D&D 5E What Level was your 1st Character Death in 5e?

[Bitbrain]

1st level Draconic Sorcerer.

He got shot and killed by a whole bunch of kobolds. Everyone in the party did.

Then the Tiefling War Cleric offered to knock up Lolth. She had a good laugh and sent us back to the material plane because the tiefling had “spunk”.

 

[Argyle King]

I don't think I've ever actually died in 5E.

 

[Henry]

I’ve not been killed, but I’ve presided over at least 6 character deaths in 5e so far. Lowest one was 1st level, eaten by a grey ooze.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

2nd level. All the PC deaths I've seen in 5E have been 2nd or 3rd level. Even though my main group are currently 13th.

 

[JeffB]

1st Level- Halfling rogue bought the farm. That Bugbear in Lost Mines of Phandelver hits pretty hard vs. a 1st level character.

I don't play 5E nearly as much as the typical board-goer here, but in my experience, it's pretty darn hard to kill characters after 3rd level or so unless they do something really stupid, or I have a string of fantastic rolls/they roll poorly- at least when going by published CR guidelines.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I adore a good DCC adventure. It really does feel like death and terrible things are around every corner. Seeing everyone at the table go back to the old ultra-cautious style of play can be quite fun now and then.

DCC is a wonderful cure for this...

 

[MiraMels]

My first character death happened very recently, my 1st level ranger was part of a party of four playing through Ghosts of Saltmarsh. She opened up the room containing the skeletal alchemist and his skeleton minions despite the smugglers telling us not to do that. The resulting fight was more than we could handle. One successful attack from the alchemist at 0 hit points and one failed death save sealed my fate. The other three retreated, but returned after a short rest to retrieve my body. They were able to defeat the alchemist, but not before he slew our sorcerer. Only 2 of our 4 characters made it out of that house alive.

I had a blast, honestly. Our DM was playing tough but fair, and the fight was dramatic and compelling.

 

[Maxperson]

When a 1st level PC wandered off solo and into an encounter that I had prepared for the entire party. It wasn't pretty. That was the first and only death, though a few weeks ago the party came within a hair of TPK by exploring a dungeon very recklessly and while low on resources. 2 members were unconscious and 2 were at under 5 hit points when the encounter was done. The party is 5th level now.

 

[Rikka66]

As a DM: TPK in the first encounter I ran for 5e, but that was due to not reading any of the DMG and using 4e encounter logic. Turns out 1st level players aren't meant to fight sahuagin.

As a player: Goliath Barbarian, Death House, the climatic encounter with the shambling mound. Everyone else lived, and I like to think I was responsible for that in way besides my death encouraging them to start running away.

 

[Shiroiken]

Death definitely runs on a scale, with levels 1-2 the highest casualty rate. I've also noticed a slightly higher death rate near level 10, as AoE are more common, causing failed death saves.