How much concern do you have with PC death?

[ThirdWizard]

PCs die. I don't concern myself with it much.

Dangling plot threads? They can be woven back into the game, twisted a bit, or completed with the PC's death. Not much to worry about here as I never ever make the main plot of the game hang on a particular PC.

Players getting frustrated? They love to play their characters, but they still get excited over the fact of making a new one and exploring a new idea. I'm playing a paladin in a great game by a friend of mine. I really enjoy that paladin and its a lot of fun. I have history and motives and all sorts of good things, but if he dies, I've already got another character lined up to play. And probably another one after that. It isn't that I don't get into the paladin, it is that I see death as part of the character, and when that time comes, it comes.

And, raise dead isn't rare in my games. Since characters can come back to life, the times that plot can even come into danger is reduced significantly. I don't understand why anyone would have involved character driven main plots that are ruined if characters die then make raise dead almost non-existant. It just seems counter-productive to me, ensuring that the DM fudges in the players' favor. I think I would be mad at a DM who fudged to keep my character alive; to me it cheapens the experience of it being a game. My own personal oppinion of course.

So, all in all, not a big deal. We are talking about people whose career in life is fighting. Live by the sword and all that.

 

[Nellisir]

Some concern. I killed a PC in my game last week, and while it was annoying (he was the best developed and most interesting character), I also trust the player will come up with another interesting character. The party gets the idea that they aren't going to get molly-coddled (no resurrection scrolls for 3rd-level PCs, no way uh-uh), and I can make the character's death meaningful -in the game-. I think thats the most important thing. When a character dies, it should have repercussions. I'm going to use the occasion to reveal an NPC as a goddess, and she'll give a little inspiring sort of speech (as only the goddess of war and strife can) to bring the party a little more motive to their actions.

Cheers
Nell.

 

[rato]

I am very concerned about a PCs death,
imagine if you are playing with a character that you give plenty of time in the construction, pushed yourself to the limit making the background, and then.. puft... the character is dead.
Than you start imagining all the things that you char has done throught his
"evolution" in game...
But if you didn't make some efforts on your char, why would give any value to it?

So to my mind I doubt if the ones that picked the option 1 really like to play as character, if they realize what is turn your relationship with the char into something more then a paper they would see what a char value is to the respective player.

 

[Arbiter of Wyrms]

Probably more concern for PC death as a DM than as a player. I always feel kind of bad when an interesting PC dies because of bad luck, betrayal, or uncharacteristic stupidity if it doesn't look like they are likely to be raised, so I try to prevent that. When folks act like they don't care if their PCs die, I act the same way.

 

[ThirdWizard]

So to my mind I doubt if the ones that picked the option 1 really like to play as character, if they realize what is turn your relationship with the char into something more then a paper they would see what a char value is to the respective player.

Speaking as a player here.

I don't think of a character as an investment. I don't think if I can no longer play a character (for reasons of death, end of game, etc.) that I have somehow wasted my time in playing said character. The character's evolution, background, motivations, personality, etc mostly come from in game playing and having fun with that character. It isn't about creating an end result, it is about the road that is taken with the character. I know some PCs are better than others and much more fun than others, and it is kind of a let down when one of these beloved ones dies. However, the important thing isn't the value placed on the character as an investment or in a particular moment in time. It is the experiences you had with that PC along the way that are important.

 

[rato]

Speaking as a player here.

I don't think of a character as an investment. I don't think if I can no longer play a character (for reasons of death, end of game, etc.) that I have somehow wasted my time in playing said character. The character's evolution, background, motivations, personality, etc mostly come from in game playing and having fun with that character. It isn't about creating an end result, it is about the road that is taken with the character. I know some PCs are better than others and much more fun than others, and it is kind of a let down when one of these beloved ones dies. However, the important thing isn't the value placed on the character as an investment or in a particular moment in time. It is the experiences you had with that PC along the way that are important.

Truth
I really agree with you!
Everything that you said plus everything that i've said just enforces my theory in concern of Pcs death!


There is another point of view that annoys me... some people here posted that they dont care for PCs death because they can fast ressurrect them, i think that shouldn't be easy to do that, some house rulles could be created to input some difficulties in ressurrecting chars...
Understanding this way of playing i get it why they don't give value to their chars

 

[ThirdWizard]

I admit that not caring because they can be Raised is sort of a cop out, becuase it isn't really a "death" per say, at least not any permanent kind. However, it isn't always possible, and even in campaigns where you can reasonably expect to find a cleric to cast raise dead, there will be times when you either can't make it back in time, you need a ressurection (very much more expensive!), or the body is just lost/left behind.

But, at high levels, it just wouldn't work without being brought back from the dead. At least, it would be a very different game, I think.

However, saying that someone who cares less about death somehow isn't roleplaying as much as someone who does care isn't right. I can roleplay a character just fine and not worry about them dying, because my ability to roleplay the character today isn't influenced by having the same option tomorrow.

 

[RIPnogarD]

I tend to look at it as a game and everybody is there to have fun (I am niether a rules monger or a killer DM). Thats what it's about, right?

Now if the player is suicidal or is role playing his death for good reason (NOT a prob).

 

[shilsen]

Some concern, but not very much. As a DM who likes to tie the campaign heavily into the PCs' nature, backgrounds and choices, losing a PC can be a big problem for me, since it makes certain sections of the campaign irrelevant or less relevant. Returning from the dead is not really an option in either of my two games (Eberron) yet. I'm a 'reformed' killer DM (after the encounter that TPKed the PCs and their backup PCs at the same time) but am good at challenging my parties and keeping them on their toes with weaker opposition, so whenever they face a challenging encounter, there's a significant possibility of death. The way I've dealt with the above is by instituting an action point mechanic where you use three action points to convert a killing blow or effect to one that makes your PC comatose for the remainder of the combat. This lets me pull the stops out and lowers the possibility of PC death. And for those players who are strongly in the "let the chips fall where they may" camp, they can choose to not use the action points and bring in a new PC.

 

[Breakdaddy]

I voted "some concern". My players invest a lot of time and energy into creating and bringing their characters to life in the game. It is always a bit dissapointing to see a PC die. Sometimes it is tragic, sometimes heroic, and sometimes just plain stupid; but it is always a concern to me to see the time and energy invested in their character go down the drain.