Should the DM "kill" a character?

[the Jester]

Oh, and as to 'unwritten rules,' I'm of the opinion that, unless the dm has flat out said or written that pc death is off-limits, all gamers should expect occasional character death. That's the default in the game, folks, not the mild, gentle orcs who strike to subdue and ignore injured enemies.

 

[Fenes]

I think you did the right thing. Player characters would do the same thing to the orcs, whether there and then, or as soon as the last orc drops. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander.

I believe in running a game where death is a possibility, and players should not come into a game and not expect to suffer losses.

I don't kill PCs (well, not without a clear warning "Do that and your character dies/may die"). I don't have raise dead either. IMHO, killing PCs offers less to the game than all the other options - capture, humilation, ransom etc.