How do you handle PC death?

[Stuvius]

Good Day All!

Being a newer DM (I am currently running my second campaign) I have researched the subject of player character death a great deal. At present, I do have resurrection as an option in my games. If the PCs cannot cast or afford the spell, I have built side quests wherein they can perform a task in return for a local temple cleric or some other appropriate NPC casting the spell. I usually include a playable NPC of some kind, in the side quest, so the player who has the deceased character is not left out. Once resurrected, the PC loses a level.

I see many posts and discussions regarding this topic and I am curious how some of the more experienced DMs out there handle this. While I want death to be a real risk and have some true consequences, I also hate to see a player’s character eliminated entirely because of one tough combat or a bad saving throw. I would appreciate any suggestions. Thanks.

[Geddy2112]

For most situations, if a player really wants to have their character brought back to life I will give them a side quest option to do so-sometimes people die in the middle of a dungeon and there is no real way to resurrect a corpse in time. In this case, I still try to provide a way to obtain a scroll of resurrection etc fairly quickly.

However, most players I have played with use death as an opportunity to build a new character and try something out. So unless they really want a way to come back(usually meaning a negative level) then they won't.

As far as somebody to play, I always encourage players to have something they can roll up on the fly or by next session as a backup character. Sometimes players create a backup character in advance as part of the setting that I can use as an NPC so if they do die they already have stats, equipment etc.

[Socratov]

while I'm not a DM, I have had characters of mine die permanently, as in, d-e-d, dead.

One of the things I would urge you to do is to discuss with your players how they see character death. Sure as a player you will put some time into a character, but sometimes an epic death is the ultimate ending a character can get. It's what can truly make a person an epic legend (especially if you have a bard in the party or if the death was sacrificial to another's well being). What is most important is that you and the players agree on how dangerous and risky the setting is and what chances and concequences there are when death happens.

In my epxerience you can have a total of 4 situations, represented in a 2x2 diagram:




on purpose
by accident


player wants to keep character
Case 1
Case 2


player wants to build new character
Case 3
Case 4



Case 1 - The revival plot hook

Sometimes it's neccessary to make a sacrifice or you want to warn the players that they are being overly reckless. Or maybe you aren't complete in your prepareations yet to provide the next step of the overarching plot. Whatever reason, the player died, and you wanted him to die. However, the player wants to keep his character so you send the party on a quest to get their friend back. Maybe it's about finding a MacGuffin, or scraping together the funds to buy a resurrection. Whatever happens, the players should have a way of returning their lost friend. This is currently part of the plot in the OotS comic So for inspiration, go read up on it.

Fair warning, don't do this too often though. I have had a DM who was planning this to do to a specific player, but actually got case 2, which turned into case 4. And things coudl turn into a Kill the Kenny contest hwere players are betting who they will have to resurrect this time.

Case 2 - Oops, I accidentally X the Y

Well, you are human and in the spirit of things sometimes **** happens. Maybe the dice are murderous (or RNG - I'm looking at you GitP dice roller) and you triple crit the partymember that otherwise shoudl be able to hold its own into the double negatives. Where in case 1 the resurection should be a plot unto itself, this time you can ease up on the hardship. Maybe the party jsut needs to go to a big city, or when they turn in the quest they get one as a boon for their troubles.

Case 3 - aka 3 days until retirement

so, a player might not want to play his character further for whatever reason he has. Maybe he doesn't liek ti anymore, or thinks he is dragging the party down (I'm looking at you, fighters in parties above lvl 12). However, after talking it out you agree on a situation that would make a great sendoff for the player's character. Retirement is only as fun as it sounds (not!), but a legendary sacrifice is something the player will tell off for times to come. This situation is a win win and in the instances I hav eseen it, it's always something of alegendary memory for players and DM's alike.

A requirement for this is that you can have the player whose character has died introduce himself into the game when he's ready building his next character. Liek hte marines it's best ifyou use a NO-PLAYER-LEFT-BEHIND (TM) policy when it comes to your gaming group to ensure everyone has fun.

Case 4 - "Oh well, I was done wit him anyway"

So, storytime. Here I was with a half-elf bard becoming more useless with each session. It was my first character and my DM was trying to off the grotesque monstrous half-everything barbarian my friend was playing. Yet, somehow miraculously his character survived by the skin of his teeth and mine, through some unlucky rolls bit the dust. The fact that I didn't really get out of my character what I wanted anyway only sped up my race going through the 5 stages of grief (I think I clocked in somehwere north of 5 minutes) and I talked my DM into not giving the party a way to revive the dead (or at least to not waste it on me) and instead to build a new character.

As far as I know, this situation is quite rare where everything works out. Again: a requirement for this is that you can have the player whose character has died introduce himself into the game when he's ready building his next character. Liek hte marines it's best ifyou use a NO-PLAYER-LEFT-BEHIND (TM) policy when it comes to your gaming group to ensure everyone has fun.

Hope this helps.

[AmbientRaven]

I clearly say in my games that character death will be permanent. There are no resurrection spells obtainable by PCs or NPCs.
Wish MAY bring someone back, but, it's wish, and I am a tricksy GM.

I find resurrection takes away from the game, with no fear of death, i find players do riskier things.
Character death is hard, but, it gives the player a chance to try something new!

My players all also have a back up character designed and sheeted out on roll20 so it's easy to slip them in if its early in the session, or, in the following session