTE]
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