10 votes

My first DnD character died. What should I do next?

I've been playing a Tomb of Annihilation campaign with some friends the past few months, and we are all relatively new players (each of us having played about one campaign before). As far as I know this is the first time any of us have been in a campaign where a PC dies. My level 4 wizard was suddenly and violently killed by a flesh golem.

None of us are exactly sure how to proceed, and there's some disagreement. A few of the people in my party think that any new character should be a level or two behind the party in order to further dis-incentivize dying. I personally think that is too harsh, and luckily it seems like we are reaching a consensus that my new character should be the same level, but I shouldn't be able to play as the same race and class.

This seems more or less reasonable to me, although to be honest I really enjoyed playing as a wizard so I wouldn't have minded doing so again. I'm mainly curious to hear how you all handle character deaths, and any tips you might have for making a new character mid-campaign.

13 comments

  1. [5]
    stu2b50
    Link
    There's no weird stipulations. First, absolutely they should be the same level. Level differences are imo almost always bad, and no fun for anyone. Milestone is a better system for that reason....

    There's no weird stipulations. First, absolutely they should be the same level. Level differences are imo almost always bad, and no fun for anyone. Milestone is a better system for that reason.

    Why not play the same class? Yeah, it can be annoying to see a clone of someone's dead character pop up, but clearly that's not the case here.

    I think the rest of your party want death to be some kind of punishment for playing bad, like it's a video game. Not only is there so much inherent randomness, but dramatic deaths are part of the experience. When your character makes a suicidal, but in-character decision, I.e to save a loved one or something, that should be rewarded. That's cool.

    One thing you can do with new characters, is that you can make a more connected backstory since youve interacted with the setting and other PCs.

    12 votes
    1. [3]
      gpl
      Link Parent
      I generally agree here. I think my party is split, with a little under half having a "video game" mindset about how to go about things. Which I suppose is fine because people get different things...

      I think the rest of your party want death to be some kind of punishment for playing bad, like it's a video game. Not only is there so much inherent randomness, but dramatic deaths are part of the experience. When your character makes a suicidal, but in-character decision, I.e to save a loved one or something, that should be rewarded. That's cool.

      I generally agree here. I think my party is split, with a little under half having a "video game" mindset about how to go about things. Which I suppose is fine because people get different things about the game, but it certainly means that coming to a party consensus requires some compromise. They were pretty set on the level reduction idea until we all read some threads online and it was universally agreed that that's a bad idea. So I don't get the sense that will be happening anymore.

      1 vote
      1. [2]
        rabbit
        Link Parent
        I'm not going to lie, it sounds like right here would be a deal breaker for me in any RPG group. It's one thing to differ on whether or not I want to go on X adventure or Y adventure, it's a...

        ... with a little under half having a "video game" mindset about how to go about things. Which I suppose is fine because people get different things about the game, but it certainly means that coming to a party consensus requires some compromise

        I'm not going to lie, it sounds like right here would be a deal breaker for me in any RPG group. It's one thing to differ on whether or not I want to go on X adventure or Y adventure, it's a completely different beast to fundamentally disagree on how to have fun.

        RPGs, in general, seem to be designed around the philosophy that everyone gets a role and has their moment to shine. Punishing a PC for "not playing as well" and making them less effective in whatever role they choose seem to be against that concept.

        2 votes
        1. Omnicrola
          Link Parent
          Agreed. In most video-games you're in a somewhat adversarial situation by necessity. Either against the environment (PvE) or other players (PvP). And even in PvE you're rewarded/punished to steer...

          Agreed. In most video-games you're in a somewhat adversarial situation by necessity. Either against the environment (PvE) or other players (PvP). And even in PvE you're rewarded/punished to steer you toward specific objectives because the story is mostly pre-baked and your choices can't be unlimited.

          In DnD and other tabletops, it's not a game (ok it, is, but bear with me) it's collaborative storytelling. Which has a different objective : tell a story together. Character died? Ok, did it make sense? Great, good job!

