Rereading The Hobbit,
it strikes me that hardly anyone dies. The defeated heroes are instead captured by trolls, or
spiders, or elves, or a friendly werebear. These throwaway characters end up having larger significance when you read Lord of the Rings where the elves of Lothlorien, the spider Shelob, and Tom Bombadil are used to expand on this story construct.
In other words, Tolkien often exchanges death for a story hook. Although Tolkien is cited as an inspiration for D&D, the lethality of early versions of the game and its rivals like Traveller point to a pulpier, more lethal origin. Player dissatisfaction with this high lethality in comparison to the fiction origins of the hobby have in turn led to a buffing up of character resilience in later editions and games.
However, at heart rpgs are about telling a story communally, and I think exchanging death for story hooks is a good way to accomplish this. Letting PCs cheat death in a way that complicates the story for good or ill is a practice that will reap unseen rewards in verisimilitude of and engagement in the game world. This realization has inspired me to create a table allowing characters to avoid death in favour of other story developments. This table can be used for any genre (except horror, where death has to be final), so I will give examples from Fantasy / Science Fiction / Adventure / and Supers gaming to help the GM flesh out the details in the context of their game.
In other words, Tolkien often exchanges death for a story hook. Although Tolkien is cited as an inspiration for D&D, the lethality of early versions of the game and its rivals like Traveller point to a pulpier, more lethal origin. Player dissatisfaction with this high lethality in comparison to the fiction origins of the hobby have in turn led to a buffing up of character resilience in later editions and games.
However, at heart rpgs are about telling a story communally, and I think exchanging death for story hooks is a good way to accomplish this. Letting PCs cheat death in a way that complicates the story for good or ill is a practice that will reap unseen rewards in verisimilitude of and engagement in the game world. This realization has inspired me to create a table allowing characters to avoid death in favour of other story developments. This table can be used for any genre (except horror, where death has to be final), so I will give examples from Fantasy / Science Fiction / Adventure / and Supers gaming to help the GM flesh out the details in the context of their game.
Escaping Death!
3 Taken! A powerful, intelligent foe takes the character
from his or her vanquishers, necessitating a side quest to recapture them. The Demon / Alien Computer / Evil Warlord / World
Destroyer may try to turn the PC against the party, or else use them as a
hostage if cornered. Play a different character for the remainder of the session or until the reunited party returns to their base.
4-5 Taken! A powerful animal foe takes the character from his or her vanquishers. The roc / Alien Queen / dinosaur / Dimensional Hound may be saving the character to feed to their young or for impregnation. On the plus side, allies may track the character and attempt to save them from such a fate, and the GM may allow a character an appropriate roll to escape, but will be at half strength or life whether they escape or are rescued. Play a different character for the remainder of the session or until the reunited party returns to their base.
6-8 Being Delivered! The foes have you in chains but are delivering you to their god / leader / boss / mastermind. Your companions thus have a chance of tracking and rescuing you, but all your items will be shared out and used by your captors, complicating rescue. The character will be at half strength or life when they are rescued. Play a different character for the remainder of the session or until the reunited party returns to their base.
9-12 Captured! The foes that vanquished you have you, but are keeping you alive for slave labour or trade. They are also willing to trade or sell you back to the party. The character will be at half strength or life whether they escape or are rescued.
13-15 Being Delivered! A group of allies helped you escape, but it will take time to return you to the party. Play a different character for the remainder of the session or until the reunited party returns to their base.
4-5 Taken! A powerful animal foe takes the character from his or her vanquishers. The roc / Alien Queen / dinosaur / Dimensional Hound may be saving the character to feed to their young or for impregnation. On the plus side, allies may track the character and attempt to save them from such a fate, and the GM may allow a character an appropriate roll to escape, but will be at half strength or life whether they escape or are rescued. Play a different character for the remainder of the session or until the reunited party returns to their base.
6-8 Being Delivered! The foes have you in chains but are delivering you to their god / leader / boss / mastermind. Your companions thus have a chance of tracking and rescuing you, but all your items will be shared out and used by your captors, complicating rescue. The character will be at half strength or life when they are rescued. Play a different character for the remainder of the session or until the reunited party returns to their base.
9-12 Captured! The foes that vanquished you have you, but are keeping you alive for slave labour or trade. They are also willing to trade or sell you back to the party. The character will be at half strength or life whether they escape or are rescued.
13-15 Being Delivered! A group of allies helped you escape, but it will take time to return you to the party. Play a different character for the remainder of the session or until the reunited party returns to their base.
16-17 Saved! A powerful animal ally takes the character from his or her vanquishers. The unicorn / Star Baby / yeti / Dimensional Watcher may have saved the character unintentionally, or as a mysterious move in some game of larger forces. On the plus side, allies may track the character and attempt to reclaim them, and the animal may even care for or protect the character if the GM allows a persuasion roll or a service is performed for them. Play a different character for the remainder of the session or until the reunited party returns to their base.
18 Saved! A powerful, intelligent ally rescues the character from his or her vanquishers and spirits them far away, necessitating a journey to return them. The Angel / Alien Computer / Freedom Fighter / Star God may try to turn the PC into their servant, or else expect the debt to be repaid in future. Players should use another character until theirs is reunited with the party.
18 Saved! A powerful, intelligent ally rescues the character from his or her vanquishers and spirits them far away, necessitating a journey to return them. The Angel / Alien Computer / Freedom Fighter / Star God may try to turn the PC into their servant, or else expect the debt to be repaid in future. Players should use another character until theirs is reunited with the party.
Heroic Death
Yet even in Tolkien’s world, significant people die. Boromir. gives his life to warn his fellows and let Frodo and Sam escape. In a true
story-centered rpg, death should be a choice that has major story repercussions.
If a player does not want to continue using the character that is defeated in combat,
he or she can instead opt for a Heroic Death. A Heroic Death is one that has
great significance, that benefits the party or the cause they work for. Players
can only choose a Heroic Death when the party is in real peril, and can’t be
used just when they succumb to unlucky rolls but others are safe. Choosing a Heroic Death trumps mechanics, it just allows a story
effect negotiated by the player and GM.
Examples
You close the portcullis / airlock / tomb door / warp tube, allowing the others to escape the explosion.
You stop the monster / alien / cultists / assassin long enough for the others
to get away.
You use your body to shield your fellows from the firebolt /
laser blast / grenade / cosmic beams, allowing the others to achieve their objective.
You slay the last orc / robo-sentry / Nazi / cyborg and let the party move onto the McGuffin.
I'll definitely be trying this in the next session I run, especially if it involves old school lethality.
You slay the last orc / robo-sentry / Nazi / cyborg and let the party move onto the McGuffin.
I'll definitely be trying this in the next session I run, especially if it involves old school lethality.
