Death in tabletop games is a funny thing. It holds a different weight for each gaming group, depending on how the group handles the rules of the game they’re playing. For some groups death is just a speed bump in the campaign, for others it’s a huge deal to grief over. If your group is less punishing, then a death in the party can be fixed by a simple ritual. If yours is a little less forgiving, then the death of a character means they won’t be coming back to that table ever again.
If you find yourself at a more relaxed table, then death may not be a big deal to you. At least not to your real self. But consider what sort of toll that takes on your character. Your character has suffered enough pain to kill him, had his soul dragged out, and stuffed back into his body shortly after. Trauma like that is sure to affect your character somehow. This can lead to some very interesting character growth. How that growth plays out is up to you, but if it’s played out well then death can end up breathing new life into your character.
Maybe your group is a little more brutal, treating death as a finality. This gives more weight to a character’s death, since it means that character will no longer be part of the story. Although something is being taken away with this play style, it leaves room for something new to add to the game. Unless the situation is rushed, your party will most likely want to grief for your fallen comrade. This could lead to an entire game based off the deceased’s funeral. Something like that is very character driven and offers a unique opportunity to explore everyone’s character.
No matter how your group handles death, death is a very important story telling tool. It paves the road to a more interesting story, but only if you’re willing to drive it. Of course death should be avoided at all costs. To do this, be sure to keep those dice rolling high!
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