My character isn’t a fighter – how can I contribute to a combat?

Question for the GM: When I’m playing a character that doesn’t fight well, I either end up ineffectually flailing at enemies, or doing nothing and waiting until the combat is resolved. How can I contribute to a combat?

This is a common problem that requires GM flexibility to fix, so you might want to point him to this post. One way that games have avoided this problem is by making every character effective in combat (D&D 4e, Werewolf). While this solves the problem, it can limit dramatic situations that can arise and make everyone quick to resort to combat to overcome problems. At the other extreme, some GMs brag that they run games where combat is rare or non-existent, as if a game without combat is somehow intrinsically better than a game with combat. This has the same problems. The core issue is when a combat system becomes a mini-game that everyone has to stop and play in the midst of a story. When combat is not limited to simply violent physical interaction with enemies, a lot of options open up for characters who can’t or won’t fight.

What is the best way to handle a character’s death in a campaign?

Question for the GM: It’s a fine line between a challenging encounter
and a literal deathtrap. What is the best way to handle a character’s
death in a campaign?

Specific ways to handle a character’s death will depend on the style of the campaign and the people you play with.

My preference is to discuss character death with everyone before starting, especially for campaigns.  People are more understanding when they have input into the process and no one has to make decisions when their beloved character lies dead in the emptying street.  Instead of getting bitter or angry players, you may get some interesting role-playing of other character’s grief and a time of change where new characters can be introduced.

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