My man it was session 2, it was my first campaign, would you make sure to instakill the character of the first time player without any chance for resurrection on the second session?
And? The only reason that it being your first campaign even matters is because it is memorable. The issue is that you went into a game expecting one thing, and got another. You were not informed on how that game usually ran. Whether that is due to their lack of telling or your lack of asking, I do not know. But I also only have your side of this story. All I can tell for sure is that your character died, you're still upset over it, and there were issues between you and the group. But if I had to hazard a guess, you weren't informed on how that group's game was usually played, and you went in expecting plot armor when that game just doesn't play that way. It's unfortunate, but it happens. Miscommunication is a thing, and so is disappointment. Learn from it, instead of acting like killing characters is the mark of satan or something.
As for whether or not I would kill off a new player's character? That highly depends on what the situation was which led to that point, how Mature they are a person, how their life is currently going, and infinite other variables. Thus, I can not give a single answer in good conscience. It depends entirely on the situation, both in game and in real life. While I prefer to give one freebie, I am also not above characters dying as consequences to their own actions. Someone who decides to charge headlong into a Goblin cave, screaming a war cry, is probably not going to last long. Someone who decides to go in with a plan and a group has a good chance.
Still, would it not make more sense to go after the characters who were still up? The unconscious character isn’t a threat to the attackers, the ones who are up are threats.
Honestly, that really is a great question. And I can totally see why you might think that. But you would probably be really surprised at how often people will get back up when you think that they're unconscious, or even dead- especially in the absolute chaos that is a fight between groups. There's a damn good reason why when military trainees are taught movement drills such as clearing an area after the fight dies down, they are trained to kick weapons away from supposed corpses who are armed, and kick their feet while watching them for a reaction with a rifle trained on them. Reaching in to check for signs of life gets people killed. Until you are sure that they are dead, they are a still a threat.
Adrenaline is one Hell of a drug, and people very often miss things in chaotic scenarios. In combat, you make sure whether or not the enemy is dead. You do not ever just assume that your enemy is dead. People like to pretend to be dead, and people can do insane things in their last moments. Assuming gets you and/or your buddies killed. But what they do in order to make sure is up to the individual's training, and their morals. Historically speaking- a lot of real and supposed corpses got stabbed or shot. Today, you're supposed to report it if you find an injured enemy, take them prisoner, and give them medical care. Some people just shoot them. It's actually a war crime- ifit actually gets reported.
So in a medieval world with medieval morals, with the addition of magic and items that can ensure that you don't die on the first hit? It would be all the more important to make sure. It's the work of a moment, so why wouldn't you eliminate that risk if it only takes a split second?
Also- a character, Player or Non-Player, who is enraged specifically at one target may not stop attacking after they go down. Adrenaline and combat provides that kind of mindless focus. Plenty of confirmed real life reports exist of people and animals that have just kept on attacking after their target went down. So there's that angle, too.
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u/ZionRedddit DM (Dungeon Memelord) 1d ago
My man it was session 2, it was my first campaign, would you make sure to instakill the character of the first time player without any chance for resurrection on the second session?