As far as I can tell, the only specific cause of death is rolling high on the crit table. From what I've read in the CRB, even if a character has reached double their wound threshold, they're still alive. Is that correct, or have I missed something?

As far as I can tell, the only specific cause of death is rolling high on the crit table. From what I've read in the CRB, even if a character has reached double their wound threshold, they're still alive. Is that correct, or have I missed something?

Very true, but it can also be ruled a death when the character is taken out.

Yeah, it's FFG's take on the "baby in a box" mechanic. Bottom line is it's a way to protect the player from getting accidentally killed by a single lucky roll by the GM.

Though if an NPC hits their threshold and their purpose in the story has been served the GM is supposed to considered them "killed" without the need for all the critical hit hoopla. As Sci-Fi it's always possible to bring someone back if you rally want to though...

Or simply use it like FATE and have them removed from combat in some sort of cinematic and exciting way.

If it's just a few players that get taken out this way, I usually won't call it a kill, but if the whole party gets taken out and the bad guys were intentionally trying to kill them off, then that's a TPK, despite what the critical wound charts would say.

(See the thread on stun damage and metagaming).

Yeah, if the enemies were really bent on killing them - then it's TPK. Aaand GM was really fed up with the PCs. And it was late at night

But it's always possible to save such a downed party - the beasts might take them to their lair, enemies want to sell them for slaves or torture etc. - And the PCs might escape. Maaaaybe with someone really dying, perhaps to save the rest. Usually very memorable games, that...

I dont know many times when enemies would want to summarily execute you on the spot without interrogating you first. Especially in a galaxy where slavery can be profitable. You must have really pissed the NPC's off to have them kill you on the spot.

I'd definitely try to avoid something like that, with all the work that is put into crafting character backgrounds, why they are together as a group, etc.

Could just make the next adventure a jail break or some sort. Just think how many movies the good guys get captured and have to escape.