          Hell, if it was a particularly spectacular/noble death, the GM should reward you by giving your next character a special item/weapon.

          2 votes
    2. archevel
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      But what if you make a clone of one of the existing characters in the party? Identical in every way, except in some ways. Might be an evil clone. Might be a resentful clone. Might be a better...

      Yeah, it can be annoying to see a clone of someone's dead character pop up

      But what if you make a clone of one of the existing characters in the party? Identical in every way, except in some ways. Might be an evil clone. Might be a resentful clone. Might be a better clone, happier, kinder more compassionate clone.

      Could be introduced via a weird machine. Maybe the clone doesn't know it is a clone. Maybe your clone is actually the original character and the other player's character is the clone. Perhaps the clone is degrading/ slowly falling apart in some way.

      Sooo many options!

      1 vote
  2. blitz
    Link
    To me this seems like evidence that maybe your group's mindset is not where I would consider "optimal" for a D&D campaign. The purpose of playing D&D (to me) with your friends is to have fun and...

    None of us are exactly sure how to proceed, and there's some disagreement. A few of the people in my party think that any new character should be a level or two behind the party in order to further dis-incentivize dying.

    To me this seems like evidence that maybe your group's mindset is not where I would consider "optimal" for a D&D campaign. The purpose of playing D&D (to me) with your friends is to have fun and hang out and tell a story together. It's not a competition and it shouldn't be treated as one. You're disincentivized from dying because you're roleplaying a sentient being who understands the concept of mortality.

    You should be able to play whatever character you like, and if you're a lower level than the rest of your party, you won't feel as interested in your character because they won't be able to do the same amount of cool things as the other characters, and you'll have less fun. If you can't play the class or race you want to play as, you'll also have less fun.

    It may help to talk to the group and ask what they want to get out of the campaign. If you're just hanging out and having fun, why shouldn't you be able to create a new character that's basically identical to the old one? If you guys are having some sort of competition for most loot at the end of the campaign, well that's not a game I would want to play, but then it makes sense to have some mechanic punishment for death.

    6 votes
  3. arghdos
    Link
    How about a wizard who's the same level, but has been locked in the Tomb for eons, and has gone more than a little insane with torture? Also, if you want to keep being a magic-user, maybe dip into...

    How about a wizard who's the same level, but has been locked in the Tomb for eons, and has gone more than a little insane with torture? Also, if you want to keep being a magic-user, maybe dip into Warlock / Sorcerer / or even Bard (even if you multi-class a level or two) to keep your character from being a cookie cutter copy. More importantly, think about what it means that the party finds some rando in a lethal dungeon, and why the hell they would trust you anyways?

    RE: level differences I agree with @rabbit, the difference between the lower levels is pretty damn large... starting you at a lower level is probably not going to go well (you are much, much more likely to die). One level down is reasonable-ish, but having you at a 2 while they are at 4 is a death sentence (or asking the GM to game the hell out of it).

    3 votes
  4. Omnicrola
    Link
    I actually had the reverse situation play out once. All of the players wanted to reroll new characters and start a new campaign because we had pulled some cards from the Deck of Many Things a few...

    I actually had the reverse situation play out once. All of the players wanted to reroll new characters and start a new campaign because we had pulled some cards from the Deck of Many Things a few sessions previous and the balance just went straight out the window.

    But I wanted to keep my character.

    So the GM and I came up with a story for it. My character was an absent-minded sorcerer. So we had him spontaneously appear naked from a mid-air burst of chicken feathers in the middle of the tavern the new characters where all hanging out in. He had lost all his memories, didn't know where he was, that he had any magical ability, didn't even know his own name. So when he tried to get room and board, he traded the tavern owner all of his rare high-level artifacts for 3 nights stay (a total ripoff).

    It was really gratifying to watch the member of our group who always tries to meta-game with the GM lose his mind watching me giving away all of the powerful items I had for what amounted to pocket change.

