Quote:
Originally Posted by Targan
Indeed. After I introduced an item which provided almost miraculous healing in my campaign it completely changed the whole dynamic. There was no other item like it in the entire world and sometimes instead of healing you it consumed you but it was still extensively used. And of course, he who controlled the item controlled the party. It pretty much cemented Po's bizarre leadership cult.
I'm still undecided as to whether the campaign would have been better or worse without it. The thing is, in my experience if PC deaths result in no one from the original party being alive, continuity is lost. I've seen campaigns die as a result. Its just a pity in the case of my campaign that continuity was maintained in the personage of Major Anthony Po..
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Targan,
Dude.
Without a doubt that's the most disturbing thing you've posted yet about the Angel of Death, aka "God-King Po". If a game of mine was in danger of fading away for some reason, but I could save it by delivering what is an essentially a magic resurrection potion in the hands of a complete psychopath, I'd still let it die with honour and dignity. Like the Twilight Zone episode "Still Valley", about how a Confederate soldier has the chance to bring victory to the Confederacy by making a deal with Satan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAaLnXG5NjY
That said, I've seen campaigns die and lose focus without PC death being a factor. I've seen other games where all the original PCs have died and/or players drop out over time but maintain cohesion and focus.
Successful teams, military units, private companies and organisations of all kinds function over time because they are ultimately bigger than the individuals that are a part of them. In some sense (some more than others) the people that form them share a vision or goals or a role that transcends them.
Tony