Death occurs whenever a character's health drops to zero. The character then becomes a corpse and the player can no longer control him or her. The player can still use chat features, map travel, and camera control. Your screen turns grey when you die, and returns to normal coloration after you are resurrected. However, your screen can glitch, where you are alive but your screen is grey. Additionally, a player whose character is dead can lock the camera to another party member's point of view by clicking on him or simply clicking on that party member's name on the Party List. In PvE, drops are still allocated to dead players if they are within range.
Several skills allow a player to resurrect a party member. In PvE, transition over an area boundary and cinematics resurrect and teleport the whole party. In PvP, a victory will resurrect the winning party.
In PvE, in areas with resurrection shrines, the whole party will be resurrected on a wipe (after a short delay). In PvP if resurrection shrines are present, any dead party members will automatically resurrect at a certain interval of time (often one minute). If the resurrection shrine has a priest, then he must be alive for the party to be resurrected. If an area does not have a resurrection shrine, the party must return to the most recently visited outpost if all party members die. Nearly all PvE missions, and several PvP arenas, lack resurrection shrines.
Death results in a 15% death penalty for the player, except in the following situations:
- In the tutorial stage of Pre-Searing Ascalon
- When Vengeance or Unyielding Aura (PvP) ends
- When an ally you have cast Death Pact Signet on dies within 120 seconds of being resurrected by
aforementioned skill, you do not gain death penalty (but the ally still will) - If killed by a crusher in Sorrow's Furnace or Jokanur Diggings (mission)
- If killed by an Avalanche (event, not monster) in the Far Shiverpeaks of Eye Of The North
- If killed by Sulfurous Haze in the Desolation.
- In "kill count" arenas such as the The Crag and in Alliance Battles
- Alliance-specific Competitive Missions such as Fort Aspenwood and The Jade Quarry
- In Hero Battles
- If killed soon after being resurrected
Avoiding death can earn you the Survivor title.