What do you do when a PC dies because of a bad dice roll?

[Viktyr Gehrig]

I never fudge any die roll that the players can see-- which by definition includes their own die rolls.

I try to avoid save-or-die effects in general, though.

 

[Hitokiri]

If you aren't willing to live with the results....

then don't get the PCs in that situation. I have been known to fudge dice rolls to save PCs, but it's always done behind the screen, and those games only very rarely have save vs. death type spells being used. In other games, I go for a grittier feel, which means the rolls are in the open and we let the dice fall where they may.

 

[dren]

At the end of the day, dice are the only gods of the game. Roll'em for glory or for doom, either way, fate still lies in the PCs hands.

 

[Evilhalfling]

If the dice fall then the player dies.
but... If the villians are headed for a TPK, I will look fir reasons why they don't get there.
die rolls don't change but tactics might. Example an advanced ghoul and some friends ambush the party, by CR it is -1, but 3 of 5 PCs get paralized quickly the advanced ghoul CdG's one player, but the others get distracted due to the other PCs actions (and leave their helpless prey.) While the advanced ghoul stops to feed (instead of moving on to dispatch others). result only one death when 2 or 3 would have been easy. I have had 1-2 TPKs but mostly when I run out of excuses not to kill people.

 

[Crothian]

I think if you are going to have save or die chances in the game, then play with whatever the dice do. If you are going to fudge the die roll might as well just get rid of the effect.

 

[Virel]

Having save or die situations, keeps the risk in the game which is important to keeping the tension up and enjoyment. So the rolls should stand.

Of course save or die situations don't need to be over used but they do need to occur.

 

[thalmin]

If you aren't willing to kill them, don't put them in killer situations. That's easy. But who wants to play Kitchens & Kittens?

 

[Ralts Bloodthorne]

I do several things, depending on the campaign mostly.

In the low-magic, totem driven one, I often offer them to survive, but at a serious cost. This can range from HALF YOUR GEAR &/OR XP! to being possessed by the Totem at times of the totems choosing.

In hirer magic ones, they just hope the rest of the party survives and can get them raised.

I don't penalize them for thier bad rolls though.

Usually we just mock them mercilessly, steal thier drink while they are printing up a new PC sheet, and hide thier dice before they can roll up another character to contaminate the game with.

In Modern, however, if you're dead, well, we hoped we have a will, or "I CALL HIS CAR!"

 

[francisca]

If you aren't willing to kill them, don't put them in killer situations. That's easy. But who wants to play Kitchens & Kittens?

Uh, I dunno man. I hear the vorpal claw feat in the Cheshire d20 book is pretty hawt.

 

[Shieldhaven]

It is for this reason that I have instituted a remarkably less punitive death system, starting with No Level Loss. This is how my longest-running campaign wound up with every PC having at least two deaths and one having four or so. There was at least one dungeon where bodaks were the normal wandering crunchies.

Haven