DEATH! TPK! Nooooo!
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
- Guys, I think I'm dead. In this endless morass of tomfoolery, I do the big think on how to OWN the experience, gravity, and outcome of death in your game. Also, I converse with a plastic skull. Must see TV.
THANKS FOR TUNING IN!
Runehammeria: www.runehammer...
Join the Shield Wall: / runehammer
Tweet Tweet: / hankrinferinale
FB: / runehammer.games
________________________________________________
The following links are Amazon affiliate links that allow me
to earn a small kickback from your purchase, thanks for your support!
Gear I Use
My Pen of Choice: amzn.to/3VWANrK
Mjölnir Kettlebell (Strength): amzn.to/3MloulG
Paint I use (Honor): amzn.to/41sz3rr
Viking Mug (Beer): amzn.to/3I6X1Sa
Skeletor: amzn.to/42NuCsr
Lair of Knowledge
The Legacy of Mud: amzn.to/3VUwdKR
The Burning Wheel: amzn.to/3MkQmpZ
Retune: A Folded Path Book: amzn.to/44XYWTc
Necronomicon: amzn.to/3MlOzRy
The Complete Chronicles of Conan: amzn.to/3O5aBto
#runehammer
Oh yes, everybody remembers those Braveheart moments. One of my players retired his character by leaping into a portal to hell after a demon lord, axe in hand and a warcry on his lips. He disrupted the summoning ritual and collapsed the unholy temple the party had just fought through. His comrades believe he's still alive, locked in eternal battle with Atar, Lord of Demons...
...so I'm totally using him as an NPC later in the campaign.
@@TheSapientity So... did he return?
"They never hide behind rocks."
No. No they don't.
I am in awe of your skill and dedication! I can't believe how exciting you make a death session sound. 😜 I'm so glad you talk about absolution for players dying. As a PC who has been the first of the party to fail that last death save more than once... I can tell you, that is a suck feeling. But, you know what is 10 times worse? The realization that the DM now feels obligated to kill off the rest of the party! Nooooooo! I mean I'm cheering them on to the point of spewing meta all over the table, but I think he feels like I'll be torqued if I'm the only one in the party to croak... now that sucks mucho grande! That, or the other players go All Joan of arc, and cause their own tpk. I'd much rather reincarnate as a level 1 administrative assistant next week, and have the party endure...
This is an invaluable talk, I don't think I've ever heard an advice commentary on this before. +3
This is TPK OP! From Con 18 drunkens, straight to WIS 20 advice, with a bunch of INT and CHA research and presentation. Chuck in that high DEX for crafting and no way can your STR be the dump stat cos you're obviously repping those gym lumps, I think your Stats are too high..you're making the game too awesome! Chur!
12,000 views for more and better DM advice than everything published by TSR/WoTC combined since 1980. I get that there's some % of D&D players who don't want any competitive elements to their game; no possibility for failure. But I'm certain there's another 50%+ of gamers who would greatly prefer this style of game and they simply haven't been exposed to the ideas in a clear manner. Instead we get RUclipsrs declaiming "you're a bad DM if you don't fudge die rolls" partly because they believe it, and partly because they are otherwise attacked by the vociferous "Story uber alles, dude!" contingent.
Or you could just play story-games. "Joke's on you, DM! I narrate muh resurrection thusly: 'My anime hobbit wielding dual katanas and a fedora springs back to life and screams 'Not today, Sauron!' Then he channels the Power Cosmic and blows up Mordor and everyone loves him and proclaims him King of Pokemon. Your move, DM."
I'm getting ready for a d20 M campaign that I've sett up to be an alien invasion theme (like Falling Skies). The damage and stats at lvl1 are pretty insane, so I'm telling my players that death is a real threat. They have around 10-13 HP and regular firearms deal 2d6 DMG. Guns matter and must be respected. If they die I hope to have interesting NPCs they can inhabit or something.
Wisdom +3 on this one. Excellent video essay! During our most recent session (only the third of this campaign) the party of six level 1 PCs had a near TPK. I was incorporating several wonderful Drunkens & Dragons room mechanics (like the 4d timer & 8d monster spawn), and though they were only facing swarms of low HP poodle-sized spiders, they indeed behaved as if they were invincible... until they weren't, and half the party had failed 3 death saves - but were stabilized at the last moment. Sitting back I thought, "wow, this might be it for this crew unless they change their strategy - unless they actually HAVE a strategy other than, 'Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!'" Turns out near-death taught the party to think outside the "kill everything" box.
