"PCs usually die of stupidity"

[Zappo]

I voted number one, though I think I need to be more accurate. PCs don't jump in la... well, one did exactly that in my last Warcraft session, but he had fire protection up and survived, ok? Anyway, the stuff I was thinking about is more on the lines of "don't charge an enemy you know nothing about", "don't sleep without guards in enemy territory" and "don't employ suicidal combat tactics".

 

[Roudi]

The party druid decided that her vegetarian sensibilities should forcibly extend to the orcs they were charing a camp with. Great roleplaying with bad results

Considering 1) they were all new players, 2) it was the first time a character had died in the campaign, and 3) that player went on to experience mortality with several other characters (she finally kept a wizard named "Phoenix" alive until campaign's end), we all remember that druid as the exemplar of lethal stupidity.

 

[S'mon]

Most PC deaths I saw were caused by inappropriate cowardice from the most powerful PCs; especially the Wizard who teleported away when anything bad happened.

 

[Darkness]

What, no DM stupidity?

"I'll just use the CRs straight from the book even though I'm DMing for an all-caster party".

Yeah. Though you could start a thread about that as well.

 

[Storyteller01]

Hey, look, it's a poll!

-- N

Does it have colorful streamers??


Been playing a Sci-Fi game recently, so the player deaths (or close to it) are bad rp related:
1) The pilot is driving a hover jeep in the deserts? I COVER HIS EYES!!
2) The spellcaster flew up ahead invisible to scout the area? I USE MY GRENADE LAUNCHER!!
3) Gnomes are good at chemistry? I GO TO EVERY SHOP IN THE GNOME TOWN ASKING FOR THE MOST POWERFUL POISONS THEY HAVE!!!

He toned down a bit though...

 

[Ao the Overkitty]

I've found it is equally not knowing when to quit and metagaming.

Paraphrased: "Ehh, he's a softy. He won't throw anything too nasty at us. Lets push on."

 

[Ryltar]

Utter inability to assess their chances.

The situation: Exploring a subterranean lair filled with illithids and enslaved githyanki thralls. No hurry, they could have rested / retreated anytime.

The party: Cleric, Fighter/Bbn, Sorc, Ftr/Swashbuckler/Rog. All bases covered.

Room 1: The party defeats some thralls. The cleric has to use half his healing spells, though. Fighter was down to 1 hp, got healed.

Room 2: The party enters another room and defeats the thralls there, including an illithid. The cleric and sorceror are almost out of spells, the Ftr/Bbn is - once again - down to one hit point, the rogue to 1/2 his hp.

W.W.A.R.P.D. ? (What would a responsible party do?)

"Let's see where this next door leads to."

As it turned out, it led to a pair of spiked-chain-wielding githyanki. 2 out of 4 characters kicked the bucket.

 

[DragonLancer]

I vote for options 1,4 and 7. Mostly 7.

IME its players who when reduced to few hp, spells, and most of their potions/charges are gone decide to tackle one more room or fight the big ogre at the end of the corridor.

 

[Liolel]

The chacter who nearly died the most times from stupidty, and I saw nearly as the rest of the party ended up bailing him out most of the time, almost died from things he should have know about.

The two notable events in my mind were:

Sleeping outside in a blizzard, so he could avoid paying 5 sp for an inn.

Chasing after a fleeing lizardman who had dived underwater with no ranks in swim (ok this wasn't a near death as the lizardman just wanted to escape but it was really stupid)

Of course their was plently of stupid events that weren't life threating but did make me question whether the character was insane the most notable of was

Getting orange and purple clothing, then having a mage cast a spell to turn his hair orange and purple, and to turn his warhorse orange and purple.

Somehow despite all of this the character only died once and that was from a simple miscanculation of how strong a brown bear was.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

It's too close of an even split between many of them to just pick one!