My Character's Perfect Death
And what new DMs can learn from it
If you’re new to the newsletter or you don’t read every issue I, occasionally, talk about my Monday night Shadowdark game. This past Monday was the end of Elinar the Witch and it was glorious.
In our last session, our party was chased up a group of trees by a horde of undead. We sat in the tree, minding our own business, until one of the “special” undead, the one with glowing read eyes that can track, via infrared vision I guess, the trail of the living (that being us).
One of these Undead Terminators “caught wind” of my trail and decided to climb my tree. I attempted to cast Shadowdance, an illusion spell, to create a fake branch to cover my trail. Critical fail!! Which means, I had to roll on the Diabolical Mishap Table.
I rolled a 7 which is Cackling, which means I fall to the ground and can only laugh hysterically for 3 rounds. The worst roll I could get. I start to fall and my DM gives me a Dex check to see if I can grab a branch. I succeed on a 16, but the Undead Terminator skeleton grabs by boot.
The Undead Terminator, on its turn, stabs its boney finger into my leg and did 5 points of damage, leaving me with 2.
My protege’s Gunrey and Burns get to go. Gunery throws his spear and hits but only does 1 point of damage. Burns throws and hits with a critical hit and causes 6 points of damage. The skeleton is probably almost dead, but it is imbedded in my flesh, weighing me down.
My turn. I must roll a strength check to see if I can hang on. I must roll a 12 or above, 11.
Elinar falls, cackling, into the undead horde, and is carried away into the darkness, never to be seen again.
This is Shadowdark.
Not only was I not mad about this, it confirms what I believe a characters’s death should be like.
Cinematic
To me, cinematic has a lot to do with the who as the how. If you watch any of the episodes of our life play Elinar is frequently rolling terribly. Her death was no shock to me. It was a long time coming.
Think of the tv show The Waling Dead, you can just tell when someone is not going to make it. Elinar’s death would have fit perfectly in that show.
Tim’s description of my death was a fitting end to a great character arc. I could not have asked for a better death.
Avoidable
Pure luck played a part in Elinar’s death. My DM, Tim, gave me an out i.e. grab the branch and the dice decided.
Tim did not fudge dice to let me live, he let me roll and decide my own fate. Letting characters die is part of the game and a good DM can alway give death a certain amount of dignity if they choose to.
Final
Elinar was dragged away. There was no coming back. No Death Saves. This is a principle of old school gaming. That is not to say you cannot make house rules if you want.
In learn to play sessions, if there is a character death, I offer players options
Re-Roll a new character
Become a spirit and only one of the party can see you and allow you to possess them for your turn
A deity encounter, where you meet your god and what awaits you in the after life. That deity may send you back with a disadvantage and a task to perform.
But there is nothing wrong with finality, a viking funeral or being dragged away by a horde of zombies.
If you’re a DM, let me know how you have run character deaths.