D&D 5E The Dying Conundrum

[Yunru]

What do you do when a player's character dies?
Specifically, if you allow them a new character, what do you do if their first character is raised?

 

[schnee]

I've done lots of things, as a player and DM.

1) Kept it around as an NPC that didn't interact with the team any more.

2) Kept it as a back up in case that new character died.

3) Way back, AD&D times, when parties were bigger, just played both if we needed the help.

 

[Li Shenron]

What do you do when a player's character dies?
Specifically, if you allow them a new character, what do you do if their first character is raised?

I think it's more practical in most cases to just have the player choose which PC to continue with, and then find a reasonable narrative for the other PC to leave the party.

I do allow 2 PCs to the same player, but usually this is a planned decision (i.e. have the most experienced player at the table control 2 PCs when the whole party seems too small for the adventure) rather than the consequence of a story event like in your example.

 

[rgoodbb]

As above, I personally would let them choose, but wouldn't let them flit between one and the other. The rejected could be an NPC or disappear completely.

 

[S'mon]

I guess in modern D&D I'd let player choose which to play.
In Old School D&D I'd probably let them play both characters.

 

[Shiroiken]

If the player wants to make a new character instead of getting raised (assuming it's possible), then they do so. If the character is later raised, they have the option of switching back. Otherwise it becomes an NPC.

 

[MarkB]

I play up the "must be willing to return" clause of Raise Dead and rule that only characters with a very compelling unfinished duty are typically willing to foresake the afterlife. Mostly this just means PCs and occasionally particularly crucial NPCs. If a player isn't interested in continuing to play his character, I'd equate that to the character not being sufficiently motivated to accept a Raise Dead attempt even if one were offered.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I've honestly never had that particular situation arise. The closest I’ve come was when a character got killed and then raised, but then the player had already decided they didn’t want to play that character anymore. So that character retired and the new character jumped into play next session.

Whether they decide to make a new character or the old one is raised, my goal is to get them back into play as quickly as possible. So that if they need to get raised by an NPC, the required quest or payment will occur after the character is up and on their feet again. No one likes just sitting around at the gaming table, doing nothing.

 

[epithet]

I would ask the player what he or she wanted to do, and probably do that. If I felt it was unorthodox, I'd let the entire group try to reach a consensus on how the situation should be handled.

 

[Sacrosanct]

In 35 years, I've never ran into that situation where a PC dies, the player makes a new PC, then the original PC is raised. So can't tell you. I guess I'd ask the player to choose which one to play.