Great advice in this vid: Making sure the players have other PCs ready in case of death, so they know it's a real possibility and not the end of the game. LOVE the "50 years later" scenario and the new heroes stumbling across the remains of the old! Also, thanks for absolving me from my guilt of murdering my friends (their characters, that is) and for the guidance regarding modding monster behavior instead of nerfing rolls. Keep it up!
Hhahaha youre fucked! I love it man!
Great DMing advice.
However, I feel like your words here, Hankerin, inspire to not be afraid of actual non-game death.
It happens, and it will hapen. But after all, it's not so bad, if your campaign was epic
Damn, I still remember the time when ~15 years ago colossal spider killed our whole adventuring party on some remote cave because of the bad rolls on our side. And it was the end of that campaign. Have to say that it was the one the best campaigns I have been part of because the massive slaughter that there were! So DMs, do not be afraid to wipe the whole party away, it will be remembered for ever (in a good way).
Anyone can help stabilize a dying PC - they just have to make a high enough medicine check right? The healers kit is suppose to have 10 charges that just auto win or something, but that's way too much faf to track and remember, so I just give PCS advantage if they have a healers kit, simple and works.
This video contains a lot of food for thought... a lot to chew on.
I have one player, a very good player, who said that he didn't want to play in any more DCC funnels, because he hated having his characters die so much.
This isn't a lily-livered person who isn't used to RPGs and who plays like he's invincible. He plays according to the characters he creates, and he creates some really compelling personalities. He doesn't do annoying things and claims, "It's what my character would do!" He plays well with others. And he comes up with the most amazing, creative stuff. He gets very involved with his characters very quickly, and he often comes up with brilliant solutions when the rest of the party is stumped. He also makes me and the other players laugh a lot.
A couple of times his solutions have literally left me stunned or debilitated with laughter.
So... ok. We play funnels when he cannot make it to the game, as we generally don't continue the main campaign when a player is missing who wants to be in on the main action. Some players are cool with things moving forward without them, some aren't. So we adapt.
Anyway, it hasn't come to pass yet, but... there may be a point in the future in which his character, despite preparations, gets killed. I don't know how he will take it. He might leave the table. I've been thinking about ways around it, ways to handle it, etc.
But, you know, you're right. If you are playing a D&D-based game, character death is a thing. It should always be on the table.
He tends to like more modern game systems in which player character death is a player choice and things like conceding like in Fate Core take its place. I've been on the fence with that... putting in a concession mechanic into our game.... but it doesn't feel right to me.
I mean, even my character just getting knocked out once was pretty much a death. I crit failed a save and my level 15 legally distinct muscled skeleton wizard got one shot by a child with a hand crossbow.
But it was fine, I broke a flower pot with my face, so I still won.
Awesome video! I have a little bit of a different view on the TPK. I don't like them and I don't like losing characters, however, we all have to ready to do just that and carry on. I played way back in the 80s and everyone worried just a bit about this. Lose a character and get asked a bunch of odd questions because there was a fear that someone would go James Dallas Egbert.
One trick is that groups play together as teams. It means sometimes forgoing an offensive action to get someone out of the way who is about to die. Another (I think) is continuing to challenge players so that they don't get risk averse at higher levels. You have to be willing to take calculated risks with your characters. If not, it's just not as fun.
Again, awesome video!
HankerinThe advice about cheering for the players and referring to the actions of the monsters as a third party separate from the DM and that the DM is surprised by its actions is BRILLIANT. I have always been conflicted on what role I should play when the monster does a great deal of damage, I can't cheer because it sounds as if I am against the players so I have normally just reported the results dispassionately. Your suggestion is awesome because it will allow me to be engaged but not antagonistic.Another brilliant video, thanks.
My biggest fear is my players getting complacent b/c so far, they've had insanely good rolls. But, before we started, I told them that death was an extremely possible option b/c Princes has several factions, and not playing them properly would make the entire campaign feel fake and boring
This is awesome advice. I struggle with trying to find balance. I don't want to kill players but a non-deadly adventure is boring. I am learning to embrace PC death. It is a necessary part of a good adventure.
I had the epiphany a while ago while building my setting to exploit death in RPGs as a way to world build around this possible sticky outcome. I anticipate death as a possible consequence and play the game of "How do I make this new Deus Character Machina into a world building exercise." This means asking how the arrival of the new monk can be explained and what new part of the setting I create to give their emergence a plausible backstory. Now I have a monastery to roughly outline and have waiting in the wings, or a martial arts order or mercenary corp for more imaginative players.
