Death & Respawn System - Documentation

📖 Overview

Death & Respawn System is a comprehensive, production-ready plugin that handles all aspects of death and respawn mechanics in your Unreal Engine game. From simple instant respawns to complex checkpoint systems and arcade-style lives, this plugin has you covered.

💡 Pure C++ Design: This plugin provides only backend logic. You create your own UI widgets, visual effects, and sounds. This gives you complete creative control while we handle the complex death/respawn state management.

What's Included

4 C++ Classes: 1,869 lines of production-ready code
5 Respawn Modes: Checkpoint, Instant, Lives, Permadeath, Manual
Complete Documentation: 1,393 lines (Quick Start, FAQ, API Reference)
Blueprint-Friendly: 30+ parameters, 15+ events
No Dependencies: Works with any health/inventory system

Perfect For

🎮

Action Games

Souls-like combat with checkpoint-based respawns

🏃

Platformers

Quick respawns with lives system for arcade feel

🎲

Roguelikes

Permadeath with death markers and item drops

🏆

RPGs

Complex respawn logic with XP penalties

✨ Key Features

Death Detection

Automatic Detection: Monitors health and triggers death at threshold
Manual Triggering: Call death from any Blueprint/C++ code
Ragdoll Physics: Optional physics-based death animations
Death Penalties: Item drops, XP loss, progress reset
Death Markers: Dark Souls-style corpse run mechanics

5 Respawn Modes

1. Checkpoint Mode

Respawn at last activated checkpoint. Perfect for action games and Souls-likes.

Place checkpoint actors in your levels
Auto-activation on player overlap
One-time use or reusable checkpoints
Save system integration hooks

2. Instant Mode

Respawn instantly at death location. Great for fast-paced games.

Configurable respawn delay
Post-respawn invulnerability
Automatic health restoration

3. Lives Mode

Arcade-style lives system with game over on zero lives.

Configurable max lives (default: 3)
Extra life pickups support
Global or per-player tracking
Game over event handling

4. Permadeath Mode

No respawn - true roguelike experience.

Single life gameplay
Game over on death
Perfect for hardcore modes

5. Manual Mode

Complete control - respawn only when you call it.

Custom respawn logic
Cutscene integration
Story-driven respawns

Checkpoint System

Drag & Drop: Place checkpoint actors in levels
Auto-Activation: Triggers when player enters zone
Visual Feedback: Blueprint events for particles/sounds
Save Integration: Hooks for save game systems
Editor Icons: Easy to see checkpoints in editor

Lives System

Arcade-Style: Traditional lives counter (3 lives default)
Global Tracking: Lives persist across level loads
Shared Lives: Co-op mode with shared lives pool
Per-Player: Individual lives for multiplayer
Extra Lives: Easy to add 1-up pickups

Advanced Features

Invulnerability Periods: Post-respawn protection (default: 2 seconds)
Death Location Markers: Spawn markers for corpse run mechanics
Item Drops: Drop specified items on death
XP/Currency Loss: Configurable penalty percentage
Progress Tracking: Respawn countdown progress (0.0 - 1.0) for UI
Health Restoration: Automatic full health on respawn

Blueprint Integration

30+ Parameters: All exposed to Blueprints
15+ Events: Complete customization hooks
Pure Functions: Easy queries (IsDead, GetLives, etc)
No UI Included: You create UI using provided events

🚀 Quick Start Guide

Step 1: Install Plugin

Extract plugin to YourProject/Plugins/DeathRespawnSystem/
Open project in Unreal Engine
Go to Edit → Plugins
Search for "Death & Respawn System"
Enable plugin and restart editor

Step 2: Add Component to Character

Open your character Blueprint
Click Add Component
Search for "Death Respawn Component"
Add it to your character

✅ That's it! The component is now attached to your character and ready to use.

Step 3: Configure Basic Settings

Select the Death Respawn Component and configure:

Death Settings:

Auto Detect Death: Enable
Health Threshold: 0.0 (death when health = 0)
Respawn Delay: 3.0 seconds

Respawn Settings:

Respawn Mode: Checkpoint (or your preferred mode)
Restore Health On Respawn: Enable
Invulnerability Duration: 2.0 seconds

Step 4: Connect to Health System

When player takes damage and health reaches 0:

On Take Damage Event
→ Subtract Health
→ If Health <= 0
   → Get Component (Death Respawn Component)
   → Trigger Death

Step 5: Add Checkpoints (Optional)

In Content Browser, search for "Checkpoint Actor"
Drag it into your level
Position where you want respawn point
Adjust trigger zone size if needed

Step 6: Create Death Screen UI

Create a Widget Blueprint for death screen:

Event Graph (in Character):
Get Component (Death Respawn Component)
→ On Death Triggered (Event)
→ Create Widget (WBP_DeathScreen)
→ Add to Viewport

Step 7: Test!

Play in Editor (PIE)
Damage your character until health = 0
Should trigger death and respawn after delay

📚 Need More Help? Check the complete Quick Start Guide in Documentation/QUICK_START.md included with the plugin.

