What happens when a (n)th level character dies?

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Bronn
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What happens when a (n)th level character dies?

Post by Bronn »

Does the player roll a few more 0 level characters and hope they survive the challenges their 3rd, 7th or 10th level comrades face? Is the game designed with a high mortality rate in mind, with classed characters continually falling to attrition and players clawing their way up again?

Love the beta, by the way. :)
Harley Stroh
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Re: What happens when a (n)th level character dies?

Post by Harley Stroh »

I think with every judge you ask, you'll get a different answer. Even in house that is true. Joseph would probably tell you to start from the bottom. I'd be inclined to introduce a new PC within 1d3 levels of the party average.

The balance is in that the new PC hasn't been through 0-level, so no extra 1d4 hp for you! (You should probably still roll for occupation, though.)

//H
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Bronn
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Re: What happens when a (n)th level character dies?

Post by Bronn »

Thanks, Harley. I like the d3 level variance idea, it inspired me to consider the following:

Roll up a number of 0 level guys equal to the lowest levelled character in the party. Now roll a die that best matches the number of proto-PCs you have. That's the guy you level up. The result can be modified by the remaining positive luck bonus of your deceased PC if desired.
yfr
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Re: What happens when a (n)th level character dies?

Post by yfr »

Harley Stroh wrote: Joseph would probably tell you to start from the bottom.
Considering that the "funnel" of 0-level death adds excitement and drama, one could conceivably have sixteen 0-level mooks added at the start of every game session.

The game would be quite a bit harder if reinforcements were strictly limited.

For a 0-level funnel, I would expect at least 75% mortality. Suppose that produces four 1st-level characters from sixteen 0-levels.

For the next play session, assume the party only gets 0-level reinforcements. Are there eight of them? Are there sixteen of them? Suppose one of the 1st-levels dies. Does that warrant another sixteen reinforcements, or just four?

Another factor is: how much should the mortality percentage change from game session to game session?

I assume mortality percentages should be lower for higher level characters, but how much lower?
meinvt
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Re: What happens when a (n)th level character dies?

Post by meinvt »

Discussed this with my group last night after our first test. I think they like the idea of always starting at 0. The assumption is that as a campaign went on they would be adventuring with the higher level characters who would presumably be hiring or recruiting them in some way. Thus, the higher level characters would also feel a need to properly equip them (in most cases). A level 0 with chain mail, shield and longsword is a different situation than the normal peasant.
numenetics
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Re: What happens when a (n)th level character dies?

Post by numenetics »

Another option is to keep any other surviving level zeroes from your original funnel around, either just keeping the sheets on hand or using them as minor NPCs, and then taking up one of those. Depending on your mortality rate, that might not work though.
moes1980
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Re: What happens when a (n)th level character dies?

Post by moes1980 »

Yeah, I think every group will works this issue out a bit differently which is fine.

Im planning on letting characters chose to make 2-4 lvl 0s, than they can chose to keep playing each pc that lived or hold which ever ones they want in reserve.

Then, if they lose all thier characters later on, I might have them roll up 0 level character again and run a short level 0 adventure for him to carry on the funnel proccess. Afterwords I would award ex equal to the amount that the lowset level party member has in the regular party. In this way the funnel process is preserved, and provides a background to how those characters got into adventuring. What ever adventures that transpired between level one and what ever current level they got bumbed to would be up to those players to decide.
moes1980
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Re: What happens when a (n)th level character dies?

Post by moes1980 »

So, I got the chanch to play test having one player using 4 level 0 pcs along with two other players each playing a level 3 pc. They fought lizardmen, goblins, an ogre, and had to deal with a trap that would have been an instant kill for the level 0's. Also, I used my house rule of letting them burn luck to avoid getting hit.

The result: not a single 0 level character died. However, if I had not allowed them to use luck to avoid getting hit, all 0 levels would have died (well, the halfling might have lived). As of right now, they are getting ready to go into an acnient temple and the 4 0 levels are now level 1, and all have their luck scores in the dumps (except for the halfling who did not use any luck. The reason is, I explained to the player that he can burn luck at a 2 for 1 and give the bonuses to other people but, since it says that they heal their luck at a rate of 1 point per level, per day, and that he was level 0, he could not heal that luck. Therefore, burning luck now meant that he would have a lower maximum luck score when he reached level one. And so the player decided to horde the little fella's luck but was happy to burn all the other characters luck.). I am wondering what their chances of survival will be as they start to run out of luck in the next adventure.

So, I am re-considering the house rule of letting them use luck to stay alive (although, I do have a stack of 8 dead characters over 4 sessions of playing and so they still have a pretty healthy respect for dangers in the dungeons).

Oh, and the most important part, they all had a blast playing :D
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abk108
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Re: What happens when a (n)th level character dies?

Post by abk108 »

I already know that my players will not like having to start again from level 0; some may threaten to stop playing altogether.

However I feel the "shields shall be splintered" houserule will come in handy when we need a Zero to survive. I'm thinking that good armor, shield and sling would make for a 0-lvl with good chances of surviving at least one session (100 xp are very quick to get).

I was wondering, though: i usually allow level up only between adventures, so the PCs have a reasonable 1d3+1 months to train. I did that between the funnel and the 1st level adventure, and it made perfect sense that the farmer that discovered in himself the spirit of the cleric needed some time to actually learn to become a priest.
Now, if a n-th level PC dies... and the player gets a 0-lvl PC... he might get the 100 XP needed to go to level 1, but i wouldn't make much sense that suddenly he knows magic, or has 8 more HP, or can double wield weapons like crazy if he never tried before.
Maybe I should just have the player roll a N-1 level character, pretending he's been training for some time already.
Also: if the PC who died was a thief, the new pc will have to be a thief?! even if his stats scream "CLERIC!!!"?? Is a party viable even without a perfect coverage of all the roles?!
(current party is dwarf, wizard, cleric, thief)
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