It doesn’t matter how hard you try to avoid it: sometimes, player characters die in DnD. It’s a fundamental rule, and the risk of it happening is arguably one of the things that makes combat exciting.
There are multiple ways of dealing with player death in DnD, however, and some of them are better than others. Players sometimes feel unmotivated to simply start a new character when their old one dies, for example. So, how do you handle player death in DnD?
First of all, DMs need to make it very clear to players both at the beginning of their game and before combat that there is a very real chance that they can die. This way, players are caught less off guard when they die. Secondly, consider giving players a second chance but penalizing them in some way. Permanent scars, debuffs, and nerfed abilities are some ways to do this.
This is just one of the many ways you can deal with characters dying. The appropriate approach is oftentimes situational. In this article, I’ll be going over the 9 best ways of handling player death in DnD, so stay tuned.
1. Players Need to Understand That They Can Die
As I mentioned before, it’s crucial that players know what is at stake when you first start a campaign. This way, they will be prepared for scenarios where their death is possible, sometimes even probable, and they’ll handle it better.
This goes for fights as well: make sure that players are aware of the threat in front of them. If they aren’t as cautious as they should be, and some of them die, chances are that they’ll blame you for not explaining the situation properly.
If a foe will be really difficult to overcome, don’t sugarcoat it. Explain the terrifying nature of their enemy so it’s crystal clear what’s at stake. After this, they can approach the situation as they see fit.
2. Give Characters a Second Chance
If you find a good reason to do so, you can spare players from death as a DM. I wouldn’t recommend doing this often and without the proper motivation, however, because this will give players the impression that they can’t be killed.
There are multiple ways of giving players a second chance at life. For example, they might make a deal with some unnatural entity so that they may live on.
This can even add some interesting plot lines. Say for example that the player who died makes a deal with some sort of entity. Maybe this entity will grant them a period of time to live, not fully reversing their death.
The tension that this can bring is really nice, as players might not know exactly when the time is up for the PC. The “dead” player will have time to prepare his goodbyes instead of just dying.
You can even produce interesting quests from player deaths: for example, players who are very fond of their dead comrades might venture to the underworld to retrieve them.
If you want to spare players from death, be creative as a DM. Don’t just let them live, make use of the event!
3. Nerf Abilities
Another way of avoiding player death (if you want to do so) is to “nerf”, or cripple, one or more abilities of the saved player. In other words, the damage that the player received was so severe that they no longer can cast certain spells.
You can be creative here, as well. Depending on where and how the damage was caused, it might affect different abilities. For example, a bard’s ability to perform might be affected if their leg injury prevents them from dancing, jumping, or moving around a stage setting.
In my opinion, just outright saving players from death isn’t good enough. If a player has been at death’s door, the proper consequences need to be applied.
4. Have Their New Character Start at a Similar Level
There are a couple of different ways of approaching new characters after a player’s death, so let’s go through the options.
The first option is to let them create a character that is on the same level as the deceased character. This will most likely be the most “fun” for the player, as they won’t be doubly punished (having their character die, then getting a lower-level character).
The con about this way of doing things is that players might stop fearing the threat of death. In fact, some players that have grown tired of their characters might intentionally kill their characters. If you don’t want that — avoid this option.
Another slightly different option is to let them create a character of a slightly lower level. Doing this might prevent players from killing their characters left and right, while still maintaining a good game pace.
Avoid having the player create a character that’s level one. This will slow your party down greatly and might even destroy the story. More than anything, this will probably make the player pretty upset.
5. Envelop the Death Into the Story
You should involve player character deaths in the story. Don’t let the event just peter out! For example, some parties have in-game funerals for their fallen comrades, where they pay respects.
After they’ve died, you can have them come back, either in remembrance or as an NPC in the shape of a spirit (or something along those lines), where they may provide wisdom or help you with a quest.
Number 5 on this list is largely just meant to point out that you can use a player’s death in many different ways, and it’s a waste to not weave the death into the story in some way.
6. Make Sure Players Remember Near Death Experiences
I mentioned previously how you can cripple some abilities of the “saved” player instead of killing them. If you don’t want to touch their abilities but still leave a reminder that their encounter was a near-death experience, you can choose to leave the PC means of some sort.
In other words, you can give players scars. This can be in the form of physical scars, but also psychological ones. Introducing a new fear to a player character can both be fun and realistic, but make sure that you have a discussion with players before you do this.
For example, you can make a player go mad. If you want to learn more about long-term/short-term madness in DnD, check out pages 529 and 260 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
7. Give Players Time to Create Their New Character
If you decide to let the character go, make sure that you give the player in question sufficient time to prepare their new character.
If they don’t get this time, they might become pretty demotivated to continue playing. Not only did their character die, but they also don’t get enough time to create a new, good, character.
Delay the progress of the game until they’re done with their character. Hold a funeral, travel to a city, do some shopping, or visit a tavern in the meantime.
This way, the player will have enough time to create their new character in peace, and they’ll be more likely to be motivated when they continue playing.
8. Provide the Player With a Worthy Death
Things might feel a bit scuffed if a player’s character gets ended by a rat bite. That’s why you should try avoiding this to the best of your ability. Of course, don’t reveal this to players.
If players are in early levels, it’s perfectly reasonable to be ended by a giant rat, for example. If this happens, find a reason why this particular enemy is more special than other enemies. Make it a mini-boss or something along those lines.
By doing this, you can weave new narratives into the story. Maybe the character that ended the life of a PC becomes a new enemy of the party, for example. It’ll be seamless and immersive for party members, and you will have successfully turned a negative situation into a positive one.
Also, make sure to describe the death of the player in grand terms. When a player character dies, it’s effectively the same as a main character dying in a movie, and scenes like that are always more memorable if they’re epic.
Finally, let them either write a last journal entry or have some last words before they pass. This will make their death more memorable for your entire party.
9. Give the Opportunity of Resurrection (For a Price)
I previously talked about how you can let players go on quests to retrieve their dead comrade, but there are additional ways of returning a dead character to the living.
Resurrection in DnD can be accessed in a multitude of ways. Village priests, divine intervention, or the previously mentioned journey to the underworld are all viable options.
Since resurrection is such a powerful mechanic, make sure that you aren’t too generous as a DM. It can’t be free. If you get a priest to do it, have that priest either do it in return for gold or a quest.
Later in the game, from levels 11-20, be even more stringent with resurrection. Players between those levels are already very powerful, and if they think that they can just resurrect if they die, then the game won’t be as interesting.