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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ahnehnois" data-source="post: 5775353" data-attributes="member: 17106">I want characters to die regularly. Even if they don't make bad decisions or roll terribly, but especially often if they do.In most any fantasy fiction (and most genre or adventure-oriented fiction in general) character death is frequent and essential. It's important to maintain a sense that enemies pose a threat, especially if you're going to be fighting regular battles. If combat has only one possible outcome, it gets boring real fast, and it becomes very difficult to get into the game. The campaign as a whole can also benefit from character turnover. Just like a TV show changing its cast, changing the cast of PCs introduces new dynamics into all the relationships; it freshens things up. And some characters just don't work and drag the game down and need to be gotten rid of. Conversely killing PCs that don't "deserve" to die is a great way to up the level of drama in a campaign and if played right, can be one of the most emotionally powerful and memorable experiences for all involved.That said, the last campaign I essentially required the PCs to survive to fulfill various prophecies, and I basically wouldn't let them die, even though they came close a couple of times. Sometimes that's the style.So I think the default danger level should be a much higher level of lethality than is currently assumed in 3e or especially 4e (more like earlier editions and many if not most other rpgs), but that being able to change that on occasion is important.</blockquote>

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