D&D General How do you feel about Save or Die?

[Slit518]

How do you feel about Save or Die mechanics?

Like a Saving Throw against a spell that would kill you outright if you fail.

 

[iserith]

As long as the threat is adequately telegraphed to the players so that they can prepare accordingly (or choose not to), then I am fine with just about anything.

And technically, lots of spells are "save or die" if they do damage and the character is low enough on hit points (and not too high a level).

 

[jasper]

Save or Die. Save or Die. Save or Die
I like it. I love it. I want more of it!

 

[5ekyu]

Not a fan of single roll KO or kill - esp outright kill with no lead in. It's not drama just chance.

I would much prefer a three saves race or a three fails vs countermeasures race. Something that forces immediate response, even costly ones, from the victims. Bang, dead, next - just so dull.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

In an OSR game that's a one-shot or short-term campaign, I love the thrill of danger and death. It hearkens back to where I began with gaming. But in an on-going. long-term campaign, I'm not a big fan of save or die. When character death is proven to be arbitrary, it eventually erodes player investment in the game and the world. I suspect that's why there are so many stories from back in the day of Ulfric IX, the Human Fighter, cousin of the recently and suddenly deceased Ulfric VIII.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Save or Die. Save or Die. Save or Die
I like it. I love it. I want more of it!

I could see, like, an OSR-style d20 game that uses Save or Die in place of hit points and other combat resolution mechanics...

you could call it "d20 SoD It All."

 

[Oofta]

I've never cared for save or die even back in the days of 1E. In general my PCs mean more to me than just a piece of paper, it's hopefully like a favorite TV character or protagonist of a good novel. I get invested in that character's ongoing story.

So if my PC dies (guaranteed if I'm playing an elf) that story either ends or I'm just bored until they can respawn. But even more than that, dying because of bad luck is just pointless. It's not heroic, it's not because I made a mistake and did something stupid. It's almost never something I could have seen coming or prevented. It's just dumb luck completely out of my control on a one time roll. It takes away my player agency.

 

[CleverNickName]

(shrug) I never really had a problem with it, myself.
I've never felt like the game needed my permission to kill my character.

 

[Doug McCrae]

It fits with a certain play style that includes multiple PCs per player, fast char gen, and PCs motivated by the acquisition of loot. If those things aren't true then it doesn't work so well.

 

[The Glen]

It does add an element of risk that sadly seems to be missing in the current edition. How many people forget the lesson of poor Black Dougal who gave his life to remind us always check the chest for traps