D&D 5E Rethinking the Raise Dead Penalty

[delericho]

Penalties for being raised from the dead are one of those things that I like more in theory than in practice. When we're at the table, it's already enough of a punishment to have the player sit out of the game for a significant amount of time.

One thing I do like doing, though, is allowing the player of the raised character to make some changes to his character at this point to reflect the trauma of coming back. As such, I allow them to switch out some feat assignments, or even his class or sub-class (heck, even minor ability score adjustments, within reason). In particular, I encourage the player to switch out the character's traits/ideal/bind/flaw. (I also intend, at some point, to introduce some 'post-death' backgrounds for characters to adopt if/when they come back, but I haven't actually done this.)

That way, the character doesn't get hosed by long-term penalties, and isn't left in a spiral where dying makes you more likely to die again, but it does mean that characters who come back are somehow changed by the experience, which I like.

 

[jasper]

....
One thing I do like doing, though, is allowing the player of the raised character to make some changes to his character at this point to reflect the trauma of coming back. As such, I allow them to switch out some feat assignments, or even his class or sub-...

That way, the character doesn't get hosed by long-term penalties, ....

KILL MY PC MERRIC I want to play a barbarian from Baltimore. KILL MY PC MERRIC! I want to play a the Pittsburgh Pirate class today.
What long term hosing? In a non time critical adventures It 4 calendar days. Party rest. Dm advances the calendar. The party goes forth. Takes less time to move the calendar than type this sentence. In Time adventures so your PC is not at your best. Roll with role play. Whimper and whine when the party starts combat. ETc.
In AL it may be a problem.
Now repeat after me. 3x fast.
Persnickety precious pc perish mainly on the planes.
Persnickety precious pc perish mainly on the planes.
Persnickety precious pc perish mainly on the planes.

 

[delericho]

KILL MY PC MERRIC I want to play a barbarian from Baltimore. KILL MY PC MERRIC! I want to play a the Pittsburgh Pirate class today.

If the player is so keen to switch class, he's free to retire his existing character at any time and bring in a new one.

What long term hosing? In a non time critical adventures It 4 calendar days. Party rest. Dm advances the calendar.

Assuming that whatever the party was doing when the PC died was sufficiently unimportant that they can just take four days off.

 

[jasper]

I know dm's allow players to switch pcs out.
The "In time" sentence cover that. Player just rolls with the -4 and games on. And this will make the adventure more of a tight rope. Will Jasper be able to survive to kill the store owner who sold him the bogus watch. Or will the evil blue coated minions of Wicked Wally put him in the naughty chair.
Grr. Rant on. Why does it appear that players are happy when they rolling high on dice. A random event. But want to whine when the dice (a random event) turn against them. And want take backs or do overs. Rant off.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Rya.Reisender]

When we're at the table, it's already enough of a punishment to have the player sit out of the game for a significant amount of time.

Assuming nobody has any means to resurrect (otherwise I'd assume they'd just cast raise dead at the end of combat), it might actually make more sense to give the player a new character rather than letting him sit out for the rest of the day.

Well, supposing that the character the player is playing has advanced beyond 1st level. Then the alternative would be, I suppose, a permanent loss of many, many, levels.

At least you can skip level 4 and 9 according to AL rules.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[MechaTarrasque]

I have contemplated having the player whose PC came back from the dead roll a D20 instead of having a penalty. On a score of 10 or less, something like an Inevitable (or Sorrowsworn in 4e) or some other "agent of Fate" pops up where the PC came back to life in 4 days, then track the PC down (the PC has dreams of being hunted). And since I am evil, have it watch the PC for a couple of rounds (in plain sight), look at a piece of paper it is carrying, and say "just checking to make sure the right one came back" (and then disappear) unless the party attacks it before it says anything....

I haven't done it yet, but one of these days....