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4/06/2017 7:59 am  #21


Re: Killing Characters in Convention Games

rhialto wrote:

While I haven't ever run a convention game, I have run 40 years' worth of games, and with respect to AS&SH and my home game: I have no problem killing characters, but I use a more generous (and to me, pulpier) healing rule of all hit points recovered overnight (so death is rare). Complications, on the other hand, such as the critical hits and mutilations are common, though: that way everyone gets to keep playing, but maybe with one fewer eye or hand. For a convention game I think this would be my choice, and probably lead to more epic play.

I share the same HP system, sort of.  Everyone begins with their Con in HP. This represents physical wounds etc. They roll Hit Dice each level and as they begin to surpass their Con these excess HP's begin to represent luck, fatigue, determination, and minor wounds etc.  The Con HP heal as per the RAW and the HP beyond Con heal overnight.  They have to have full Con HP to heal over night.  I use RAW for Con games however.

Back to the killin'. I think unless I have an in-game mulligan type thing a couple spare characters and a system like Caveman suggested will be just the thing. I think it would be epic to have characters finish with a missing eye or a bad scar etc!


“How can I wear the harness of toil
And sweat at the daily round,
While in my soul forever
The drums of Pictdom sound?” 
 

4/06/2017 3:07 pm  #22


Re: Killing Characters in Convention Games

Handy Haversack wrote:

For Meal of Oshregaal, I just gave 'em all the standard starter pack from Waif of Boreas (which I used for stats, names, races, descriptions, too).

Waifs has been downloaded over 3900 times! I'm glad so many people have been getting so much use out of it.
I'm a couple weeks away from releasing something I hope referees will find equally useful.


Michael Sipe 1979-2018
Rest in peace, brother.
 

4/06/2017 3:58 pm  #23


Re: Killing Characters in Convention Games

 

mabon5127 wrote:

Actually I like this idea quite a bit!  Trade a mutilation or debilitating effect for permanent death. 
 

Glad to help...

Could be they get a to exchange a death for a mutilation; as like: 

Each gains 2 lives +Constitution modifier (minimum 1) at beginning of game.

So Character with a Con 14, get 3 mutilations, and on his fourth death; he is truely killed.
Or Character with Con 6 only get 1 chance to avoid death.

 

Last edited by Caveman (4/06/2017 4:03 pm)

 

4/07/2017 9:26 am  #24


Re: Killing Characters in Convention Games

My two main fears with convention games are: A. Not having enough adventure planned to fill the 4 hr timeslot and B. Killing off characters too early in the session.   I think I've gone the other way with A but  I'm always looking for ways to deal with B.  

For me if characters are killed off in the third act, or 4th hour, I think that is a fine, even successful, outcome especially if it's in the pursuit of some goal or final showdown (or a particularly grisly death). If its before that I worry as well.  Usually this works out because players are so careful at first and get more adventurous at the end of the session that they tend to make this timeline work.  Most of my solutions have been providing some form of resurrection magic either with the pregens (usually a scroll of reincarnation or raise dead) or within the dungeon.  

My other solution, that I used in an AD&D game, was to make a stack of index cards with  "dungeon replacements" these would be individuals that could conceivably be met within the particular dungeon locale.  Most (well all really!) were not completely conventional character types and usually had some sort of hidden agenda or secret that might or might not be helpful to the main party.  I thought this would be a good middle ground for giving players a new character and to add a bit of randomness to the game for me and the players.  I envisioned them just picking the top character and running with it - if they really hated the character picked they could discard and pick the next one.  I've never seen it actually happen in play though as I ran the adventure twice with that setup and everyone managed to survive up to last half hour. 
 

 

4/07/2017 9:35 am  #25


Re: Killing Characters in Convention Games

lige wrote:

My two main fears with convention games are: A. Not having enough adventure planned to fill the 4 hr timeslot and B. Killing off characters too early in the session.   I think I've gone the other way with A but  I'm always looking for ways to deal with B.  

For me if characters are killed off in the third act, or 4th hour, I think that is a fine, even successful, outcome especially if it's in the pursuit of some goal or final showdown (or a particularly grisly death). If its before that I worry as well.  Usually this works out because players are so careful at first and get more adventurous at the end of the session that they tend to make this timeline work.  Most of my solutions have been providing some form of resurrection magic either with the pregens (usually a scroll of reincarnation or raise dead) or within the dungeon.  

