Bad luck

[ancarr13]

I do believe the PCs in my campaign might be cursed with an unreasonably low lifespan

Anyone have ideas to boost the survival rate of lvl 1's?

[Aelwe]

I do believe the PCs in my campaign might be cursed with an unreasonably low lifespan

Anyone have ideas to boost the survival rate of lvl 1's?

Lvl 1 PCs are fragile. If you don't want them to die too easily you can make the players roll lvl 2 o 3 characters from the start or "force" them to stay in town for the first few levels to level up with easy tasks and xp for roleplaying, etc.

[austrodavicus]

- Maximum hit points 1st level.
- First Aid mechanic - PCs "killed" are unconscious for a turn and can be rescued from death's door by having their "wounds" treated (bandages, etc.) leaving them on 1 hp.
- Encourage the hiring of hirelings to beef up the party.
- Don't neglect the use of the Morale mechanic and don't have all monsters automatically attack, but encourage the players to sometimes parley.
- Chuck in a wiser (higher level) NPC to accompany the party (i.e. hold their hand) for the first couple of adventures.
- Player education - have them read Matt Finch's Quick Primer for Old School Gaming.

And if all that fails, especially the last one, then taunt them - have intelligent monsters hang up the carcasses of their PCs as a warning to other would-be adventurers. It might just motivate the players to play smart and careful.

[ancarr13]

Tried the max level thing, fighter went down almost immediatly and wizard followed, leaving Another fighter atop a wagon and the thief hiding inside of it

[YHWH]

As the DM, the PC's survival is not your job! They should be the ones asking for survival tips!

All the suggestions so far have made me cringe except 2: the old school primer and taunting them. If you want my advice, don't encourage them to do anything, and certainly don't force them to do anything.

Safe adventures sound like the height of tedium. I say, do the complete opposite of that! High risk & high reward. PCs dropping like flies for a big score. Do your best to make those deaths fun and entertaining. Don't fear the reaper. The survivors are better equipped and even the casualties' players are learning and adapting. Safe adventures aren't going to prepare them for real danger, they're just going to give them something to lose (XP) without the skills they need to survive.

[ancarr13]

True, but I really dont like to see 1/2 the party wiped out in the first encounter with 4 bandits

[nextautumn]

In some campaigns I've run, I've given characters reduced to 0 or fewer hps a save vs. death -- if they make it they're only knocked unconscious; if they fail, then they die. Not terribly old school, I know, but it definitely increases survivability at low levels, and makes characters harder to kill outright when they reach more heroic levels (because their save gets better). There's also little houserules like this: http://trollsmyth.blogspot.com/2008/05/shields-shall-be-splintered.html, which basically allows a character with a shield to ignore a killing blow. I also allow characters to catch their breath after a fight, have a swig from the wineskin, bandage wounds, whatever, which gets them 1d3 hps back.

[ancarr13]

That wold work nicely, but alas I dont think any of my players had shileds. even if they didnt -7 hp and -8hp with failed vs death saves, but that is a very good idea for next set of victims

[YHWH]

Imagine how that fight would go in real life. Having some casualties in a fight to the death with 4 other men is a realistic result.

Not that there's anything wrong with softening things up, if that's what you want, but the game as written is playable and a blast. It wants you to think outside the box like Rambo or Tucker's Kobolds.

[3d6]

True, but I really dont like to see 1/2 the party wiped out in the first encounter with 4 bandits

In the case of bandits, and such, they might extend to the PCs -- if circumstances permit -- the chance to surrender. (If I was a bandit, then that might well be preferable to killing the PCs, the long arm of the law being what it is). PCs end up robbed, tied up at the side of the road. Perchance then a ranger and her ogre companion amble by (some of those NPCs austrodavicus mentioned), freeing PCs in exchange for help searching for an exotic plant to be used in a local village priest's ritual. Or whatever, you know the sort of thing. Maybe they aren't what they seem, etc. (FrDave's post here inspired their motive).

In some campaigns I've run, I've given characters reduced to 0 or fewer hps a save vs. death -- if they make it they're only knocked unconscious; if they fail, then they die.

About unconsciousness, I seem to remember one of the biggies, not Gygax or Arneseon, I think, maybe it was Dr. Holmes, lamenting the lack of unconsciousness rules.