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Message: <blockquote data-quote="nightwyrm" data-source="post: 4672863" data-attributes="member: 75542">A reason PCs would rather die than lose their stuff is that players don't see their stuff as "stuff". Once something goes on their character sheet, it's part of their character. A dragon asking PCs to surrender their stuff to him and then he'll let them live is no different from a vampire asking if he could permanently level drain the PCs a level or two and then he'll let them live.Being nerfed is one factor, another is the loss of control. The only thing a player controls in the game is his character and most players hate to lose control over his character. It doesn't matter if it's losing stuff, or getting captured or getting railroaded. Finally, while it may seem metagamey for PCs to rather die than surrender their stuff, "fighting to the death" is a time honoured and well-established trope. And having a character be defined by his stuff is not that uncommon in fiction either. What do you think would happen if you asked King Arthur to hand over Excalibur? While the PC's +3 sword is much less powerful than Excalibur, it is probably as important to the PC as Excalibur is to Arthur.A PC is defined mostly by his abilities and his stuff.  The loot he has gathered over the course of the campaign is as much a proof of his existence and heroism as the levels he has gained.</blockquote>