Death can also be the end of the adventure, but not the setting as you suggested. As long as the tragedy and action was sold well, then I doubt saltier veterans would be troubled by it. Then the TPK can end as a session 0 for the next series of adventures and we can discuss where they want to see the consequences of the setting go and that kind of thing. You can just hop right on into a new entire campaign and appear as wide macroscopic wizard to these players too.
I of course respect any gaming group that feels comfortable with not dying. To each their own and if they have fun simply being thespians or hardcore video game players with reset buttons and what not, then the only thing that matters is reading the group and making that fun too.
I once allowed a werewolf in a group of hunters (World of Darkness) because the player was being annoying as hell that he wanted to be a werewolf (at least he stopped asking to be scooby doo);
so, they were trying to stop this cult that had attacked one of the hunters of the guild without first discovering what they were up to, and up to that point everything was allright... untill the damn werewolf wented frenzy and part wiped the rest of the group, getting killed by a character that was bleeding to death with no sign of help nearby, effectivelly ending the chronicle/campaign. The thing is, I forgot about the bleeding out rules, and ended the session as if there was going to be another one... just to realize hours later that it had indeed being a party-wipe and that noone else knew about the cult...
Nice video. Modern D&D has gotten players used to combat with pump damage into one enemy at a time as the only solution. When players encounter something different, they get confused and die.
I think I'll be taking this advice to heart this Sunday. I do not expect all of my players' characters to survive.
players never jump out the window ;)
Great video! Watch the video twice some really inspirational stuff.
Why did you pit us against those monsters?! They killed us! Why did you stay in a loosing battle? Why didn't you run?
Yup, sometimes I wonder if D&D isn't all one huge lesson: "F'n run, stupid!" :)
The NPCs get TPK'd all the time and you don't see DMs crying!
Thanks drunkens and dragons guy... i needed this because in my home brew, i am using my newfound play d&d like a big old badass skills that i learned from you and a few others to design KOOKOO KRAZY set piece ENCOUNTERZZZZZ that require the players to think and work together or perish... They are just lethal enough that if they make any mistake (like to rush in an get surrounded or run ahead & trigger another wave of monsters before a fight is over) they are gonna die, and they have made these mistakes and, thankfully, have been able to pull out in time most often, but on one occasion the party split led to an unfortunate demise... PS, one disagreement -- I prefer Lady Gaga to the Superbowl. But I don't have TV so I missed the Lady Gaga show, and the warmup football show.
HAHAH
Man these are some of the best tabletop RPG videos.
Do you have any live/recorded games that you have run?
YES! BRAVEHEART THAT SHIT. Excellent advice. 💀
Fantastic video! I have yet to experience a TPK but I know I will come across it soon or later.
Here's how I, as a DM, would handle a TPK:
"Armok, God of Blood, had grown tired of this universe, the main... entertainment, being killed. He then hoists the universe onto the anvil of creation to be reforged anew."
In layman's terms: either scrap the campaign so far, incorporate some ideas and/or actions into other campaigns, or, in UNDERTALE terms: a True Reset.
However, I may let the party know to have a healer in the group at all times (and indeed, if that healer would ever go away crank the damage dial up a notch or two), and/or to keep at least 1 or 2 backup characters, and the bard to... kek kek kek... have scores of backup bards, if _The Gamers: Dorkness Rising_ teaches us anything.
"Hide behind the mound of dead bards!"
Here's how I rework the revival spells:
*None of them result in actual level loss or otherwise-permanent injury... but they have some sort of equivalent exchange:
*Raise Dead has you raise to 1 hit point, with the same durations on the negative status ailments you had at your point of death
*Resurrection resurrects you to 1/4 of your max hit points, round down... or round up if max hit points is 4 or less
*True Resurrection... never resulted in level loss, so...
*Reincarnation uses a custom, CL 1 reincarnation table, and could allow the reincarnate to completely re-assign levels. Does _this_ idea, in particular, sound OP?
reincarnation tables sound fun, backup bards are a given
I mean, have scores and _scores_ of backup bards.
Could you make a video about the creative process behind your books?
YES
I've never killed a character, but many have died. I have never mourned the loss, but they shall always be remembered.
Loved this video, great job. I'll be watching this one again.
finally! the one which legend spoke of returns to the screen once more! and lo the townsfolk and adventurers rejoiced
By the gods this video could not have come at a more opportune time. Thank you wise DM
First of all: Awesome video!