My other solution, that I used in an AD&D game, was to make a stack of index cards with  "dungeon replacements" these would be individuals that could conceivably be met within the particular dungeon locale.  Most (well all really!) were not completely conventional character types and usually had some sort of hidden agenda or secret that might or might not be helpful to the main party.  I thought this would be a good middle ground for giving players a new character and to add a bit of randomness to the game for me and the players. 

I like the idea, if it works in the adventure, of having adventure specific NPC's fleshed out for use by player's if they die too early.  


“How can I wear the harness of toil
And sweat at the daily round,
While in my soul forever
The drums of Pictdom sound?” 
     Thread Starter
 

4/07/2017 10:25 am  #26


Re: Killing Characters in Convention Games

Blackadder23 wrote:

Handy Haversack wrote:

For Meal of Oshregaal, I just gave 'em all the standard starter pack from Waif of Boreas (which I used for stats, names, races, descriptions, too).

Waifs has been downloaded over 3900 times! I'm glad so many people have been getting so much use out of it.
I'm a couple weeks away from releasing something I hope referees will find equally useful.

Waifs is my go-to for pregens all the way. I have used it for four cons now! We also use your Quick Start Equipment in our home game.

So make with the next thing already!

lige wrote:

My two main fears with convention games are: A. Not having enough adventure planned to fill the 4 hr timeslot and B. Killing off characters too early in the session.   I think I've gone the other way with A but  I'm always looking for ways to deal with B.  

For me if characters are killed off in the third act, or 4th hour, I think that is a fine, even successful, outcome especially if it's in the pursuit of some goal or final showdown (or a particularly grisly death). If its before that I worry as well.  Usually this works out because players are so careful at first and get more adventurous at the end of the session that they tend to make this timeline work.  Most of my solutions have been providing some form of resurrection magic either with the pregens (usually a scroll of reincarnation or raise dead) or within the dungeon.  

My other solution, that I used in an AD&D game, was to make a stack of index cards with  "dungeon replacements" these would be individuals that could conceivably be met within the particular dungeon locale.  Most (well all really!) were not completely conventional character types and usually had some sort of hidden agenda or secret that might or might not be helpful to the main party.  I thought this would be a good middle ground for giving players a new character and to add a bit of randomness to the game for me and the players.  I envisioned them just picking the top character and running with it - if they really hated the character picked they could discard and pick the next one.  I've never seen it actually happen in play though as I ran the adventure twice with that setup and everyone managed to survive up to last half hour.

I'd say you are doing fine with both from my experience!

I like your AD&D solution, too. Added complications once they're in the dungeon are all to the good! As the old saying goes, more testicles means more iron.

With AS&SH, I also try to advertise it to the slight limit of my DMing abilities. So I like having a bunch of pregens representing all the classes and letting those next-one-up it into the ranks when people go down early.

 

4/07/2017 11:10 am  #27


Re: Killing Characters in Convention Games

For me, it depends on the game I am running. If I'm running a classic module at Gary Con, I bring 2x the # of players as pre-gens. If there's a death in the first 75% of the game, they get to pick from one of the other pre-gens. If the latter quarter, dead is dead.

For my Orc themed games, I don't run as seriously as I would other games, so I let them respawn, even in the final act of the game. 

Either way, I try and do right for the players. They chose my game for one reason or another and it's important to me they enjoy themselves. I've been in con games where somebody dies in the first 30-60 minutes and they've been told they're S.O.L. by the DM.

 

4/07/2017 11:24 am  #28


Re: Killing Characters in Convention Games

Ar'Pharazon wrote:

Either way, I try and do right for the players. They chose my game for one reason or another and it's important to me they enjoy themselves. I've been in con games where somebody dies in the first 30-60 minutes and they've been told they're S.O.L. by the DM.

I agree with this sentiment. If they have fun I have fun.


“How can I wear the harness of toil
And sweat at the daily round,
While in my soul forever
The drums of Pictdom sound?” 
     Thread Starter
 

4/07/2017 11:58 am  #29


Re: Killing Characters in Convention Games

One of my favorite Con experiences is playing in Jason Cook's Aliens game at GC VII, seeing the exit from the board, almost making it and then being dragged off to be impregnated through the face. Death at a Con, when handled with amusement is a thing of glory.

 

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