Re: [DL] When Do you know...

[Ivan E <ivan_gaming@yahoo.com>]

--- William Ogden <w_ogden@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I was always bored in D$D when I knew a GM wouldn't
> kill a character.  I 
> just lost a character in a PBEM, and it was a very
> good death-scene.

Interestingly, William's was the _first_ character I
ever killed in a game - and I've been running them for
over fifteen years. So I hear the question and
understand it. (The following week I killed another
one in D&D, so watch your taste for blood...)

Here's something to consider: if the characters never
die, your players never get to try a new character
concept. They're stuck in the old role for as long as
the character survives. Now, that can be a good thing
-but it can also really, really suck if someone's
anxious to try something new. Dying can be a blessing
sometimes for long-run characters.

Also, if nobody dies in Deadlands, nobody has a chance
of coming back Harrowed. The Harrowed can be a big
part of a game, if you let it happen.

So, when is the right time? When the motivations of
the killer outweigh the reasonability of keeping the
character alive. If the villains have a logical reason
to keep someone alive (wants to turn them into a
vampire thrall, needs a hostage, enjoys toying with
people's pain), then let them live. But if the villain
just wants them out of the way (gunfighters, corrupt
sherrifs, psychopathic Mexican banditas) then let the
dice fall where they may.

When you're dealing with many monsters (Walkin' Dead,
Werewolves, Los D******) there's not enough human
intelligence to have reasons to keep someone alive, so
they fall into the latter category as well.

Daphne's point about chips is also a very good one.
Players get chips exactly so that they can avoid death
if they want to. If they use all their chips up to get
8d12 Shootin', and are left without chips when the
black magic hits them, well...should've thought ahead,
I guess.

My one big caveat is this: if you're pulling punches
for the heroes, then it's OK to pull punches for your
favorite villains as well. If you're not pulling
punches for the heroes, then when your double-joker
draw villain who was intended to create eight
adventure arcs dies, well...he dies. Period.

Hope this helps! The more death I can spread in the
game, the more pleased the Reckoners will be...oh,
wait. Forget I said that ; )

- Ivan
http://www.gamesgroove.com/ivan/DustAndBones/index.html


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