death question
 

Hello, I am fairly new to the game and I was wondering why when you die in the game, you dont return to level one instead of just losing all of your stuff and keeping all of your levels?

Re: death question
 

Because that would really, really suck.



Pat

Re: death question
 

The easiest answer is, "The rules say so."

But, why do you think you should return to Level 1? The rules for Death are clear, and there doesn't have to be a reason for it, to be honest. That doesn't mean there isn't a reason (there is*), I just don't understand why the rules, as they are, can't be accepted.








* The game's premise is that you and your fellow players are playing in a role playing game (RPG). If you've traveled along with your fellow players, and everyone's the same level (in a true RPG, they should be pretty close), no GM in his right mind would have you roll up a brand new character that is "1st level," but rather let you adjust your new character to be the same level as the rest of the party.

Re: death question
 

I guess I'm not in my right mind!!!!

Re: death question
 

Even though the rules could be made to say arbitrarily anything (and then that would be the rule), I think it was good game design to make this rule about death as it is.

If death caused a player to lose all their levels, then to die while other players are advanced would essentially take you out of the running altogether. It would effectively mean you had lost the game, even though you were still playing. The most you could do is interfere with other players, but without hope for yourself. Not a fun proposition.

By retaining your levels, you are still disadvantaged by losing your stuff, but you could still be in the running. It makes the game still worth playing, thereby sustaining interest and fun.

[In an RPG, it would also be unwise to have widely mixed level characters because of the difficulty of matching to the level of foes. Either there is no challenge to the high level characters or the lower level characters are perpetually creamed. You see the same thing in the level of foes that various comic book heroes face.]

Re: death question
 

Exactly that. If your character dies early on and everyone is still close to the starting "level," maybe it's not big deal, but you're not going to run a D&D campaign with 4 players who are 10th level and one who's 1st level. That 1st level guy is going to be coming up with a new character every session.

Re: death question
 

I don't know about this. One person I play with seems to make this her mission. Generally I am the target which is fine. I still manage to win occasionly

Re: death question
 

It depends on the group, but someone who can make lemonade out of some old cement and a few bricks is rare. Many people would find that they'd rather just be out of the game than suddenly at Level 1 with nothing while everyone else is towering about at Level 7+. This is supposed to be a fun game, not a game where everyone is really out to beat up on each other. As for your friend, most people would get tired of that kind of player. Playing to beat on everyone else is a losing gambit more often than not, in my experience.

Re: death question
 

Oh ugh there is a girl in one group I play with who makes it her mission to screw with me as much as possible, because one day over a year ago I won 6 games in a row. Every face-down curse she draws is directed my way, every monster enhancer is thrown to block my low level easy kills. The best part is that she hasn't won a single game in all this time, because her idea of victory is me not winning.

Nicest girl I've ever met outside of the game, however.

Re: death question
 

I would say that as long as you don't win the game then she "wins" in her mind....lol....
That would seem silly after all this time though....