Secondly: I just found your channel a few weeks ago, and I am totally sold, spending a lot of time watching almost all of your content. Your videos ooze so much passion for our hobby, they contain so much distilled, and profound informations, that they actually made me doing notes on them in my GM's-Book, and personally I can't think of a bigger compliment that I could make! So keep up the awesomeness!
Oh, and third: I got the Index Card RPG Vol 1 and 2 just days ago, superb stuff! Then I read you will make this an actual game, what else can I say as: sign me in for it!
Great new vid, maybe just in time for my group tomorrow :-)
Great video. I love your enthusiasm. It really jumps off the screen. And your words are packed with wisdom too!
The only part I'm not sure about is stopping the session the instant a character dies. It makes sense to do something to stop the dead player from sitting around doing nothing... but doesn't this mean you basically lose out on sessions every time someone dies? Could be a lot of lost gaming. That, and couldn't you squeeze a lot of drama out of the character's death? Do you think it's still better to stop it mid-way instead of milking the death for the drama?
yeah it doesnt have to be THAT INSTANT, but within a few narrative beats.
Would love to see the clicks written down, so that I can read 'em, when I can come back for advice
Thank you so much for these videos! They are incredibly helpful and entertaining. You also seem like the nicest person I've ever seen, or at least somewhere in the Top 3. Such good vibes, man!
haha thanks! please help spread the word!
This hobby is having its impact on social interaction :)
great video! Recently I found myself guilty of fudging a role because I didnt want to kill my friends first level character, but your point about how the dice rolls must be impartial or the game doesnt work really makes sense. thanks!
Max well there is a method to not fudging the die and not killing your friends pc (outside of combat at least) say you have a pc walking across a bridge boom the rope snaps roll 1d20 to grab the edge fail, you miss your fingers scratch at the wooden bridge failing to gain purchase. roll to catch a dangling rope fail you miss the rope slipping through your fingers. other players nearby roll to catch him/her success you catch their hand as you hang on the bridge and the others join in to help pull him/her up panting at your near death you dare to look down to what would have been your fate. stalagmites and sharp rock meet your gaze. you would of been impaled without any recourse, shuddering you turn back to your friends. then pcs get off the bridge and continue on their journey harrowed but safe.
One of your most inspiring videos so far! Ever have a player who was tired of playing their character and wanted to kill it off on purpose so they could roll up a new one?
"absolve thy self ..." AMEN!
great video Hank! can you give tips on how to bring a party together? how does an orc, an elf an a gnome for example find themselves together? what gathers characters from different races, beliefs of different deities, and families of different wealth and power?
This is some great stuff Ive struggled with these issues for years as a DM and its easy to fall into the trap of allowing the game ( or the players) to make you feel like your DMing stye is bad or flawed because there were deaths or a rare TPK. I think some of this for my groups has a to do with the gamest/computer character mentality of many of my players where everything is always balanced for everyone and there is always a redo....
ABSOLVE THYSELF! Man, I still vibe off of your thinking: know when its a dm's game and when it's a player's game... neither is best, just KNOW when its changing
Hank is a tabletop genius and I want to be his friend
By the gods this video could not have come at a more opportune time. Thank you wise DM
I've been having discussions in a FB group all day about this. I have a bard at my table who is in it all for himself (picture Deadpool with a lute). He plays well with the players, but his character's actions are well known for just going in, balls to the wall.
Anyway, they're in an appropriated map from Warcraft -- the Sunken Temple -- and the large central round chamber has at it's perimeter six alcoves. Each alcove has a nightmare speaker yuan-ti and two purebloods. The bard is chasing down another pureblood and has cornered her and a malison (who currently is convinced he's being eaten by a bag of devouring). The other six players are back in the main chamber.
Did I forget to mention they're all level four and the monk shouted, "Come get me you snake bitches!"
They're all gonna die. Thanks for the video. It's preparing me for that fact. Is it too meta to prepare them to "rethink" their actions by saying, "Hey guys, ya know, just in case...roll up a new character for Wednesday."
yes to meta...never stop believing...never plan to fail
Amazingly enough, they did not die. 2.5 hours of maybe 7-8 rounds of combat and they're down to 5/6 nightwhisperers, 11/13 purebloods (including the solo one they were chasing), and even managed to kill the malison.
