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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FentonGib" data-source="post: 4510343" data-attributes="member: 77527">I agree with the analogy that when watching TV we get no control. However when Ensign X gets killed in Star Trek no-one cares. Kill off a major character and people get upset.I remember in the Star Wars NJO books they kill off two major characters and a lot of people complained. Many saw it as a great thing, since even major characters could die... so you never know if Han's next flight is his last or not... but many didn't like it because they lost forever a character they loved reading about.In my games players like an element of risk, and accept the consequences if they die (for good), but like films, the reactions are relative. New characters they've not yet connected with they don't mind much, but when you've been playing a character for years and he's grown from a level 1 church guard to a high level general commanding the whole army against enemy or evil forces - I've seen players cry when they've lost characters.Most of my players don't mind "meaningful deaths" - sacrificing themselves for players, maybe holding that Balor off long enough for the church's Paladins to turn up and save the day. Players often remember these times nostalgically with "you remember x... that was a great death!" But they hate it when a random level 1 guard gets a straight 20 on an arrow shot followed by another 20 to confirm and a third 20 for a sudden death critical threat (or a 1 on a Fort save DC 15 when they have a +20 Fort save). They feel that the death has no meaning and is pointless. This ends up with players (in my experience) becoming frustrated and, if it happens too often, detaching from their characters and metagaming more with a "If I play my character concept I'll get killed by a random die roll, so I'll do what I think best to preserve my character."In normal D&D raising dead is fairly easy for mid-high level players, but in games such as Ravenloft and other d20 games, it's not so easy because there's less magic, less money, or (in Ravenloft) a chance of returning not-quite-normal (undead). This heightens the issue for the players.</blockquote>

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