I've Whetted My Dice With Blood

[nimisgod]

I've done it. I've killed my first PC. And now I need some help dealing with the unforeseen consequences.

And the feeling will never go away.

I think that you did nothing wrong in this scenario. I've been on both sides of that kind of situation, though I'm usually more callous about character loss than most gamers. I've been a GM trying not to kill a player with the death-wish. I've been a player playing with a death-wish. And I've both killed and saved a PC with the death-wish.

Your only problem is how to deal with the emotional garbage that inevitably follows from character death. You just have to remember the following:

1) It's not your fault. He "asked for it".
2) Everyone was affected by the incident (in varying degrees). Let everyone cool down first.
3) Not all gamers are compatible, even if they're friends.
4) GMs do not always make acceptable players. My brother can attest to this.
and 5) Keep count of how many PC kills you have for posterity. Preferably through kill stickers on your favorite screen

 

[clark411]

I agree with what most others are saying, and nimisgod summed it up nicely so I won't repeat all my sentiments that comprise his short list.


Personally, I've faced identical situations. Players have had their characters literally beg to be stabbed to death repeatedly and been in total emotional turmoil when it happened. I've had em say they don't care about stats or anything, don't care about the name or the story to their new characters. Have been told to make the character for them, and that they'll bring a magazine or whatever if they want.

All I can really say to players like this is "If you don't care, don't show." I'm not sure of the age of the player of Dante, but in regards to my own campaign, if they're older than me, heck, even old enough to vote, then I have absolutely Zero Tolerance for such antics. It's ludicrous- I'm not a psychologist, a baby sitter, or a moral or social guide and it's just not my problem.

I can be aware of it- address it if it's serious, but tantrums are tantrums.