I'm playing an 8th level Valor bard, and she's basically The Load (warning: TVTropes link) at this point- high-combat campaign, so not a lot of charisma stuff to do, and really doesn't have any casting function that the others can't do better. Her motivation is to find and defeat challenges, and has a tendency to think she can do more than she can, which is how she wound up as The Load in the first place, so getting killed off by something she couldn't handle would be a very in-character end.
However, my party is pretty heal-happy (8th level druid, ranger and paladin) and it would be in character to heal her. That, combined with the 3 death save mechanic, makes it pretty difficult to kill the character off. How do I get around this so I can roll up a character with some actual utility?
Best Answer
You don't need to go to the effort of plotting to kill her off.
What you do need to do is speak to your GM and your group and tell them what's on your mind: your character doesn't have much to do, and you'd like to roll up a new one.
At that point, you may still need to come up with a plan of how your character can exit stage left, but you'll have their help. Death isn't the only option — you could pursue a peaceful, healthy retirement. Whatever you decide with them, you can have their cooperation in helping it happen. Your GM or players could suggest something to do: she could go out with a blaze of glory in the next battle, or retire to become a student of the High Songstress, or so on.
Or other things could happen:
Without their help, they'll do pesky things like save you, and generally wonder what the heck has gotten into you.
(GMs who might plan to kill off a character: I strongly suggest you get your player's OK, even if they're already talking about retiring the character. Your player may have ways they do and don't want it to happen. If you get their OK, you can get their input and respect their wishes, avoid the risk of upsetting the player, and get the player's help in conspiring against their own character and get a good exit narrative.)
Anything that would happen in character to disrupt the plan after the group agree to it (such as "it would be in character for them to heal/resurrect her") should be treated as an instance of my guy syndrome, where the players acknowledge that sure, that could happen, but they can and should decide not to. Alternately, they can do that anyway, but it shouldn't stop you making a new character: they can go ahead and heal her or embark on a quest to resurrect her, but at that point she's an NPC, and you're playing Joe McNewlyRolledWizard accompanying them.