Killing a character through roleplaying

[prosfilaes]

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.

In retrospect, my character's death would have resulted possibly in a TPK, and almost certainly the loss of more characters in the battle later that night, if the DM didn't reduce the battle.

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.

I can't do that. I really enjoy roleplaying when I know my character, where I'm not considering what my character concept might do, instead I'm doing what my character would do. It has to flow. When I'm creating my character is when I need to worry about not messing up someone else's fun.

This was fun because it was about the first time in the campaign when I wasn't trying to figure out why/how my character would do what my character had to do for metagame reasons, or engaging in purely tactical decisions, but actually doing what I knew my character would do in that situation.

 

[Pentius]

I've never had it happen to me. I've come close a couple of times, mainly from doing last stand heroics, but whenever I do those, the dice seem to decide on solidarity in my favor, and I make it out.

Really, if I, the player, know better, and the PC could conceivably do some other, non-fatal thing while remaining true to concept, I do that thing.

Last stand heroics get an exception, due to overriding awesomeness.

 

[Ahnehnois]

Can't say I've had the pleasure.

I have had players sacrifice their characters for a greater good, and I've killed plenty of PCs with too-powerful monsters or due to their tactical errors. But I can't say I've seen the situation where a character dies because his player ignores salient metagame information and roleplays his demise according to what 'should' happen. That seems like a rather esoteric situation to me.

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.

...or their game has a low mortality rate. Or they're a DM (who loses characters pretty regularly I guess).

 

[Gronin]

......
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

I can't speak to the specifics of your particular campaign but for myself I enjoy knowing that there is a very real possibility that the challenge before me is more than I can handle. I like to know that sometime the only way to live is to run or hide.

 

[Gronin]

I have had characters die because it was the right thing to do if that is what you are talking about.

In fact I'm pretty sure that my 14th Lvl Ranger is about to do just that next session. I intend to make it glorious.

 

[Summer-Knight925]

I can't speak to the specifics of your particular campaign but for myself I enjoy knowing that there is a very real possibility that the challenge before me is more than I can handle. I like to know that sometime the only way to live is to run or hide.

We cannot run, we HAVE to do this mission, its for the church

but since we're all from that region you would think we would all be evil or immune, but no...this DM thinks Horses can live in horrible wastes where there is no food for them to eat, it is just a sort of illogical setting with poor excuses for the lapse of logic.

 

[Water Bob]

Player in one of my games ran a cleric, and the party got hooked up running jobs for the church. They did well. They were heroes. One thing led to another, and as a reward, I finally had an NPC offer the cleric his own church.

To be honest, I expected it to be just a nice role play moment where the cleric character got an in-game pat on the back but turned the offer. But, the player didn't see it that way. He couldn't see how his cleric could turn down such an opportunity.

So, the cleric actually accepted the position. The character became an NPC--a contact for the party. And, the player rolled up a new character.

It was actually pretty neat.

 

[Wild Gazebo]

One of my favorite moments from an Alternity game I ran years ago was during a pitched gun fight between a group of gang members and the PCs. One of the PCs was playing a holoscreen actor who was living life dangerously by 'living the life' and developing his method acting for his movies.

I'll never forget how he casually strutted out from cover, whipped off his sunglasses, and took a whole round to cock one eyebrow suggestively to the other combatants.

Needless to say he was gunned down mercilessly and just barely escaped death; but, the whole group to this day talks about how hard we laughed and how well the player actually acted out the maneuver.

As long as it doesn't become a crutch on the game or an irritant to others at the table we always encourage the roleplay.

 

[Oryan77]

Not as a player, but as a DM, I killed a powergamers powergamed-powergamey PC via roleplaying. It was the only PC I ever wanted to see die in our game, and it felt good.

I was getting pretty sick of dealing with this character. The player never roleplayed, his face was always in the books, and he assured me he wanted to focus on roleplaying rather than powergaming before he joined the group. I should admit that I was pretty bitter when he killed a BBEG in 1 round (by himself) because he sprung a surprise combo of spells on me and then said, "I've been waiting to do that!"

I didn't actively look to kill his PC, but during the confrontation with the BBEG of the next adventure, I saw the opportunity to do it and I took it. I won't bore you with details, but it ended with the BBEG giving him a choice, "Surrender, hand over your weapons and remove your armor, and we will spare you and your companions lives."

He still didn't bother to roleplay. The player just sighed and said "ok". There was no negotiating or anything. So as his PC stood there helpless, the BBEG (chaotic evil) smirked and told his minions, "Now, slaughter him."

I hate to see a PC die. But I went home after that game with a wide grin on my face. After he made an even more powergamed PC to replace the one he lost and had the nerve to play it down and claim it was actually weaker, I didn't invite him back to the game.

 

[Abraxas]

In retrospect, my character's death would have resulted possibly in a TPK, and almost certainly the loss of more characters in the battle later that night, if the DM didn't reduce the battle.

It appears we have different play styles then - the DM pulling punches to save the group's collective butts is a huge fun killer for me.

I can't do that. I really enjoy roleplaying when I know my character, where I'm not considering what my character concept might do, instead I'm doing what my character would do. It has to flow. When I'm creating my character is when I need to worry about not messing up someone else's fun.

Character and character concept are the same thing to me. Choosing to do something that doesn't screw over everyone else playing the game doesn't mean I am not roleplaying. How much fun would it be for you if the other players decide that their characters wouldn't associate with a character that runs and leaves them hanging?

This was fun because it was about the first time in the campaign when I wasn't trying to figure out why/how my character would do what my character had to do for metagame reasons, or engaging in purely tactical decisions, but actually doing what I knew my character would do in that situation.

Fun for you - had the DM not eased up on the rest of the group, how much fun would they have had? Again it appears we have different play styles - I no longer have much patience for "but it's what my character would do" reasoning - now days it usually results in the other players reasoning that their characters wouldn't associate with the problem character.

However, if you and your group are having fun - then no problems and good gaming.