Killing my DMPC

[Ninja_Grand]

As we are getting new players to our group I have no need of my glaive wielding pirate DMPC. But the question is, how do I go about killing him? I don't want it to be just a "lucky" crit in some mook encounter but I also don't want to pull out some super-hero stuff ("You shall not pass" ect)

We are going to be destroying a temple of a pirate goddess soon, if that helps. Whats a good way to kill this DMPC?


Edit: Turns out I over looked the idea of him NOT dying and acting as a NPC. I think I got some great ideas thanks to you all.

[Sir Daniel]

Why don't you want any super hero stuff?

[Ninja_Grand]

Mostly due to the fact we are low level. If there is a semi-reasonable way to go out like that, then I will.

[McNum]

Pirates who defile the temple of a Pirate Goddess should stay very, very far away from the ocean or any activities even slightly related to piracy. If the party goes sailing, a freak wave can and will sweep this pirate off the ship, never to be seen again. Or sharks. Sharks are good. If you've seen Deep Blue Sea, pull a Samuel Jackson on him. Mid conversation, a shark leaps out of the water and drags him under.

Or he could just not make it out of the temple as it's destroyed. But that's the easy way.

[MrStabby]

Why kill them? You already have built an NPC - they can leave the party and contribute to the plot in other ways.

Alternatively let them be the first to open the treasure chest and eat up the ancient pirate curse - not quite a heroic death but the other PCs can be glad it wasn't them that did it.

Or do both - the NPC gets turned into a squid and the party needs to find the Misty Witch of the Seven Tides to reverse the curse and turn them back.

[AmberVael]

Do they need to die? They're a pirate, maybe they get wind of some especially nice gold that they need to go plunder way over there several nations away from the party.

Or heck, they're a pirate. Maybe they just don't want to destroy the temple of a pirate goddess, and so they leave.

[JAL_1138]

Pirates who defile the temple of a Pirate Goddess should stay very, very far away from the ocean or any activities even slightly related to piracy. If the party goes sailing, a freak wave can and will sweep this pirate off the ship, never to be seen again. Or sharks. Sharks are good. If you've seen Deep Blue Sea, pull a Samuel Jackson on him. Mid conversation, a shark leaps out of the water and drags him under.

Or he could just not make it out of the temple as it's destroyed. But that's the easy way.

This. Very much this. If you've angered a pirate goddess, WATER=BAD. There are so, so very many ways to die horribly at sea, before you even begin to factor in aquatic monsters.

As another option along these lines, the old "shipwreck plot-twist" could work (the goddess calls down a storm on your ship as punishment), particularly if he's a captain rather than a random pirate crewmember. Captain goes down with the ship, and all. Still works if he's crew instead of captain. For instance, you could have him head up into the rigging to try and furl the sails so the mast doesn't snap in the wind, only for the mast to break before he can do it and crush him when it falls.

[Ninja_Grand]

Why kill them? You already have built an NPC - they can leave the party and contribute to the plot in other ways.

Well duck me. Add that to the list of things I TOTALLY did not think about. Im just so used to seeing DMPCs die it never crossed my mind

[Sneak Dog]

You can do a classic Worf effect. Let a grand villain beat up/kill your DMPC to show the players how strong he is.

Spoiler: Warning: TVTropes link

Show

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheWorfEffect

[GungHo]

Have him be cursed and made undead.

[Jay R]

His long-dead wife turns out to be alive, so he no longer wants to be an adventurer.

The entire party are captured and enslaved. The PCs are together, so they can escape together, but he was taken elsewhere.

As the party approaches what is expected to be a huge treasure, he slips away. The chest, when opened, contains a note from him. "Sorry, mates. I couldn't resist. Pirate, y'know"

The duke's daughter you rescue falls in love with him, and he retires to a life of ease.

They find a pirate ship who needs exactly one more crew member, and make him an offer. (And you can re-introduce the ship, with him as captain, sometime later.)

As the temple of the pirate goddess collapses, the goddess herself appears and claims him as her next priest.

The party finds a magical one-person boat. One day it, and the pirate, are gone.

[Lord Torath]

This. Very much this. If you've angered a pirate goddess, WATER=BAD. There are so, so very many ways to die horribly at sea, before you even begin to factor in aquatic monsters.

Of course, if you're JAL, even if you've just finished polishing the Ocean God's 35 temples and applied gold leaf to each of his 777 statues, donated a huge pile of sapphires to his clergy (He REALLY likes sapphires), and received a Special Dispensation from his High Priestess, WATER = BAD anyway.

[JAL_1138]

Of course, if you're JAL, even if you've just finished polishing the Ocean God's 35 temples and applied gold leaf to each of his 777 statues, donated a huge pile of sapphires to his clergy (He REALLY likes sapphires), and received a Special Dispensation from his High Priestess, WATER = BAD anyway.

Especially then. Because now you've set yourself up as one of the Ocean God's most pious followers, so you're a huge target for whatever entities are trying to wrest control of the depths away from him, such as the evil water-archomental Olhydra and her followers (which include aboleths and krakens).