05-08-2022, 05:29 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-08-2022, 08:41 PM by Polyedit2000.)
Section 10: Death Sentences and Endings
In an RP, it is most likely that the GM and players want to achieve a "good ending". This is usually obtained after completing the most important goal; this can range from defeating the Big Bad to escaping a facility. However, RPs are not like stories since there are rules for success and failure, and some failures may end the game badly.
First, a good ending is the ideal conclusion of events. After the ending, the players should have no more reason to continue their adventure. Keep in mind that a RP is not like a story in the sense that players can come up with solutions that works in ways you did not plan. For example, if an asylum RP's good ending is achieved by escaping an asylum, players might choose to dig, disguise or explode their way out; these actions all achieve the same goal of escaping but may have different "minor" consequences. If you want a "better" ending, it may be ideal to tie the condition to extra objectives (escape before warden arrives, gather evidence of corruption) rather than a single path.
Then there are bad endings. These endings usually occur when every player is in no state to continue; this usually happens when all players are "dead", though certain status effects, states of inescapability or loss of purpose can fulfill this state as well. Alternatively, the GM can put in a "bad ending" if players drag the RP away from the main story. Neir Automata is a game filled with bad endings, by taking out their main chip or walking away from the story.
Usually, the main form of bad endings involve the party's death. In Dungeons and Dragons, death is mostly permanent; very few and powerful spells can reverse this status within a short time frame, which is why a bad ending rarely involves reviving the party. There are two ways to become dead: the most known way is to have the player's HP drop to 0, but they then have to fail three saving dice throws (or gain more damage) during this state to actually die. The second way is to get six stacks of Exhaustion, a special status effect that mainly occurs if a player fails to use survival skills (ie starvation and dehydration).
It should go without saying that a bad ending shouldn't be sprung at players without a warning. It is probably a better idea not to plan bad endings, though if you need to plan "deaths", high-HP damage factors like traps and creatures should give an illusion of a chance.
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I'm also aware that one of the rules I put down is "no death". What I mean is not to make that event (or any events leading up to that event) graphical. While some of the kinky RPs I've played did not experience death, there are ways to substitute death, both the status effect and the system.
The status effect "death" depends on what your RP is and can be substituted for a bad ending or a KO. For example, an asylum escape RP can send failed players to solitary confinement, which can be A) a hassle for other players to rescue them and B) an issue if needing to escape within a certain time period. Ideally, "death" can be substituted for a high-level petrification/restraint status effect.
However, the DnD death system doesn't have to be the only inspiration for death systems. In Vermintide, players that are KO'd don't die but instead are tied up at a future checkpoint. In Honey Heist, getting a 0 in Criminal or Bear stats would cause that player to become a full-fledged Criminal/Bear and leave the party. In Borderlands, there are respawn stations that rebuild you for a fee.
In addition, just because a character dies doesn't mean the adventure is over. In some cases, the GM will allow the player to make a new character, though whether said character is boosted or has to train from scratch may determine the effectiveness of this mercy. In addition, you can decide to have a sidequest into the afterlife or other plane to retrieve your absent party member.
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From personal experience, I would handle "bad ends" in two ways. Usually, if a character were to go into an inescapable state, I would decide to release them later but with a disadvantage, usually in the form of relocation. If a player decides they want to depart from the RP, their ending would be finalized.
How these endings work depends on the type of settings involved, but generally places of chaos like a magical mall or a haunted house has more teleportation while orderly places like a factory would release on the spot.
In an RP, it is most likely that the GM and players want to achieve a "good ending". This is usually obtained after completing the most important goal; this can range from defeating the Big Bad to escaping a facility. However, RPs are not like stories since there are rules for success and failure, and some failures may end the game badly.
First, a good ending is the ideal conclusion of events. After the ending, the players should have no more reason to continue their adventure. Keep in mind that a RP is not like a story in the sense that players can come up with solutions that works in ways you did not plan. For example, if an asylum RP's good ending is achieved by escaping an asylum, players might choose to dig, disguise or explode their way out; these actions all achieve the same goal of escaping but may have different "minor" consequences. If you want a "better" ending, it may be ideal to tie the condition to extra objectives (escape before warden arrives, gather evidence of corruption) rather than a single path.
Then there are bad endings. These endings usually occur when every player is in no state to continue; this usually happens when all players are "dead", though certain status effects, states of inescapability or loss of purpose can fulfill this state as well. Alternatively, the GM can put in a "bad ending" if players drag the RP away from the main story. Neir Automata is a game filled with bad endings, by taking out their main chip or walking away from the story.
Usually, the main form of bad endings involve the party's death. In Dungeons and Dragons, death is mostly permanent; very few and powerful spells can reverse this status within a short time frame, which is why a bad ending rarely involves reviving the party. There are two ways to become dead: the most known way is to have the player's HP drop to 0, but they then have to fail three saving dice throws (or gain more damage) during this state to actually die. The second way is to get six stacks of Exhaustion, a special status effect that mainly occurs if a player fails to use survival skills (ie starvation and dehydration).
It should go without saying that a bad ending shouldn't be sprung at players without a warning. It is probably a better idea not to plan bad endings, though if you need to plan "deaths", high-HP damage factors like traps and creatures should give an illusion of a chance.
---
I'm also aware that one of the rules I put down is "no death". What I mean is not to make that event (or any events leading up to that event) graphical. While some of the kinky RPs I've played did not experience death, there are ways to substitute death, both the status effect and the system.
The status effect "death" depends on what your RP is and can be substituted for a bad ending or a KO. For example, an asylum escape RP can send failed players to solitary confinement, which can be A) a hassle for other players to rescue them and B) an issue if needing to escape within a certain time period. Ideally, "death" can be substituted for a high-level petrification/restraint status effect.
However, the DnD death system doesn't have to be the only inspiration for death systems. In Vermintide, players that are KO'd don't die but instead are tied up at a future checkpoint. In Honey Heist, getting a 0 in Criminal or Bear stats would cause that player to become a full-fledged Criminal/Bear and leave the party. In Borderlands, there are respawn stations that rebuild you for a fee.
In addition, just because a character dies doesn't mean the adventure is over. In some cases, the GM will allow the player to make a new character, though whether said character is boosted or has to train from scratch may determine the effectiveness of this mercy. In addition, you can decide to have a sidequest into the afterlife or other plane to retrieve your absent party member.
---
From personal experience, I would handle "bad ends" in two ways. Usually, if a character were to go into an inescapable state, I would decide to release them later but with a disadvantage, usually in the form of relocation. If a player decides they want to depart from the RP, their ending would be finalized.
How these endings work depends on the type of settings involved, but generally places of chaos like a magical mall or a haunted house has more teleportation while orderly places like a factory would release on the spot.
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