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Author Topic: New Post-Death Mechanic?  (Read 1078 times)

rytrasmi

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New Post-Death Mechanic?
« on: November 30, 2020, 12:46:05 PM »
So, I had a brain fart listening to Pundit's latest video (the one about eliminating easy resurrection in new school games) and thinking about Microscope at the same time. It's like oil and water mixed and threw up a cloud of angry prickly steam. I want to know if this has been done before.

Given that:

1. OSR games are deadly and, in my view, this is a good thing. Character creation starts with "character creation" and arguably continues until the character dies; and

2. In Microscope, you can play dead characters by simply adding to the story at a time before their death. A character can die in the very first scene. If you want to know about that character, you just play a period/event/scene where that character was still alive. Essentially, you play a younger version of that character.

Q. Is there a published TTRPG mechanic/game that provides for play of earlier versions of dead characters?

Suppose during a campaign, Muffy the Mage gets axed in the head by a crazed gnome. Everyone is sad, but this is OSR and thems the breaks. Maybe later you play a one-shot set in the past where Muffy is alive and obivously younger. The other players could play younger versions of their characters or different characters entirely. Muffy is dead but can still be played. The one-shot might give rise to interesting things when the campaign is resumed, like: "We were sad when Muffy bought it, but reflecting on the past (the one-shot), she was kind of a bitch."
The worms crawl in and the worms crawl out
The ones that crawl in are lean and thin
The ones that crawl out are fat and stout
Your eyes fall in and your teeth fall out
Your brains come tumbling down your snout
Be merry my friends
Be merry

consolcwby

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Re: New Post-Death Mechanic?
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2020, 12:54:57 AM »
So, I had a brain fart listening to Pundit's latest video (the one about eliminating easy resurrection in new school games) and thinking about Microscope at the same time. It's like oil and water mixed and threw up a cloud of angry prickly steam. I want to know if this has been done before.

Given that:

1. OSR games are deadly and, in my view, this is a good thing. Character creation starts with "character creation" and arguably continues until the character dies; and

2. In Microscope, you can play dead characters by simply adding to the story at a time before their death. A character can die in the very first scene. If you want to know about that character, you just play a period/event/scene where that character was still alive. Essentially, you play a younger version of that character.

Q. Is there a published TTRPG mechanic/game that provides for play of earlier versions of dead characters?

Suppose during a campaign, Muffy the Mage gets axed in the head by a crazed gnome. Everyone is sad, but this is OSR and thems the breaks. Maybe later you play a one-shot set in the past where Muffy is alive and obivously younger. The other players could play younger versions of their characters or different characters entirely. Muffy is dead but can still be played. The one-shot might give rise to interesting things when the campaign is resumed, like: "We were sad when Muffy bought it, but reflecting on the past (the one-shot), she was kind of a bitch."
I just came across your post. When I played in the 80s and 90s, the deadliness of RPGs were directly proportionate to the skill of the DM and Players. Most people I played with never ever used random chance to determine success/failure when it came to traps or tricks. Moving slowly and deliberately searching through a dungeon with a 10' pole was a thing.  Combat? Fighting retreats, causing a cave-in to slow/block enemies was also a thing. Getting caught in that cave-in? A trend!  ;D But, we never really concerned ourselves with this since we always had hirelings for players to take over (NPC to PC).

As  far as your question goes, I don't recall any game with a mechanic for that. Most deaths took place between levels 1 to 3, and there wasn't much to roleplay for a level 0 PC. Besides, the one rule we always followed was: Keep The Campaign Moving Forward! Now, I DID use time travel once or twice for higher level characters, and I played in a campaign where we were spirits in the Ethereal Plane (kinda based on the Japanese Land Of The Dead belief - check it out for ideas: https://www.ancient.eu/Yomi/ ).  But, you already seem to have answered your own question! If you want to do a 1-shot, do one! Originally, RPGs were about putting your own twist on things, including homerules and handmade tables for your 'world'. Take my advice: Do what you want, and you'll be doing it 'correctly'!

Good Luck!  :)
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rytrasmi

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Re: New Post-Death Mechanic?
« Reply #2 on: December 09, 2020, 09:03:08 AM »
Thanks for the link! An underworld type adventure is a great idea to replay a dead PC.

I grew up with red box and AD&D 2E. Play was kind of deadly (it was fun to just roll up characters anyway), but mostly just really free and weird. I don't think we ever played a module straight. They went off the rails pretty quick.
The worms crawl in and the worms crawl out
The ones that crawl in are lean and thin
The ones that crawl out are fat and stout
Your eyes fall in and your teeth fall out
Your brains come tumbling down your snout
Be merry my friends
Be merry

consolcwby

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  • Feel the despair!
Re: New Post-Death Mechanic?
« Reply #3 on: December 09, 2020, 11:13:52 PM »
That's it! Keep thinking outside the box - a bit of light research can go a long way!
I once played a module the way it's supposed to... I'm still traumatized!  ;D (Actually, it went really well: http://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20090603212110/http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/dx20020121x8 )
We only ever played EX-2 though. It was fun, if a bit... strange! 
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                                                                                  https://youtu.be/ShaxpuohBWs?si