My creative mind is in the dump right now and I need help with killing off a character because the player has just up and left (don't ask please).
I'm running the barber of silverymoon and the players are basically at the end. It is the encounter that takes place with the 40 to 50 Xvarts and the evil hag. We stopped when they had just entered the cavern and see the hag with all her minons.
There are 3 player characters in total. Any suggestions on how I can do this without having to really run the character? I don't have access to the character sheet for the stats of the character.
If you know the class, level and race the missing character which I would expect you probably would, then just create an NPC with the same player character template and run them as an NPC. It doesn't need to be a perfect match to whatever was there before, just a match from general abilities and a role playing point of view. Clearly, the other players know that the player isn't coming back for whatever reason so I would just keep the NPC until after the big fight at the end then have the character head off on their own adventures perhaps after they return to town.
I don't see any reason to just kill them off just before the final fight unless you are feeling vindictive (which is generally not a good a idea for a DM). If the fight is hard enough then the party might welcome the assistance of an NPC. Anyway, since you are near the end, it isn't a long term situation so just make up a matching NPC to replace the PC and finish it off.
If you really don't want the character around then just have them see the evil hag and her minions and suffer a morale failure. "If we attack her, we're all going to die. You can do what you want but I am leaving." and have the former PC head back out the way you came in assuming it is possible and leave the adventure entirely.
You really don't need much of an explanation to be honest.
Recast them as an NPC pre-gen that is of the same level/class/race and pretend they were with the party all along. If you're set on killing them off, run their character as an NPC getting destroyed at the very beginning of the fight in a bout of bad luck/hubris.
Might I suggest a noble, offscreen end for this character? So you don't have to outright kill them off or run the character through combat?
Add a few more dozen Xvarts and at the beginning have this character announce they're going to try and draw off as many minions as possible so the rest of the group can have a chance at the hag. State that it's probably a suicide mission but it's the only way! Then either have them make some epic taunt or attack to draw attention before dashing off "screen". Have enough Xvarts follow to make the ploy worth it, while leaving enough for the fight to still be a good one. Depending on the way your players react you can either leave the character's fate a mystery or have them discover the body later. Either way the character gets a glorious, noble end.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Homebrew (Mostly Outdated):Magic Items,Monsters,Spells,Subclasses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
I killed off a character because the player was sick of it. We created Hag armor which was cursed, which she put on. It transformed her into a hag which the party had to fight, complete with Imps that she summoned.
I don’t think I would kill off the PC. I think it can send a bad message to the rest of your players. If the PC leaves the group, in one of the many ways mentioned previously, the other players know that you are not vindictive and you may allow players to return if issues can be resolved.
My creative mind is in the dump right now and I need help with killing off a character because the player has just up and left (don't ask please).
I'm running the barber of silverymoon and the players are basically at the end. It is the encounter that takes place with the 40 to 50 Xvarts and the evil hag. We stopped when they had just entered the cavern and see the hag with all her minons.
There are 3 player characters in total. Any suggestions on how I can do this without having to really run the character? I don't have access to the character sheet for the stats of the character.
If you know the class, level and race the missing character which I would expect you probably would, then just create an NPC with the same player character template and run them as an NPC. It doesn't need to be a perfect match to whatever was there before, just a match from general abilities and a role playing point of view. Clearly, the other players know that the player isn't coming back for whatever reason so I would just keep the NPC until after the big fight at the end then have the character head off on their own adventures perhaps after they return to town.
I don't see any reason to just kill them off just before the final fight unless you are feeling vindictive (which is generally not a good a idea for a DM). If the fight is hard enough then the party might welcome the assistance of an NPC. Anyway, since you are near the end, it isn't a long term situation so just make up a matching NPC to replace the PC and finish it off.
If you really don't want the character around then just have them see the evil hag and her minions and suffer a morale failure. "If we attack her, we're all going to die. You can do what you want but I am leaving." and have the former PC head back out the way you came in assuming it is possible and leave the adventure entirely.
You really don't need much of an explanation to be honest.
Heart disease.
Recast them as an NPC pre-gen that is of the same level/class/race and pretend they were with the party all along. If you're set on killing them off, run their character as an NPC getting destroyed at the very beginning of the fight in a bout of bad luck/hubris.
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InsiderMight I suggest a noble, offscreen end for this character? So you don't have to outright kill them off or run the character through combat?
Add a few more dozen Xvarts and at the beginning have this character announce they're going to try and draw off as many minions as possible so the rest of the group can have a chance at the hag. State that it's probably a suicide mission but it's the only way! Then either have them make some epic taunt or attack to draw attention before dashing off "screen". Have enough Xvarts follow to make the ploy worth it, while leaving enough for the fight to still be a good one. Depending on the way your players react you can either leave the character's fate a mystery or have them discover the body later. Either way the character gets a glorious, noble end.
Find me on Twitter: @OboeLauren
Maybe a the PC was killed offscreen and a Doppelganger took their place
Make a random volcano, and have him fall in. Always works for me.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I have them be ambushed and kill the NPC.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall.
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Homebrew (Mostly Outdated): Magic Items, Monsters, Spells, Subclasses
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If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
I killed off a character because the player was sick of it. We created Hag armor which was cursed, which she put on. It transformed her into a hag which the party had to fight, complete with Imps that she summoned.
I'm not seeing why you have the kill off the PC. If the player is not present, just have the character run away or something.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
Maybe the character gets whisked away to another plane as a result of a wish spell. Honestly there’s an infinite number of ways to do it.
Blank
I’d second the ideas for finishing them off screen, like oboe’s. That way if you ever want to use them again, you can bring them back.
Thank you for the suggestions. I appreciate it.
I don’t think I would kill off the PC. I think it can send a bad message to the rest of your players. If the PC leaves the group, in one of the many ways mentioned previously, the other players know that you are not vindictive and you may allow players to return if issues can be resolved.
He was actually a Doppleganger all along