D&D General How Often Should a PC Die in D&D 5e?

[Crimson Longinus]

That all sounds fine, but how can you have that fear, that threat, if it is never backed up because death is "disappointing"? I don't see a way for the fear of death to work if actual death can't.

They said one or two character might die per campaign. So seems like perfectly genuine possibility of death to me.

 

[Micah Sweet]

They said one or two character might die per campaign. So seems like perfectly genuine possibility of death to me.

They were describing two different people: the player and the DM. The DM is fine with the occasional PC death. The player wants to feel their PC could die but never will actually die. That's a problem IMO.

 

[TwoSix]

That all sounds fine, but how can you have that fear, that threat, if it is never backed up because death is "disappointing"? I don't see a way for the fear of death to work if actual death can't.

That's just an ask for "illusionism" play, which is generally looked down upon but is actually a pretty common play preference.

 

[Micah Sweet]

That's just an ask for "illusionism" play, which is generally looked down upon but is actually a pretty common play preference.

I see. Not my preference at all, which is probably why it didn't occur to me that's what was being requested.

 

[TwoSix]

I see. Not my preference at all, which is probably why it didn't occur to me that's what was being requested.

Sure. And let's face it, most people who do prefer it won't actually ask for that kind of play directly, because it is looked down on.

But "I want to feel like my character can die but never have them actually die" is a pretty clear call-out for illusionism.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Sure. And let's face it, most people who do prefer it won't actually ask for that kind of play directly, because it is looked down on.

But "I want to feel like my character can die but never have them actually die" is a pretty clear call-out for illusionism.

I suspect you're right in that a lot of people do prefer illusionism, but of course part of the concept is that no one talks about it.

It's the Fight Club of playstyles.

 

[Xamnam]

But "I want to feel like my character can die but never have them actually die" is a pretty clear call-out for illusionism.

I think they might be being misread here, I don't know that they're actually asking for a guarantee that the character won't die. They don't want it, they'll find the event disappointing, but you can not want something while accepting it still might happen.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I think they might be being misread here, I don't know that they're actually asking for a guarantee that the character won't die. They don't want it, they'll find the event disappointing, but you can not want something while accepting it still might happen.

If you want to believe something bad can happen while not wanting something bad to actually happen, that is a request for illusionism. You may not have that request met, you may not expect that request to be met, but you still made the request.

 

[Xamnam]

If you want to believe something bad can happen while not wanting something bad to actually happen, that is a request for illusionism. You may not have that request met, you may not expect that request to be met, but you still made the request.

Again, I see nothing about a request, simply a personal (and perhaps not outwardly/directly expressed!) desire. I'll admit, I could be the one misreading them, but that reading makes more sense to me in being cohesive with the paragraph that followed their initial statement.

 

[DragonLancer]

That all sounds fine, but how can you have that fear, that threat, if it is never backed up because death is "disappointing"? I don't see a way for the fear of death to work if actual death can't.

I'm not saying that a character I play should never die, just that I wouldn't want it to happen. If it does, then it does. No issue there.