Why Characters Die: The True Story

[The Beggar]

Why Character Die: The True Story

After having seen and heard of events leading to some very crappy character deaths in and on quests I have spiced and run, as well as those of other DMs I am composing this post to help players perhaps play a bit more, hmm…smartly. As I had DMd pen and paper games my players always came up with novel solutions to problems befitting their character and stats (most of the time), and I look for the same thing here. Here are some of the many mistakes that get people killed beyond what I term the computer gamers mentality. This mentality is pervasive and driven by the single player campaigns in which hack and slash solves problems and you always have plenty of consumables beforehand. In a DM driven setting, this may not always be the case.

EfU 101: short and sweet, carry invis potions and consumables (ie buffs. Blur, barkskins, etc.) USE THEM. They are not given out to look pretty in your inventory slots until you think you have to PvP. On the quests I spice and run I only rarely see people use potions they have bought and brought themselves to get through it, and have gotten tells from players to the effect of “Dude that was too hard, and you didn’t give us any potions up front.” (see computer gamer mentality). Buffs. Use them. Use them wisely. And for goodness sakes don’t go on wickedly tough quests woefully unprepared. If the quest giver says that it’s a goblin fort or a great ancient evil, your character would probably think twice before leaving without the right healing, buffs, etc. (or not, as I have seen a lot of 8Int 8Wis Dwarves and Half-Orcs running around of late.)

Think! : If I am running a plot or even just a simple spice the things I throw at you generally have a reason for being there at that particular point. Too many times I have set up a larger force of creatures across a narrow causeway only to watch in morbid amusement as the fighters rush to the other side of said narrow causeway, get surrounded, and get pounded. The narrow causeway was there for a reason. The doorway is there for a reason. The things we give you were placed for a reason. You do have to think and apply what is there though, or you may very well die.

Also, think about alternative solutions to a problem other than what is normally done. (see computer gamer mentality definition again if you have forgotten what it is). If a DM is on the quest, pop him a message on the DM channel asking if you can persuade those goblins out of slaving you off, or serve the master for a certain mission to not be killed, or anything really. Be creative, but also be realistic. If you are caught and in jail, persuading a guard to let you out with a bribe in full view of two other NPC guards likely won’t work. Other things might, but that won’t. If your plan sucks by the way, I am more than willing to let you try if you are willing to suffer the consequences of a sucky plan.

Look around : I don’t know how many players have fallen to this. Scorch marks on the ground are there for a reason. That portal labeled with “Deadly Scorching Hot portal to the Elemental Realm of Fire which is emanating pulses of skin blasting heat” likely will not do well being touched. An obelisk that has lightning dancing down it likely doesn’t want to get touched either. I mean, go ahead and do it, but be prepared to get the end of that lightning bolt or consumed in pure elemental hell fire when you do. Often there are clues as to what has or may happen in the future around you if you so choose to look for them.

Just because it’s there doesn’t mean you have to do it.: This is another one that gets a lot of players, the additional portal, or even a portal in the middle of the street that opens up mysteriously and is labeled “mysterious portal”. If you go, please do not complain when and if you die/get enslaved in some strange wizards experiments and then need to be saved by everyone else in the city. You were, after all, the one who jumped into a “mysterious portal” that happened to be in the middle of the street and not there a few minutes ago. It almost is like telling a four year old not to touch something. The minute you turn around they are not only touching said thing, they are full on in love caressing it.

When faced with overwhelming odds: I like this one. Infact, I love it. When I was a player in my PnP group I had a great DM. He set us up big time, and we swallowed the bait hook line and sinker and got led into a trap. There we are, following a guide we did not know and who approached our group at the table with just the thing we neededâ€"when out from behind the trees pop up bandits with ready crossbows. Ten of them, four of us, and us in the middle of the crossfire with weapons sheathed. What did I do after the ‘guide’ told us to drop our sword belts and weapons and go to our knees? I died. (Mainly because I opted to run for it, and got three crossbow bolts in the back at once.) What did the rest of the group do? They did what they were told in the face of overwhelming odds (we were level one characters) and went on the with adventure. Ooops. My bad. *went off to re roll a new character*

Have fun, and play smart. Really. I don’t want to see characters with the 8Int 8Wis coming up with masterful plans and such (note: will deduct XP for not playing stats, and will reward when you do) but even then, some of these things should go into the self preservation category of the brain everyone has.

[_Nightfire_]

I'd just like to chip in:
Remember, gold is worthless! So spend it!
If you whore your money on potions, your chance of death reduces -dramatically-.

[Song of Orpheus]

This thread is meant to be for advice for players on how to think and survive in difficult situations, not for advice for DMs or debating DM actions.

Please stay on-topic.

My basic advice is this: Communicate with your party. Do so thoroughly. For one thing, I as a DM like to see people roleplaying on quests, and for another thing, if no one in the party has a plan or strategy, nobody knows what to do if things get crazy. Discuss ways to destroy the enemy, a plan of attack for tough battles, and so forth. Communication is awesome.

I've seen plenty of parties who mechanically could very easily win a battle lose because none of them ever bothered to pause and reflect, and talk to their party members about what they should do. Pure, unthinking brute strength does not always work.

[chaosprism]

This thread is meant to be for advice for players on how to think and survive in difficult situations, not for advice for DMs or debating DM actions.

Please stay on-topic.

My basic advice is this: Communicate with your party. Do so thoroughly. For one thing, I as a DM like to see people roleplaying on quests, and for another thing, if no one in the party has a plan or strategy, nobody knows what to do if things get crazy. Discuss ways to destroy the enemy, a plan of attack for tough battles, and so forth. Communication is awesome.

I've seen plenty of parties who mechanically could very easily win a battle lose because none of them ever bothered to pause and reflect, and talk to their party members about what they should do. Pure, unthinking brute strength does not always work.

Well the topic was "true story WHY characters die", and I hate to say it but it really isnt always the players fault.  Often it IS because a d.m simply couldnt pull the punches when they needed to.

I know d.m's work hard at what they do, and they are here to have fun as well as the players.
And really dont take criticism personally, because everyone appreciates your efforts otherwise we wouldnt be here.

I do agree with communication and lateral thinking for parties, because as I said in my censored post; combat and social interaction is something that can be done easily without d.m interaction, with d.m interaction you can and should have more, it opens up a lot more avenues.

I agree, communication IS awesome, but it's also two way street.

[Howlando]

The one comment I will make is that DMs reserve the toughest, craziest, most challenging spice for the players we like and respect the most.

And yes I appreciate that sometimes that NWN does take a little mechanical knowledge, but the only way players will improve is by being put in difficult situations. And I absolutely believe that with a little care pretty much anyone can be about as good at the game as anyone else (in terms of simple stuff like having an organized inventory and hotkeys, knowing what spells do, when to heal, and so on).

Let's face it, the monster AI gets really boring really fast if it's on its own.

The above addresses the somewhat common situation of just possessing monsters or adding a few new monsters, beggar's points about being creative and realistic with your characters and considering options beyond just combat to solve problems has of course nothing to do with mechanical stuff.