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On the Importance of Mortality
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<blockquote data-quote="Mallus" data-source="post: 4017933" data-attributes="member: 3887"><p>You presented death as the most important of consequences, and I'd like to suggest that it's one of, if not the, least. In fact, one you can safely do without. YMMV, etc.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Yes, and I'd argue it's a deleterious one, if you're talking about a long-term, character-driven campaign.</p><p></p><p>Here's an alternative take on character death in D&D. Mechanically speaking, it's effect is negligible (if not a net plus, depending on the circumstances), thanks to the way the game is structured. Lose a character? Roll a new one. Leaving in-game 'continue' mechanics like resurrection magic aside, D&D is almost always played in 'infinite lives' mode. D&D practically requires groups to be comprised of PC's that are close in power level (in terms of both character level and gear) so your new character will start on par with your old one. In fact, if your new character is of a stronger class --say you replace a dead bard with a live cleric-- death will actually give you a stronger character. In that case death results in a mechanical benefit. </p><p></p><p>Now I know the game isn't just mechanics. A dead PC's story ends. All their ties to the campaign narrative, to in-game events, to the important NPC's, to their adventuring companions, are cut. This is my biggest objection to PC death, at least past a certain level. The player is now disengaged from the story (from the story we're building together, mind you, not from the set story I'm telling). </p><p></p><p>I think the game gets better the longer people play the same characters; the kinds of stories you can tell get richer, the level of player investment and involvement goes up, whole different kinds of adventures become possible, and the adventures start to write themselves. </p><p></p><p>I mean, seeing as we always get to jump back in, no matter how dire the in-game consequences, why not do it with the same character, the one with all the meaningful ties to the game world? Why not enforce consequences that lead to more of the story, rather ones that simply end it.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mallus, post: 4017933, member: 3887"] You presented death as the most important of consequences, and I'd like to suggest that it's one of, if not the, least. In fact, one you can safely do without. YMMV, etc. Yes, and I'd argue it's a deleterious one, if you're talking about a long-term, character-driven campaign. Here's an alternative take on character death in D&D. Mechanically speaking, it's effect is negligible (if not a net plus, depending on the circumstances), thanks to the way the game is structured. Lose a character? Roll a new one. Leaving in-game 'continue' mechanics like resurrection magic aside, D&D is almost always played in 'infinite lives' mode. D&D practically requires groups to be comprised of PC's that are close in power level (in terms of both character level and gear) so your new character will start on par with your old one. In fact, if your new character is of a stronger class --say you replace a dead bard with a live cleric-- death will actually give you a stronger character. In that case death results in a mechanical benefit. Now I know the game isn't just mechanics. A dead PC's story ends. All their ties to the campaign narrative, to in-game events, to the important NPC's, to their adventuring companions, are cut. This is my biggest objection to PC death, at least past a certain level. The player is now disengaged from the story (from the story we're building together, mind you, not from the set story I'm telling). I think the game gets better the longer people play the same characters; the kinds of stories you can tell get richer, the level of player investment and involvement goes up, whole different kinds of adventures become possible, and the adventures start to write themselves. I mean, seeing as we always get to jump back in, no matter how dire the in-game consequences, why not do it with the same character, the one with all the meaningful ties to the game world? Why not enforce consequences that lead to more of the story, rather ones that simply end it. [/QUOTE]
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