So it seems that I’m pretty error prone and unlucky when it comes to keeping my characters alive while playing with my D&D group.
I have kept a log of all my character fatalities in the same on-going campaign for your enjoyment.
Death #1: Dwarven fighter, level 4
When we came upon a building with unique architecture and unknown stone (natural 20 on my Knowledge check), I picked up a small sample to take back to my elders. No harm, right? Nope, eight Gargoyles pounce on me and kill me shortly thereafter.
Death #2: Dwarven fighter, level 3
We’re deeper in dungeon and come upon a large human male wearing tattered clothes with a bloody human tied on the wall. Well apparently this savage is a barbarian, rages, and kills three of the party members, I being one of them of course.
Death #3: Elven mage, level 2
Switching gears away from the front lines I focus on a mage. We come to room with an unusual door (rogue fails his search for traps, but has a ‘funny feeling about this’). I enter the room with two others in the party and the door starts to close behind us. DM says I can try to jump though the doorway if I make a successful Reflex save, so thinking that I pretty much am going to die if I stay in the room I risk it; roll a 3…and get wedged under the door as it crushes me. Great…at least I saved the two party members trapped in the room as the other two party members were able to grab the bottom of the door and lift it enough for the ones inside to free themselves.
Death #4: Elven mage, level 3
A small remake and I’m back. Traveling further in the dungeon into deeper levels we come upon a room full of perfect humanoid statues. I of course fail my Knowledge check to know what caused this, so we continue unabashed. Combat ensues as the barbarian gets attacked by an unseen opponent. I enter the room, roll a natural 20 on my Spot check, and look directly at our attacker in the corner. I make a quick Knowledge check and now know its a Basilisk and that you shouldn’t look directly at them…whoops…I then roll a natural 2 and fail my Fortitude check. As I was being turned to stone I yelp, “Don’t look into its eyes.”
Death #5: Elven mage, level 3
Deeper still in the dungeon we come upon a vaulted room shaped like a hand. Ok, nothing special really so we enter carefully, but these giant beetles pounce from their hiding spots onto the party; I of course fail my Reflex check (this is an ongoing theme). Over several rounds the other characters wrestle the beetles off themselves, the last being the cleric. After he releases himself from one of these beetles that burrowed deep within him he turns to me only to notice my lifeless carcass – the beetle burrowed to my heart.
Death #6: Elven mage, level 3
Lets try this again. Being more cautious I survive though several battles. After some near deaths and saves by the party cleric, we come upon a large chamber full of augmented goblins lead by what looks like a mage on the far side of a large room protected by his elite guard. Well our Sorcerer nails the mage the first round with a Seeking Ray, but on his turn the mage disappears with Greater Invisibility. We engage the group only to have a well placed Fireball hit the center of our party. All but two make their save, the fighter and I (of course), with a natural 1 – my charged lifeless body collapses onto the floor.
Death #7: Halfling rogue, level 4
This one has to be the most embarrassing of them all. So we come upon a room shaped like a hand, but this time a dark hole at its center. I carefully sneak up to the edge of the hole and peer in; three Will-o’-wisps surprise me. I tumble out of the way only to block the cleric who announced to make room because he was going to overrun them. The party decided that we would bypass them since nearly all of our attacks were ineffective. So on my next turn I say, “I take a 5-foot-step and ready an action to move after the cleric.” Well, I step aside and let the cleric and the rest of the party pass by only to find myself again surrounded by the Will-o’-wisps because I already moved – d’oh. By now I have 8-hit points and withdraw and hide. I wait two minutes then approach the room carefully. The other members cleared the room and where well down the corridor. So I Move Silently and fail my check (natural 7), only to be pounced and killed by the Will-o’-wisps.
So the rest of the party finally gets back to town and meet my next character, a level 4 Human mage…we’ll see how long this one lasts.
To be continued…