Lethal Game - Suggestions & Incentives [3.5]

[Necrosnoop110]

Game System: D&D 3.5E
Campaign Setting: Homebrewed

Q1: Any good suggestions on making D&D 3.5 more lethal?
My Thoughts: Ok, I am working on a campaign designed to take the characters from 1-20. I have incorporated some optional rules and houserules to increase the lethality of the game (low massive damage triggers, harder to resurrect, critical hits, etc.). But I am looking to adjust this more. The PCs and I have discussed this and they are fully on board.   



Q2: Any suggestions on incentivizing keeping your character alive? Thoughts on my suggestion of feat scheme shown below?
My Thoughts: As a DM I have no problem with having characters coming in and out of the game story-wise; the heroes all come from the same school so there is an endless supply of students. However, I would like to avoid any kind of sacrificial plays or suicidal gambits. "No big deal I stupidly charge the dragon - since I can just bring in a second character." I don't want things to turn into a video game with endless lives. I want to incentivize keeping your character alive.

My first idea was the following:

• PCs start with one character. That character gets a feat at each and every character level (in addition to class feats).
• If that character dies, the next character you build gets feats at each even character level (in addition to class feats).
• If that character dies, the next character you build gets feats at each odd character level (in addition to class feats). Every character you build after this would get feats at each odd character level, i.e. this is as low as you can go.
• You can "swap out" a living character for a different new character and retain the same number of feats in your character build if your character physically visit the school.

Thanks,
Necro   

 

[Garryl]

The greatest lethality (in my limited experience that is currently tainted by my being sick s a thing that's sick and not thinking fully straight) is either at high levels where everyone's optimized up to ubercharger levels (in which case it's a question of whose impenetrable defenses get bypassed first) or at level 1 where nobody has any hit points and Sleep gets cast a lot (in which case it's a question of one solid hit, a crit, or a failed save).

[Nifft]

Incentives:

- Action Points: You get either (levels played +2) or (half character level +3), whichever is less.

- Non-Monetary Rewards: Save a Dean from an embarrassing situation, get one free pass from that Dean. Each of the characters who were present at the time can cash one in. Nice because it's also somewhat immersive.