Question for other DMs/gamers...

[Kogarashi]

I myself would try to give him another chance, either by letting him retcon his own "won't be reincarnated human" declaration after you shoot down his plans of being a ghost, or by giving him the opportunity to roll up a new character, even if it means extra work on my part to work the new character in. But then that's me.

But overall? No, not too harsh at all. He can't get out of dying on a technicality unless you fudged rolls to get him killed, which I doubt you did, and it was his choice not to have his character refuse the reincarnation. As for coming back as a ghost capable of possessing the other PCs, that's, as someone said, a recipe for disaster.

We had a discussion similar to this in one of our recent Mage games. No one likes having their character forced to do something against their will, least of all by another player. Just the mere hint in one session that it might happen triggered some inter-player frustration and near-hostility, before things were resolved. Half our characters keep special defenses ready just to avert that sort of situation now. I know I wouldn't want to be the player who suddenly can't do anything because the guy whose character didn't want to be reincarnated took control of my character and is now making them do things they normally wouldn't do.

So I say, give him the option of coming back, within reason. You could try to work with his ghost idea a bit, bringing him back as one but disallowing bodily possession. What version are you playing? I know that the Libris Mortis (v. 3.5) has some good templates to work with for playing undead. If, however, you want to just boot him until the next campaign, as GM that's your call, and I see nothing wrong with that decision either. He gave you an opening, after all, whether he intended to or not.

[Geek King]

Well, if you want him to roll a new character, you could make use of the various shapechange spells to do it. See, a long time ago, his character ticked off the wrong mage, and ended up spelled into the form of an inanimate object. The PCs find the object and some clue that it is not what it seems, and perhaps the means to revert him to living again. Place in next convenient encounter/room. Voila! Character introduced into the party.

Maybe check with the players too. Do they want him back? I rarely have good experiances with evil-only gamers, personally.

[Eric the Grey]

Honestly, I see no problem with the way you handled it, and I've been DM'ing off and on for over 30 years, and rarely had any players not like my games.

So introducing a character is a wee bit more difficult than 'Let's go back to town and find someone in the tavern/adventurer's guild/church/etc.' Of course it can be done, but it involves a considerable amount of work on my part.

I have one word for you here: Prisoners.

A lot of large dungeon complexes use slave labor for building, maintenance (in the dangerous areas) and the like, so perhaps the party could come across one of these unfortunates who is willing to travel along with the party instead of trying to find his/her way back to the surface.

Of course, this means rolling up a character, skills, personality and the like, and turning it over to your player (this avoids some of the min-maxing bit) so he can continue on in the adventure.

I would also, after officially nixing the ghost thing (ugh... Did I mention Ugh?) offer him the choice; change his mind on the reincarnate, or play a drop-in character that you can provide for him. I've played those before, and they can be made into your own character very easily by simply applying a personality to them.


Eric the Grey

[lordlundar]

No, not too harsh. he made his choice, and that's that. He just forgot the principal tenant of PnP games:

You, as the player get to make your choices as you see fit. I, as the GM, get to tell you what the results of said actions are. Don't like it? tough. Make your own game then.

[KabeRinnaul]

This sounds like he's just jumping on the chance to get even more power.

I've had players like that. One in particular was teased for the fact that his Shadowrun characters were all basically the same build, and even had similar names. There started to be a joke that there was a cloning facility that would build a new elf gunbunny every time the last one died. He then began insisting that the existence of this facility was campaign canon, and that it meant he could always bring his character back from death freely.

And ghost in D&D? No. If you let me play a fully-statted ghost in D&D, regardless of class, I could completely dismantle your game balance. It's by far one of the strongest monster types for a player to use.

[Plaidman]

And ghost in D&D? No. If you let me play a fully-statted ghost in D&D, regardless of class, I could completely dismantle your game balance. It's by far one of the strongest monster types for a player to use.

Ghostwalk made it more balanced.

[Gerrinson]

I have offered him a chance to take the reincarnation - that's a no.

I have offered him the chance to be a ghost (but no possessing people) - that's a no.

I have offered him an NPC to take over and turn into a PC - that's also a no.

So, he gave me the option of either him as a ghost that can possess PCs & NPCs (with no Save allowed for the target, by the way, per his 'homegrown' possession mechanic ) or simply not have him in the game at all.

So I said good bye and good luck.

Clearly someone forgot that DM stands for dungeonmaster not dungeon pushover.

[Broomjockey]

Bahahaha. He obviously overestimates his own importance.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

(with no Save allowed for the target, by the way, per his 'homegrown' possession mechanic )

Well, possession is nine-tenths of the law...

Good for you for standing up.

Now we're going to have to start a pool on when he tries to come back... I'm going to say 4 weeks and he'll be wanting to try out a 'new character concept' (which will probably be the same ghost thing with a new name...).

[Eric the Grey]

So, he gave me the option of either him as a ghost that can possess PCs & NPCs (with no Save allowed for the target, by the way, per his 'homegrown' possession mechanic ) or simply not have him in the game at all.

All I can say is No saving throw??? Not only would I have said no, but I'd have said F*** NO to that.

Anyway, sounds like it's his loss. You had excellent options for him to choose from, and he turned them down.

A good DM could wipe a party out to the man, and leave them excited about the encounter afterward if he plays it right (I'm planning on just that with my campaign as we speak )



Eric the Grey

[lordlundar]

So, he gave me the option of either him as a ghost that can possess PCs & NPCs (with no Save allowed for the target, by the way, per his 'homegrown' possession mechanic ) or simply not have him in the game at all.

And on that note, I would have laughed in his face and wished him the best of luck in the future.

Seriously, he wanted at-will possession with no saving throw? Umm, no. At best he would get ONE possession, with attack roll against the target's wisdom with a -6 penalty because he's a new ghost and all, the target gets a saving throw and if he's beaten then his spirit is gone and success means he's bound to his target.