Replacement characters..what level?

[Tsyr]

As for "punishing" players, my player Bill summed it up nicely: "If there is no penalty for doing badly, what's the point in playing?"

To have fun.

 

[Chacal]

If there are no disadvantages to death, there is no incentive to avoid death.

In almost all the campaigns I played or DMed, character death has always been perceived as a big disadvantage (The "you can't play it, it's dead" hurts enough for us).
I guess you have to enforce this feeling for your players whereas it's kinda natural for the ones I played with.


Chacal

 

[MerakSpielman]

To have fun.

I tell you, you can't have fun if there's no risk!

Characters should at the very least lose a level when they die, and bringing in a new character should never be more adventagious numbers-wise then raising the dead character. Then you have the logic: "If I die and get raised, I lose a level, but if I die and get a new character, I don't." What would you choose?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Well, I agree with you that stupid behaviour should have some bad cosequences, but I still do not agree that you can always avoid death by good preperation.

If any of my characters dies, I lose something. Because I played the character, developed him carefully (be it by creating a 20 level chart about when to take skills, feats and classes or by creating a long or at least creative background - or both).

Losing a character and coming up with a new one within half an hour or something like that is an even greater "punishment", because I know - I won`t come up with great ideas in this short time, and even if, it might be badly executed...

Mustrum Ridcully

 

[senodam]

I prefer to bring new PCs in at one level below the lowest level party member. The way the XP system for 3e runs, they seem to catch up to the rest of the party within a few sessions anyway. Rather than punishing a player for dying I much prefer to 'honour the dead' so to speak. Role playing funerals, having NPCs pay respects etc..it seems to take some of the sting out of PC death for my group.
On a related note, dos anyone allow the 'PC Will' like the KoDT characters use? You know, as in allowing a new PC to be the son, nephew etc of a dead pC, and therefore with a claim to all his/her gear. Just curious really.

 

[Tsyr]

I tell you, you can't have fun if there's no risk!

First, no. You can, actualy. I know some people who prefer to play like that. They are having fun every bit as much as you are.

Second...

Characters should at the very least lose a level when they die, and bringing in a new character should never be more adventagious numbers-wise then raising the dead character. Then you have the logic: "If I die and get raised, I lose a level, but if I die and get a new character, I don't." What would you choose?

I would choose to get raised, honestly.

Dieing, for my and the people around here, in and of itself is a thing to be avoided. Not because of the penalties of raising or resing someone, or brining in a new character... but because you die, for crying out loud! Because a character you have worked at and developed over the levels is gone, your hard work ruined and you being forced to start over, trying to work your way into the story again...

 

[Fenes 2]

I tell you, you can't have fun if there's no risk!

Characters should at the very least lose a level when they die, and bringing in a new character should never be more adventagious numbers-wise then raising the dead character. Then you have the logic: "If I die and get raised, I lose a level, but if I die and get a new character, I don't." What would you choose?

I have fun without risk of PC death, and tons more than when I had to worry about my PC each and every battle.

IMHO, and IMC, PCs do not die unless the player wishes it, or wishes to risk it. I also do not punish my players for "mistakes", or for wanting to switch characters.

I know there are people who could not stand such a campaign - usually those are people unable to roleplay a PC fearing death when they themselves know he or she will not die - and I do not play anymore with such people. If you cannot separate player and character knowledge, if you cannot roleplay a character properly without the threat of PC death, then I don't want to play with you, or DM for you.

 

[Nail]

IMHO, Tysr has the right of it. Death is punishment enough, especially in a continuing campaign.

I'd go with "same as level of the party".

 

[MerakSpielman]

First, no. You can, actualy. I know some people who prefer to play like that. They are having fun every bit as much as you are.

Yeah. Some people play video games in god mode, too, and have fun. To each his own.

... Because a character you have worked at and developed over the levels is gone, your hard work ruined and you being forced to start over, trying to work your way into the story again...

If coming back is made difficult, then yeah, dying will always suck. By the book though, a raising is pretty easy to get.

 

[NewJeffCT]

For lower level parties, we've always had replacements start at Level 1. if the party gets to be higher level, we bring them back at 3 levels below the lowest person in the party... they get penalized for losing a character, but are not too far behind - a party that is level 11, 12, 14, 13, 12 and 13 will have a dead PC come back at level 8.