Lacking Natural Simplicity (Posts about 1e)https://tkurtbond.github.io/categories/1e.atom2024-01-23T18:49:47ZT. Kurt BondNikolaGygax on Character Deathhttps://tkurtbond.github.io/posts/2020/02/20/gygax-on-character-death/2020-02-20T13:27:26-05:002020-02-20T13:27:26-05:00T. Kurt Bond<p>In the article <a class="reference external" href="https://dmdavid.com/tag/turning-dd-character-deaths-into-deal-that-benefits-game-and-story/">Turning Character Deaths in D&D Into Deals that
Benefit Game and Story</a>, David Hartlage (<a class="reference external" href="https://dmdavid.com/">DM David</a>) points out an
interesting quote from Gary Gygax in the <cite>DMG</cite> on Character Death. (The
whole post is worth reading, as are <a class="reference external" href="https://dmdavid.com/tag/start-here-my-most-popular-and-favorite-posts/">many of his others</a>.)</p>
<p>I went looking for the quote so I could give a more complete reference
for it. (PDF versions of old gaming books are wonderful!)</p>
<p>In the first edition <cite>AD&D</cite> <a class="reference external" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeon_Master%27s_Guide#Advanced_Dungeons_&_Dragons">Dungeon Master's Guide</a>, on p. 110, in the
section “Conducting the Game”, subsection “Rolling the Dice and
Control of the Game”, Gary Gygax wrote:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Now and then a player will die through no fault of his own. He or
she will have done everything correctly, taken every reasonable
precaution, but still the freakish roll of the dice will kill the
character. In the long run you should let such things pass as the
players will kill more than one opponent with their own freakish
rolls at some later time. Yet you do have the right to arbitrate
the situation. You can rule that the player, instead of dying, is
knocked unconscious, loses a limb, is blinded in one eye or invoke
any reasonably severe penalty that still takes into account what
the monster has done. It is very demoralizing to the players to
lose a cared-for-player character when they have played well. When
they have done something stupid or have not taken precautions,
then let the dice fall where they may!</p>
</blockquote>
<p>On a side note, every time I read the original <cite>DMG</cite> I'm amazed at
everything that Gygax managed to fit into that book. Of course, when
I read the three booklets of original <cite>D&D</cite> I'm amazed at what he
managed to fit in those as well.</p>