Now, to cross-video reference your library, we also had "the moral issue" going on. Turns out two of the eight prisoners they rescued had been given "something to drink last night" and were on their way to becoming broodguards. Two of the characters made the decision to dispatch them and intimidated the others to make sure no one else had "eaten or drank anything".
They're in a choke point right now, and may have an escape route. Still not 100% they're all getting out alive, but I stuck to my guns and let the dice and the players decide how it went down.
wow, that video was so epic and funny at the same time
Simply the best DM advice video on RUclips.
dammn! you humble a fool, sir!
Been spending my hungover day off binging your vids and reading DCC, love them! I tend to spoil my players and have hardly killed any PC in my many years of GMing but I'm trying to get better about that.
Slightly perplexed though how would I handle individual death and wrapping up the session quickly but try to get a TPK? Seems like a lot of start and stop, maybe I just didn't understand the technique I'm still slightly drunk. Thanks for the video brother!
death moves from grim world!
Thanks for the amazing content, its great that you share so many good ideas with us!
Describing Drunkens and Dragons: "It's uh [finishes drink - burps] intellectual."
PS "Death is bad balls" - isn't that Shakespeare? :)
no one stays dead in comics....
Love the shared wisdom. I just started a new campaign with a new group a couple weeks ago. I've been trying not to roll behind my screen, but sometimes I end up doing so. I've been using the d4 timer a lot. This is a roll I definitely display out in the open. It builds suspense and gets the party in a panic (love it). I like my screen to hide my maps and minis before I bust them out, but I find that I start rolling behind my screen when things get hairy for the group. As you mentioned, the fear of killing off my players weighs on me. Also, I use a critical hit chart... on a roll of a natural 20, I tell the player to roll the percentile dice and then we look up the effects on the critical hit chart (very cool results, and the crit fumbles are cool too). In my opinion double damage for natural 20s is a little boring. Let my players decapitate evil doers or sever some arms off. The only problem with that is I find myself nerfing the 20s I roll. What should I do? Any advise is welcome. I would like a way to expose all my rolls so that the battles really get tense but at the same time I want to conceal my maps and minis so I can place them on the table as they advance into the unknown... Show me the way sensei
Fantastic video! the TPK portion is especially creative on how to continue in a world (like mine where I create an entire world and contenents, cities and people) that you pour MONTHS of creative work into, just a new party in the same place having to live with mistakes of a past life. so simple yet so profound. once again great video and keep it up!
I want a Chicheroni!
yes. yes you do.
Hide behind those rocks!
Mind blown. I love the idea of having a follow up campaign/story line in the face of a TPK and the whole world paid for it.
Yeah, when I saw that Matt Mercer stole your chat de fuego I totally lost it, lol! Anyways, thanks for another awesome video Hankerin!
Us the goddamn coaster
This is absolutely one of the best DM advice videos I have ever seen. I really appreciate you sharing Mr Hank! Thank you!!!
This is honestly amazing. I don't know how I'm gonna get other people to watch a 36 minute video, but I'm gonna try
Best DnD video on youtube,
Wisdom! Thanks.
I think this is my new favourite RUclips video on any GM/ttrpg topic. I can tell you've used time and focus and put a lot of thought into this, and I feel you really took a lot into account, and balanced perfectly the treacherous Hang Bridge of Useful Advice and Shits and Giggles.
Really love it...and one more thing:
I really didn't think I cared that much about default gender pronouns, but hearing you use woman as the default gender within the first minute got me way more excited than I'd have ever thought, so there! - and you changing back and forth and using neutral words throughout the video...turns out I really appreciated that at a deeper level than anticipated.
I learned something about myself today, so thank you. :)
kind words! It may seem silly to some, but I have always been huge on using both genders..not as a forced political habit, but a sign of wider thinking! Including all people in THOUGHT is the first step to a wider world, and showing that thought in words is the second. Thanks for noticing :D
Drunkens & Dragons: Play D&D Like a Badass I don't feel it's silly at all - I just think that those 25 years in the hobby I have, seeing it change on and off, little by little, but mostly to the better, I've been in a place of complacent patience. A bit lazy, even.
Somehow your wording in the first part of the video got to me in a new way, and now I'm an all Leonardo DiCaprio strutting mood, so thanks, ha ha!
Have a sweet ass day, man.
20>15 years ago we had 4 TPKs that built upon each other for a final group of heroes that survived to challenge the BBEG.
TPKs that lead into further story development is da best.
Absolve thyself!!
