How should I handle killing (or not) this character? [closed]

Question

So I've been playing with the same group for a long time and they aren't the smartest which has led to the loss of many PCs in this D&D game. Only one has survived this entire time. His name is Blognark and the entire party loves him (including me).

I however want to create an antagonist that the PC's hate, so, I have been tossing around the idea of killing off Blognark for the story telling.

Now I have no idea how Blognark's player is going to react to his super powerful character dying, and if I did kill him I'd want him to die majestically (he's quite selfless). He also is probably my favorite player because his backstory and style so I don't want to bum him out with the loss of Blognark.

I'd like to know if I should kill him and how I should go about it to make the best experience for the party.

Answer 1

Should you kill Blognark? Only by mutual agreement with the player.

You should discuss this with the player before doing so. What you're describing is not a "naturally" occurring death due to emergent gameplay based on player agency, which is how the rest of the PC's died. You're describing a planned death that is central to the plot. If you do not get approval from the player, I suspect they will be very displeased.

The other PC's died as a result of the players' own agency in the story in some fashion or another, as you've described. You should afford Blognark's player the same sense by giving that player agency over whether you kill off his character. In addition, if it is planned with that player, you can ensure that the scene does indeed play out dramatically, so that you can all but ensure it will come off as the pivotal, motivating scene you want it to be. I think any other course of action will sour the experience for all your players, especially the one who plays Blognark.

How can you kill Blognark for the best experience? As the consequence of a selfless, heroic, voluntary act.

The most rewarding and motivational solution I've experienced to the goal you are trying to achieve is to allow Blognark to commit a singularly selfless, heroic act (presuming his alignment is somewhere on the neutral or good spectrum) that only he among all the PC's is capable of truly fulfilling. It has to be voluntary on Blognark's part in order for it to feel rewarding to the players at the table, and it should not be an act that some random mook or NPC could have fulfilled instead or people will wish it had not been Blognark.

It can be an act that occurs during combat but need not be.

For example, Blognark could die in combat against the antagonist you are trying to establish, perhaps by ensuring that Blognark is the only character of a level capable of combating the overpowered antagonist at this time. Blognark can choose to save his allies to buy them time to get stronger and avenge his death in the future.

Instead, maybe everybody could escape narrowly from the antagonist and Blognark could use his tremendous strength (let's just say I'm guessing that attribute based on the name) to prevent the collapse of an archway just long enough for all his allies to pass beneath it and escape. Blognark himself is unable to get out from under the arch safely and has a few knowing final words with his allies before he gives in to the impending muscle failure and is buried in the rubble.

Answer 2

Don't do this. Killing player characters for story set-up is privileging the GM/DM over the players to an excessive degree. Role-playing is a collaborative game, and doing this sends the message to the players that one storyline is more important than all the work that a player has put into the longest-surviving character.

Answer 3

I wouldn't kill a long running character without first sounding out the player to see how he feels about it.

I've had characters that I played for months, even a year or more, that I wouldn't worry about if the GM promised something awesome, story-wise -- and characters where if the GM had killed them just for story (not because I made a biggish mistake), I'd likely have quit that gaming group. Blognark sounds likely to be in the latter category, but without asking the player, there's no way to be sure.