Cheating Death

 

Talisman

Before the release of 5e, I ran a few games in my setting to introduce new players to roleplaying using the Dungeon World system. For those of you who haven't played Dungeon World, or any of the other games using the Powered by the Apocalypse system, the basic mechanic is that for any sort of conflict resolution, the player rolls 2d6 and adds the appropriate modifiers for their character's stats or situational bonuses or penalties. A 10 or more is a success (for example, you successfully pick a lock and open the door); a 7-9 is a success with complications (you pick the lock, but you hear the footsteps of guards coming around the corner); and a 6 or less is a failure (your lockpick breaks).

When a PC dies, there's a move called Last Breath that applies, and it's quite interesting. You have a vision of Death arriving for you, and you roll a flat 2d6 with no bonuses (as the rulebook puts it, Death doesn't care how cool you are). On a 6 or less, you die. On a 10 or more, you survive. On a 7-9, Death lets you go, but with a quest or another special condition you must fulfill if you want to live.

The death save mechanic used in 4e and 5e is similar to this - when a PC dies, they must make three successful rolls on a flat d20 with a DC of 10 before they make three failed rolls in order to survive. Most people run this as a simple near-death experience, but I enjoy carrying over the conversations with Death from Dungeon World, reskinning the death saves as Death (in my setting, the god Morthanos, but feel free to substitue your favorite psychopomp) deciding whether or not to let the deceased go.

And, more to the point of today's post, that gives wily players the option of cheating Death. If you want to restrict access to resurrection magic but want PCs to be more durable, while giving your games a more mythic flavor, read on.

The Seventh Seal

While making a death save, a PC may choose to challenge Death to a game over the fate of their soul. Chess is traditional, but Death is well-versed in all manner of games. This doesn't change the DC of the death save, and you cannot add your proficiency bonus even if you have proficiency in the appropriate gaming set - even the greatest chess player in the world can't outwit Death on a level playing field. Where this comes in is if one wishes to cheat Death.

If a PC wishes to cheat at Death's game (rearranging the chessboard when he isn't looking, or switching to a set of weighted dice, or slipping a trump card out of their sleeve, for example), they may make a Deception or Sleight of Hand check, or another appropriate skill - work with the DM to figure out which fits the most. The starting DC is 15 - see below.

If this is successful, the PC automatically passes the rest of their death saves until they next drop to 0 HP. 

If this is not successful, Death notices he is being cheated, and he will consider this when weighing their soul. The PC has disadvantage on the rest of their death saves until they next drop to 0 HP.

Even if one successfully cheats Death, however, it won't be too long before he realizes he has been had. DMs should consider this when going forward - perhaps the PC will be hounded by messengers of Death, or be stricken with ill fortune, until they manage to complete a quest to put them back in Death's favor. It is up to the DM to figure out an appropriate punishment; ideally, it should be one that will provide a special challenge to the PC in question.

For that matter, Death will remember he's been cheated before, and he will be especially vigilant the next time it happens. Each time a PC successfully cheats Death, the DC to cheat him increases by 5 the next time anyone (not just the PC who did it before) attempts to cheat him during that campaign. A party that has had many of its members cheat Death may want to think twice before attempting it again.

And if all else fails, those who find their way to the Land of the Dead can attempt to make a case with Death for the release of a fallen friend's soul. I have the Dungeon Crawl Classics module Blades Against Death saved up for such an occasion...