I die. a lot.

[MarauderX]

I roll poorly. Often. I mean, enough to miss about 5 saves before getting one character croaked. I think I have killed 5 PCs since playing 3.0, mostly due to failed saves (4/5). It happens, I play more reserved because of it usually, but sometimes I gotta get a piece of the action - and die.
Consequently, players love me as a DM who builds a great battle only to have the BBEG miss the PCs 4-5 times in a row, or roll low on damage. My past players have also had the misfortune of me factoring in my low rolls only to have them give way to a slew of high ones at the worst moments for them. With my old OD&D group, once they saw how I was rolling in a battle used to guage whether the fight was too tough or not, and sometimes would retreat to try again some other time.
Amazingly enough anytime I play a cleric he survives and usually controls the battlefield (after healing fallen fighters, the tide of the battle usually centers around you).
I had about 10 different sets of dice that I have purchased just in case. It's not like I'm cursed or anything... [insert X-Files theme music]

 

[silburnl]

I am notorius in my long-standing group for being the player who's characters die. MTBD is about 3 sessions these days. It used to sting a bit, but I've become much more philosophical about it provided the PC death helps to advance the story (or at least is cool and/or unusual).

My most notable effort in this area is probably the character who died before I got a chance to play him (there was an opportunity to walk him into the group but I couldn't make the session so he entered the game as an NPC ally and died within about 40 minutes of joining the party).

Other memorable deaths include the mercenary who was murdered by a kobold without any hands (cue 'mostly armless' jokes), the gentleman burglar who's brains were eaten by one of his so-called allies (thus precluding a Raise Dead as well as being somewhat squicky), the street tough who got trussed up in a barrel by the rest of the party and eventually dumped in the harbour (which was fair since he was ratting them out to the thieves guild) and the advocate who was acting for a rich recluse whose eccentricities included only conducting business after sunset, an aversion to mirrors and a nasty garlic allergy (that one was a TPK however so only counts for half-points).

Strangely my jinx doesn't extend to the long-running albeit intermittent Bushido campaign my group runs. Hanutsa is one of the founding members of that campaign and has risen steadily from being an agent/fixer for a Sumai dojo to underboss of the most significant Yakuza clan in Edo and their point of contact with the powers-that-be in the city. This is probably because if there's anything that smells remotely like 'adventuring' he moves swiftly in the exact opposite direction.

Regards
Luke

 

[Munin]

Hi everyone, I see this is some sort of self-help support group for dealing with the acute pain associated with character loss.

This happens to me almost every game session. You see, I'm the DM.

I've found that it follows basically the same pattern. I introduce to the rest of the players a lovingly crafted character, born of sweat and tears. Usually it's a mad wizard or a necromancer, but sometimes it's a drow priestess or maybe even a doppleganger, or a lowly orc just minding his own business.

And then it happens. With great glee my fellow players proceed to wipe the map with my new character, even high-fiving one another when they crit. And then comes the ridicule, scorn and humiliation they heap upon my character. When it comes to the last throw, and my pitiful necromancer is reduced to a groveling mass of pulverized flesh, do you think they show any mercy? Nay, they argue over who will deliver the final blow. Then to pour salt on the wounds they just slap me on the back and say, 'don't worry, he was just a NPC.

So, players, remember that the stab of pain that you feel maybe once or twice over the life of a campaign is what your DM feels every single session.

 

[frankthedm]

i get railroaded a lot and therefore try and kill my characters.

i don't mind being railroaded, but i do get suicidal if my character should have been killed when it wasn't.