Edit: I’ve move this sentence to the top: –> If you bust the PC down to 1st level with only basic equipment (and I’m not against that), then there is no need to read on …

I’ve often wondered if PC death leads to party advancement …

:: Often when a PC dies this happens

PC dies Party (maybe) sheds a tear Party loot the body of gold, armour and magic items, and leave the body for carrion crawlers Dead PC’s player gets new PC; usually at around-ish party level and equipped with new magic items Net result, the party’s position has improved :: Suggested ritual disposal mechanic (as above) (as above) Party need to ritually dispose of the body All gold and/or XP spent ritually disposing of the dead PC goes into the new PCs XP/GP pot spend. For example, a lavish burial inclusive of burying the PC with all their in life possessions and laid to rest on a bed of gold and +1 swords The total GP/XP pot for the new PC should probably not surpass the dead PC’s XP total at death (‘power gamers’ would be on this loophole like a whippet) Net result party position is not improved by the PC’s death

Pros:

Dead PCs are treated more than as a meat-popsicle loaded with loot

Reduces power creep based on PC death

Good way to consume excess gold (PCs could even save for a lavish send off)

Good way to remove all those excess but redundant magic items the players hoard, e.g. the proverbial +1 sword of just-in-case

Cons:

Players might think you (the DM) are being an arse

Dead PC’s player might be resentful if the other players don’t give up the loot to bring the PC up to spec …

Not so easy to generate a ‘decent’ replacement PC in the middle of the dungeon (but then again, maybe the PCs should be thinking of properly disposing of their dead comrade, not pressing on for more dungeon loot … )

Example 1:

7th Level Fighter JUBELO (taken from AD&D’s Tomb of the Lizard King)

dies and is is buried will all his possessions:

shield +2 (500 XP; 5,000 GP)

long sword +1, Nine Lives Stealer (1,600 XP; 8,000 GP)

potion of super heroism (450 XP; 750 GP)

horn of Valhalla (bronze) (2,000 XP; 30,000 GP)

Totals = 4550 XP + 43750 GP = 48300 XP/GP

So from the above, a DM has three choices to give GP/XP to the player to spend on the new PC (depending on how ‘hard’ the DM feels about PC death):

i.e.: 4.5K, 44K or 48K XP/GP pot.

For reference, the 1e PHB XP table is reproduced below for fighters:

Example 2: 7th Level Cleric AZURE (also taken from AD&D’s Tomb of the Lizard King)

dies and is buried will all her possessions: staff of curing (6,000 XP, 25,000 GP)

plate mail +2 (1,750 XP; 10,500 GP)

scroll with: divination (800 XP, 2,400 GP) remove curse (800 XP, 2,400 GP) find traps (800 XP, 2,400 GP)



Totals = 10150 XP + 42700 GP = 52850 XP/GP

Again, from the above, a DM has three choices to give XP to the player to spend on the new PC (depending on how ‘hard’ the DM feels about PC death):

i.e.: 10K, 43K or 53K XP/GP pot.

For reference, the 1e PHB XP table is reproduced below for clerics: Examples – conclusions First up there is no need to be quite so formal. A DM might simply take account of the ‘ritual burial’ and think “yes the rights have been well observed, I’ll give a new 5th level PC + some modest magic items etc. But, let’s work through some of the ‘crunch’ mentioned above: So, in the two above examples (taking the middle XP/GP pot option; i.e . the bolded option), the new PC would have about 50K to spend between (i) XP for levelling and (ii) gold for magic items (assuming the party buried the dead PC with all their possessions). But, the party might decide to keep back some choice magic items (lowering the total spend to below 50K). Or, if the DM is only using the XP value of the magic items (i.e. and not also it’s GP value of the item), the party might spend big on the funeral (e.g. 40K GP, assuming they have it), erecting a statue in the PC’s home town (adding to the total pot spend). Overall –> the way I’d probably do it would be to tell the player they have about 2/3 of the XP/GP pot to use as XP on the new class. Once the class is settled, I as the DM would probably pick out some appropriate class-related magic items (i.e. using the remainder of the XP/GP pot). Of course, there’s no fun as a player in picking your own magic items. Like less ‘crunch’ –> give the player a new PC which is about 3/4 the level of the rest of the party (or one or two levels lower). Give the PC no magic items, or 1 item per 2 (or 3) levels of new PC experience. My guess is that many DM’s instinctively use this method, but without requiring a ritual burial and/or the loss of any ‘party owned magic items’. However, by contrast, if the DM had simply gifted the party a replacement PC at 7th level with equivalent magic items, the party would have gained probably about 5-10,000 XP and 20-40,000 GP worth of magic items alone. This, just for dying. In some cases, arguably, this would be a better haul of loot than the loot in many a dungeon … Nonetheless, no matter what I say above, may be the ‘economy of PC death’ in your game works fine, and death is not a shortcut to net party improvement … or perhaps a natural check to a too hard scenario … in which case, of course, ignore all of the above. – – – Me on DriveThruDriveThru; at the moment I’m mainly pimping my procedural High Seas ‘Hex Crawl’ – In the Heart of the Sea.