Killing a character through roleplaying

[prosfilaes]

How many of you have had a character go down because she was doing something that you knew better, but it was completely in character?

I had a near-death last Friday; had it not been for a mulligan rule in play, my goblin wizard would have met a brutal end on the rocks after an 80 ft fall. I knew that those balance checks the DM was calling for on the bridge were not a joke, and I knew my character could tell that. However, the swarm of bats was literally invincible to about everything the PCs could throw at it, and who completely ignored the invisibility she cast around the party. I figured that scared the heck out of her, to the point she broke and ran to the nearest shelter, the building across the bridge, no matter what. I think after her nearly drained by shadow the next day, I'm going to start playing her more paranoid, thought that's a bit hard to do for an effective adventurer whose already being played as a bit of glass cannon.

It's sort of a fault-line for D&D; there's a lot of encouragement about gamers for actual roleplaying of characters. But at the same time, losing a character in the Tome of Horror is treated as player error, not good roleplaying. The ToH is a bit extreme, but most sessions have extended combats where player tactical ability is rewarded, no matter what the realistic skill of the character.

 

[DragonLancer]

Theres something to be said for making decisions based upon what a character would do and what common sense would say. In a panic situation common sense often goes out the window in real life so why not in an RPG? Do what makes the game fun.

 

[Wombat]

In the long, lost game It Came From The Late, Late, Late Show (roleplaying as an actor in B- or even C-List movies), your character could advance by Acting Appropriately Stupid, in other words by doing things that folks do in movies that no one in their right mind would do in real life (e.g. "Gee, the serial killer is probably in this dark house -- let's split up!"). I kinda miss that game.

But on a more serious level, I have seen multiple characters die due to acting utterly in character ... and the games were all the better for it. There is a strong tendency in many games, such as D&D, to do what is best tactically, to take a chess or console game approach to the game. This is all well and good if your goal is to "win" the game on a Defeat the Adventure level, but I think misses something on the Who Is My Character Anyway level.

Sometimes, you have to nurture the inner Method Actor and go with the character over what is tactically advantageous -- it makes for better, more memorable sessions.

 

[steeldragons]

I must say, I have not (lost a PC due to roleplay, I mean)...but that is not to say, I do not see it as a completely reasonable possibility.

I have not played so much as DMed for many many years. So I haven't had opportunity to lose a character of "my own." But given that, I absolutely have killed off NPCs, even ones that the party should be holding on to for story's sake, if that is how the NPC would react.

I have DMed for several characters' deaths while they were completely "in character" even if the player knew the PC should run/handle the situation differently.

It is, I think, a mark of good RP not to transition to that "player knows better" place.

Your thought to make the character "completely paranoid" may be a bit much. But, imho, making her a jittery bundle of nerves for a while until she has a decisive "win" moment in play (overcomes her fears, so to speak), sounds totally appropriate (and fun to play!

Have fun and happy gaming.
--SD

 

[Ulrick]

Years ago, my friends and I played a Middle Earth Role Playing (MERP) campaign. The system is known for being a toned down version of Rolemaster (lots of charts and critical hit tables). So what happened to my character is pretty graphic, and I remember it to this day.

We discovered that agents of Sauron had infiltrated a village and started a cult there. We managed to destroy the main cult, but one of the cult leaders had escaped. After tracking him to some nearby castle ruins, we discovered him speaking to a large group of townsfolk in the courtyard.

While we hid, the cultist lied to the townsfolk about how we were spreading evil and bring ruin. I thought, since my character had "public speaking" and a high presence attribute, that this would be the perfect time to stand up and speak out against the cultist.

So my character stood up and gave a brief speech. Some dice were rolled. But, alas, the forked tongue of the Sauron cultist had corrupted the townsfolk. He shouted: "Kill him!" And they charge me.

I killed one before the others fell upon my character. A blow from a club crushed his shoulder. An arm got broken. Somebody with a knife stabbed his leg, hit a major artery causing him to bleed. I think one of his hands got severed. And this was on top of all the other "non-critical" damage. The blow to the jaw, sending it straight into the brain was the final straw.

Then the mob saw the other characters. Somebody else (the animist?) got his head crushed by club or a rock. The cultist himself mounted horse and rode somebody else down, somehow severing his leg with a sword from horseback. The cultist and his mob were rolled criticals left and right--but that's MERPs for you.

So, not only did I get my character killed, but most of the group, too! And its all because my character tried public speaking!

 

[Summer-Knight925]

All of my paladins that die, die in dragon fire.

I see dying in a roleplay moment the only way to die, think of the vikings, my barbarian has to die in battle, or he failed his time alive, the rogue has to challenge himself accordingly

HOWEVER

a DM should never put in a challenge the PCs cannot overcome, for instance, the game I am in right now the entire region is tainted, so a DC 20 will save is needed to resist. We're 1st levels. This is pointless

never play a pointless adventure or enforce rules that the players cannot escape. Then you have characters who just die because they want to leave for the simple reason it is no longer fun.

As the Goaliath said "I can't see it to fight it, this is the wizard's job"

 

[Vegepygmy]

How many of you have had a character go down because she was doing something that you knew better, but it was completely in character?

I have, many times. Frankly, if someone hasn't, I think they either (1) haven't been role-playing very long or (2) have completely missed the point of role-playing games.

 

[Janx]

I have, many times. Frankly, if someone hasn't, I think they either (1) haven't been role-playing very long or (2) have completely missed the point of role-playing games.

Generally, the player should translate the character's traits and the tactics called for and determine a course of action that is both smart and in-character.

that means, if you know crossing the bridge is a dumb idea AND your PC is a bit nervous, have your PC nervously do something else.

 

[was]

I have lost a couple that way..but for some weird reason those arent the ones i regret

 

[Abraxas]

I have, many times. Frankly, if someone hasn't, I think they either (1) haven't been role-playing very long or (2) have completely missed the point of role-playing games.

That's fine if 1) it's only your character that bites the dust and 2)you don't mind if the other players choose to not have their characters bring your character back.

Years ago I had my character do something that I felt was completely the right "in character" thing to do - it resulted in a near TPK and the end of that particular campaign. I have since decided that there are many ways to be true to a character concept - and that the ones that have the least chance of messing up someone else's character are usually the most fun for everyone.