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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DM_Blake" data-source="post: 4131311" data-attributes="member: 57267">Why?Why, why, why?An RPG needs rules to tell me how often I can hit a bugbear with my axe, and how much damage it does.An RPG needs rules to tell me what happens when I cast a fireball at a throng of orcs.An RPG needs rules to tell me how much damage I can take, how easily I can avoid damage, etc.What it doesn't need is rules telling me what decisions the player can and cannot make.It might be perfectly fine for one group to go through their dead companion's pockets and look for spare change, while another group might go very far out of their way to take every last copper piece to the widow/orpans/cousins/parents of the deceased to let them inherit the wealth.In any case, that is a roleplaying decision that group should make on their own. It tells the DM exactly what kind of characters the survivors are. Greedy? Neutral? Loyal? Lawful?If the DM doesn't want Dead Fred's magical booty distributed among the survivors, he can choose to have it taken away (tax collector, invisible leprechaun, have the party thrown in a prison somewhere and when they get free, they only recover some of their gear, whatever suits his campaign). Or, he can speak with them rationally and let them know that in a metagame sense, they are artificially inflating their characters' power levels which means that the DM will be adjusting the difficulty of future encouters upward, and maybe adjusting treasure hoards downward until it is compensated. Or maybe he'll just do that without telling the players that's what will happen.Or, Dead Fred's replacement PC can join the group with little or no magic. That player will be quick to point out that he is underequipped, and if he doesn't point it out, the DM can point it out. Any sensible party would gladly hand over Dead Fred's gear, or much of it, to balance the nearly-naked new guy.But all this is up to the players and their GM.Each gaming group may want to handle this differently, and the rule books should allow them that freedom.Now you're talking.The DMG should have a "Character Death" section, and this kind of thing should be discussed there so the DM can know what his options are, and what consequences will occur depending on the course of action allowed. New DMs might find this very valuable.This is the kind of thing where you hope a good group of game designers knows the difference beween writing heavy-handed rules and writing guidelines.I for one sure hopw WotC knows the difference.</blockquote>

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