Awesome vid Hankerin! It's so cool that you keep a thought journal too. I find it really helps me to think critically about how I'm thinking. More ideas come to me while I'm reflecting on my musings than when I'm sitting at the desk hammering out a project. Just finishing up city map and wondering how it would look if Godzilla attacked it!
This was awesome! +1 fan right here. Also: you make me want to clear off my table and start making terrain
I know this is an old video, but ending the gaming session on after a party member has passed is one of the most solid pieces of advice I have heard. I’ve never seen it and never witnessed it (except that that combat was the end of the session, but it seems very right.
THE SKULL!!
I have three rules to make a living breathing world:
1) Powerful 'enemies' exist, so notice the signs and avoid dangers beyond your control. Stay on the road and in the light, or step into the unknown at your own peril, but know when you are in way over your head.
2) Powerful 'allies' exist, which will battle great evil all over the world. Do not feel bad when you cannot take on that demon lord, others might come along eventually to take care of it. But if you are able to deal with it earlier, you might save lives.
3) Powerful heroes you will become, this is your story and how you want to shape yourself and the world. The line between good and evil is thin and drawn by the victors. Death is around the corner, so live your life to the fullest and stay true to yourself.
Dude you're my hero. What you said about not fudging rolls, that's how I DM too
We had a total party failure once... Some reason someone dropped a cursed weapon into a mystic pool... That contained the archdruid and killed mother nature... I missed one day and this happens.
Brilliant advice! I'm going to make all my game master friends watch this.
New Video Hype!
This is perfect timing! My party is n the brink of getting wiped in our fourth session and I was at a loss for what to do. Thank you kind sir!
Sir you are my hero.
Best DM Ever!
Stumbled upon this just before a recent session and all credit for the great time we had goes to this video. We came very close to a character death and it became a very dramatic event including great efforts by the other characters to rescue the dying one. It all worked out in the end but the transparency of the fight really made it tense. Everyone knew the stakes and knew it would happen soon if they didn't do something. Huge thanks to Hankerin for his insight.
Good stuff. Although I can't seem to find my malort
"Be generous with stabilize." Recently an event, that was ruled against: do you feel a Wizard familiar can stabilize? Pro/con thoughts welcomed.
no...only humanoids can do that..no drone stabilizing lol
OOOOOHHHHH YEAAH! You know it's gonna be a good day when there's a new video from Hank on them there yewtoobes!
TFW you come in 4 years later to rewatch a video and see your own comment at the top lol
How do you go to the next scene if all the characters are dead?
JP Morris dropped and dead aren't always the same
Good point, thanks, Hank.
Awesome advice. This might be my favorite video of yours to date.
Why did you remove this earlier? Had to fix something?
yep!
Lellerz lol
What brand is Proscan
just a tv
Solid video btw. Enjoyed it.
"Justin Bieber"?!
Could you give us homework?
??
A book to read or a writing prompt, something to launch our creative drive and prepare us for game night. I realize that homework isn't a word that sounds exciting, so how about a "Quest for knowledge!".
Ah! Well, consider gearing up for the next chapter in PRISONERS of MOLOK... are your players to 'The Black Ocean' yet?
Unfortunately, I am just getting past my "I make everything from scratch!" phase and haven't run, anything outside my own design. I'll look deeper into it though.
2 minute intro was horrible, get to it man.
gerbster14 lol
Was a good listen though once it got started :)
"If a character dies, end that session as quickly as possible." I respectfully disagree, it's not my responsibility as DM to end the conflict and get everyone out of there. In my opinion if a character dies the party should be figuring out exit strategies immediately, the game continues and it's time to retreat with the character's corpse and attempt to resurrect them via temple or cleric or by some other arcane means. Alternately players could (and I think should) have pre-rolled back-up characters that exist in the event of eventual death of a character; players flee leaving their fallen comrade behind and alert their comrade's brother/sister/cousin etc. of their fate and go back with the new character to avenge their death and possibly (maybe) retrieve the body. There are all sorts of ways to quickly introduce a new character to a group without interrupting the flow of the game.
Thanks for the comment. If you can keep that fire burning, and the energy flowing than yes I agree... but the 'guy sitting out' problem is the real rub
Easy Peudo-deus ex machina has solved the problem in more than one of my games since I started DMing; The fallen player is a spirit who can't actually do anything to physically effect the outcome of anything but can communicate with the party through the cleric or some sort of arcanist if the party has no cleric for whatever reason. Cheers!
hmmm.. still gimped... I would hate that state