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

[Li Shenron]

Its not asking what "schedule" you prefer but instead at what frequency of PC death does it reach your particular desire of lethality?

Frankly I do not even endorse having a "particular desire of lethality". To me it's a red flag for bad DMing. It reminds me of a teacher who has a desired level of pass/fail rate in their course, with no regards to whether the class at hand is made of great students or poor ones.

 

[GrimCo]

I don't have particular number in mind.

PC death happens as a mix of bad luck (on the players side), very good luck on DMs side, poor player decisions ( Leroooy Jenkins style will get you killed). I do have some house rules that make game more dangerous though.

 

[Ombre29]

Voted once a campaign.

I don't even hit that. 1 fatality in 5 years. Death should always be a risk but not desired imho.

2 fatality but one player basically committed sepuku.

I agree with you but I fear that I am more cruel as a dm. I put often my players at risk (for more fun in success or grieve in defeat...)

 

[Chaltab]

Frankly I do not even endorse having a "particular desire of lethality". To me it's a red flag for bad DMing. It reminds me of a teacher who has a desired level of pass/fail rate in their course, with no regards to whether the class at hand is made of great students or poor ones.

This. Also my players have come close to getting characters killed. One time the Warlock saved the party's bacon but only through expending the last Wish in a Ring of wishes to heal everybody.

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

I didn't know PC death was possible in 5e after level 2.

 

[Imaro]

There are versions of D&D more deadly than 5e. That doesn't make them a "dead" game. If this is a joke, I don't get it.

Without popularity of some sort a game dies.

 

[Imaro]

I didn't know PC death was possible in 5e after level 2.

While this is definitely on the milder side... it's comments like these, referring to the lack of lethality in 5e or how it's easy mode that were the catalyst for this discussion.

 

[Umbran]

If you always beat the odds, it just doesn't feel that dangerous to me.

Fine. Have your characters die. Have fun.

The point is that there is no "trigger" - it isn't/shouldn't be a specific act on the GM's part to kill the character. The GM provides challenges. You beat them or you don't.

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

While this is definitely on the milder side... it's comments like these, referring to the lack of lethality in 5e or how it's easy mode that were the catalyst for this discussion.

I think the op question is phrased wrong. It's not about how often PCs SHOULD die. I think many of us GMs cheer on our party and don't want anyone to die.

It's more about the possibility that PCs COULD die. I've played a lot of Savage Worlds over the last years, and even if it's not a super deadly system with Bennies etc it's also a very swingy system where death actually can happen.

But lately I've become more and more invested in DCC and OSR games. And a big part of that is that it's simply more fun and satisfying for me to GM games where PC death is a real risk and motivating force for players to be smart, tactical and not hobo rush every encounter, and instead seek smart ways to handle encounters.

With GM work and house ruling you can work real risk of death into any system, but it's not how for example raw 5e is constructed.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I mean sure in a sandbox campaign;. Some campaigns have matters too urgent to explore at leisure. either way it is not like Minecraft where everything is totally random. NPCs have goals & motives and the world continues to move forward regardless of how often PCs die.

Sure, but that's just (fantasy) life. I don't consider that "the plot" that the PCs need to "advance".