    But all that effectively reset the character back to level 1!

    3 votes
  5. Amarok
    Link
    If I were your GM running Tomb I'd have already prepped a stack of replacement characters that could be inserted into various points along the way. Tomb itself does kinda preclude the use of...

    If I were your GM running Tomb I'd have already prepped a stack of replacement characters that could be inserted into various points along the way. Tomb itself does kinda preclude the use of resurrection magic, that's part of the plot. One or more characters die, the party can easily stumble upon someone else needing help/rescue and the fun continues almost without interruption. That can be popped into any existing encounter or one can be drawn up on the fly. If you're a GM running a tough game, you need to be prepared for the inevitable.

    Lowering the level serves no purpose. All that does is continually weaken the party with every death - and if you want to finish the module that's not going to get you there, considering what's waiting at the end is still no cakewalk for a party of 11th level characters.

    Changing up the class/race is however part of the fun of the game. I'm not a fan of 'cloned' characters which is why I usually have some spares lying around built to fill whatever role opens up. These don't come with names or faces or genders or history, they are just math-all-done sheets waiting for the player to fill in the blanks.

    If you weren't playing Tomb which means no resurrection, as a GM I'd usually find a way to get the dead character brought back to life. I'd also make sure it cost the party in resources/gold but not necessarily in time since that just drags out sessions with one player unable to enjoy the game, which rather defeats the purpose.

    There are a million and one ways to work this in - help from a traveling group of clerics, some form of divine intervention (gods can grant higher level spells to lower level characters any time they want to - for a price/promise), perhaps some nearby sacred grove, or pacts with devilish powers. It's also possible to go subversive - if the player who died doesn't mind for example playing a 'resurrected' character who is just in fact possessed by something else working on a different agenda than the group and keeping it secret.

    The thing to do with a death is to use it to make the game richer and more interesting, rather than just trying to get past it as fast as possible.

    3 votes
  6. cstby
    Link
    Talk to your GM. Explain your thoughts just as you did here. He or she has a strong motivation to make sure the game is fun for you. Ultimately, the GM is in the best position both to know and...

    Talk to your GM. Explain your thoughts just as you did here. He or she has a strong motivation to make sure the game is fun for you. Ultimately, the GM is in the best position both to know and make the best decision.

    My 2 cents: your character should be the same level as the rest of the party. The game will suck for you otherwise. And if you really want to be a wizard, then that should be fine. However, don't just make a clone of your old character. Give the new one more a different background and personality.

    3 votes
  7. kemosabe
    Link
    In our game we start 1 level below the lowest char. That does mean there is a bit of level difference between the highest and the lowest, but nobody really minds. I think it's okay, as new players...

    In our game we start 1 level below the lowest char. That does mean there is a bit of level difference between the highest and the lowest, but nobody really minds. I think it's okay, as new players have joined the campaign over time, and the new characters to the party are in some sense the side-kicks, while the existing characters are the 'heroes' of the campaign. As the new characters spend more time, they become more central to the story line. For us this makes sense, but it might not for others. Talk to your GM and the rest of the group. :)

  8. FishFingus
    Link
    I might make a new character based on one of the people they killed. What were they doing up until they got ganked? I think that's an interesting concept that provides the necessary prompt I'd...

    I might make a new character based on one of the people they killed. What were they doing up until they got ganked? I think that's an interesting concept that provides the necessary prompt I'd need to think up some sort of backstory, since I'm not great at doing that on my own.

  9. weystrom
    Link
    It's up to your GM. Last time someone has died in our group, they've rolled a character of the same level as the lowest char of the whole group, which is exactly what GM's guide suggests (p.236)...

    It's up to your GM. Last time someone has died in our group, they've rolled a character of the same level as the lowest char of the whole group, which is exactly what GM's guide suggests (p.236)

    But even if GM decides to roll you back couple of levels - you'd catch up pretty quickly anyway, given how CR and experience works in 5e.