New Characters ... how do they start ?

[Rashak Mani]

So a character had an encounter with death and wasnt ressurected because the party didnt have the money or the will to do so....

What level does the new character come back ? How much in magical items and money ? Any special restrictions ? Do you keep the player from bringing in new PC for two sessions ?

 

[Victim]

Our DM let new players join at one level below, and I'd assume that replacement characters would join at one level below their previous level. They start with book value for wealth, but are limited in max item price.

However, he shows mercy on replacements of lower level characters, allowing them to start at their previous level, to prevent a death loop.

 

[Cloudgatherer]

I generally set the character at the min XP needed for the current party level. If the party has just leveled, then I set the character a little behind, but not too much.

 

[Shin Okada]

I give XPs equal to a current party member which have the lowest.

I give properties according to DMG. He/She can buy any magic items in DMG provided the cost of single magic item never exceeds one-fourth of the total. Say, if he is a 12th-level character, he have 88,000 gp in total, and he can buy any magic items in DMG but cannot buy any item more expensive than 22,000 gp.

 

[Gyoza sausage bun]

Not enough options!

I would go for 1st level character, standard starting equipment.

However to carry off this sort of thing you really can't play all typical modules. To a certain extent you have to get into what I call Dragonball Z mode. I don't like the series much but its great for seeing how to create effective challenges for a party which includes people which can destroy plantets and others which are almost human.

 

[Madfox]

Giving out the DMG amount of gold for starting at higher levels is IMO a bad idea under most circumstances. Most of the time the body of the previous PC was accessible to the other PCs, so they tend to have the magical equipment of the old PC. Allowing the other PC some nice starting equipment can disturb the balance quite a lot.

 

[hong]

Giving out the DMG amount of gold for starting at higher levels is IMO a bad idea under most circumstances. Most of the time the body of the previous PC was accessible to the other PCs, so they tend to have the magical equipment of the old PC. Allowing the other PC some nice starting equipment can disturb the balance quite a lot.

This hasn't really been a problem in the RttToEE campaign I'm in. We bury dead characters with whatever equipment they have.

 

[Rashak Mani]

You bury them with all their magical items as well ? I find that not very practical... useful items should be used in order to avoid burying more people ...

 

[orbitalfreak]

I usually have the character come back as the lowest level recommended by the adventure. I use the book value for GP/Items owned; I don't have a strict formula for how much a certain item costs. They usually are limited to what could be available in the area they're adventuring in, and in all cases I have final say. Nothing ridiculous, and nothing that was specifically chosen for this adventure without prior character knowledge.

 

[gamecat]

This hasn't really been a problem in the RttToEE campaign I'm in. We bury dead characters with whatever equipment they have.

FOOLS! INFIDELS! AGGHHH! THE VERY CONCEPT TWISTS MY MIND!

In character: Kinverson!!! No!!! I swear on this day, your death will be avenged!

Out of character: Oh well. He's gone. More XP and treasure for us! What's he got on him, anyway?