In a recent piece of writing for a game, I asked a friend for feedback. The game was designed as a one-shot experience. When a character runs out of health, I left this up to GM what this means, but death was on the table.
My friend was shocked, as some of my recent designs are not about death.
Gaming can be a communal experience, getting together with friends, spending time together, cracking jokes, eating food, etc. For many, gaming is not as frequent as they would like in their lives, thus, each session takes on even more significance.
And you fail.
And you die.
And you’re done for the evening.
Is this ok with people?
Does there need to be a discussion beforehand?
If running a campaign, how long before the player can bring in a new character?
If we are playing, but there is no risk, and no buy-in, is it worth playing?
I don’t have an answer.