⚙️ Configuration Guide

Death Settings

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
Auto Detect Death	bool	true	Automatically detect death when health ≤ threshold
Health Threshold	float	0.0	Health value that triggers death
Enable Ragdoll	bool	false	Enable physics-based death
Death Animation Duration	float	2.0	Time before respawn starts (seconds)
Destroy On Death	bool	false	Destroy actor instead of respawning

Respawn Settings

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
Respawn Mode	enum	Checkpoint	How actor respawns (5 modes)
Respawn Delay	float	3.0	Delay before respawn (seconds)
Respawn Location Offset	Vector	(0,0,100)	Offset from spawn point
Invulnerability Duration	float	2.0	Post-respawn invulnerability (seconds)
Restore Health On Respawn	bool	true	Full health on respawn

Lives System

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
Enable Lives System	bool	false	Use arcade-style lives
Max Lives	int32	3	Maximum lives
Game Over On Zero Lives	bool	true	Trigger game over at 0 lives

Death Penalties

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
Drop Items On Death	bool	false	Drop configured items
XP Loss Penalty	float	0.0	XP loss percentage (0.0-1.0)
Spawn Death Marker	bool	false	Spawn marker at death location

Common Configurations

Souls-Like Configuration:

Respawn Mode: Checkpoint
Respawn Delay: 3.0
Enable Ragdoll: true
Spawn Death Marker: true
XP Loss Penalty: 0.5 (50% XP loss)

Arcade Platformer:

Respawn Mode: Lives
Enable Lives System: true
Max Lives: 3
Respawn Delay: 1.0
Enable Ragdoll: false

Roguelike:

Respawn Mode: Permadeath
Drop Items On Death: true
Reset Progress On Death: true

Fast-Paced Action:

Respawn Mode: Instant
Respawn Delay: 0.5
Invulnerability Duration: 3.0
Enable Ragdoll: false

💻 API Reference

DeathRespawnComponent Functions

TriggerDeath(bool bForceImmediate)

UFUNCTION(BlueprintCallable, Category = "Death & Respawn")
void TriggerDeath(bool bForceImmediate = false);

Manually trigger death. This is the main way to kill actors!

TriggerRespawn()

UFUNCTION(BlueprintCallable, Category = "Death & Respawn")
void TriggerRespawn();

Manually trigger respawn (useful for Manual respawn mode).

SetCheckpoint(FVector Location, FRotator Rotation)

UFUNCTION(BlueprintCallable, Category = "Death & Respawn")
void SetCheckpoint(FVector Location, FRotator Rotation);

Set checkpoint location for respawn.

AddLife(int32 Amount)

UFUNCTION(BlueprintCallable, Category = "Death & Respawn")
void AddLife(int32 Amount = 1);

Add extra life (1-up pickups).

GetCurrentLives()

UFUNCTION(BlueprintPure, Category = "Death & Respawn")
int32 GetCurrentLives() const;

Returns current lives remaining.

IsDead()

UFUNCTION(BlueprintPure, Category = "Death & Respawn")
bool IsDead() const;

Check if actor is currently dead.

IsInvulnerable()

UFUNCTION(BlueprintPure, Category = "Death & Respawn")
bool IsInvulnerable() const;

Check if actor is invulnerable (post-respawn).

GetRespawnProgress()

UFUNCTION(BlueprintPure, Category = "Death & Respawn")
float GetRespawnProgress() const;

Get respawn countdown progress (0.0 - 1.0). Perfect for UI progress bars!

Blueprint Events

Event	Parameters	When Fired
OnDeathTriggered	DeadActor, RespawnDelay	When death occurs
OnRespawnStarted	Actor, RespawnLocation	When respawn begins
OnRespawnComplete	Actor	When respawn finishes
OnLivesChanged	NewLives, MaxLives	When lives count changes
OnGameOver	Actor	When lives reach 0
OnCheckpointSet	Location, Rotation	When checkpoint activated
OnInvulnerabilityStarted	Duration	Post-respawn invulnerability
OnInvulnerabilityEnded	None	Invulnerability expires

CheckpointActor Functions

ActivateCheckpoint(AActor* ActivatingActor)

UFUNCTION(BlueprintCallable, Category = "Checkpoint")
void ActivateCheckpoint(AActor* ActivatingActor);

Manually activate checkpoint for specific actor.

GetRespawnLocation()

UFUNCTION(BlueprintPure, Category = "Checkpoint")
FVector GetRespawnLocation() const;

Get checkpoint's respawn location (with offset applied).

Example: Creating Death Screen UI

// In Character Blueprint Event Graph:
Event Begin Play
→ Get Component (Death Respawn Component)
→ On Death Triggered (Event)
   → Create Widget (WBP_DeathScreen)
   → Add to Viewport
   
// In WBP_DeathScreen Widget:
Event Construct
→ Bind to Component's OnRespawnProgress
   → Update Progress Bar (0.0 - 1.0)

Example: Lives Display

// In HUD Widget:
Event Construct
→ Get Component (Death Respawn Component)
→ On Lives Changed (Event)
   → Set Text: "Lives: " + NewLives

📚 Complete API: See Documentation/API_REFERENCE.md for all functions, properties, and events with detailed examples.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Q: Do I need to know C++ to use this?

A: No! Everything is Blueprint-friendly. You can use it entirely through Blueprints.

Q: Does this include UI?

A: No. This is pure C++ logic. You create your own UI widgets using the provided events.

Q: What does "Pure C++" mean?

A: We provide backend logic only. You create UI, visual effects, and sounds. This gives you full creative control.

Q: Does it work with multiplayer?

A: Currently single-player only. Multiplayer support may be added in future versions.

Setup Questions

Q: How do I install the plugin?

A: Extract to YourProject/Plugins/, enable in Plugins menu, restart editor.

Q: Can I use this with my existing health system?

A: Yes! Call TriggerDeath() when your health system detects health = 0.

Q: Do I need a specific character class?

A: No! Works with any character or actor. Just add the component.

Configuration Questions

Q: Which respawn mode should I use?

Action games: Checkpoint
Fast shooters: Instant
Arcade platformers: Lives
Roguelikes: Permadeath
Custom logic: Manual

Q: How do checkpoints work?

A: Drag checkpoint actor into level. When player enters trigger zone, checkpoint activates. On death, player respawns there.

Q: Can I add extra lives (1-up)?

A: Yes! Call AddLife(1) on the component when player picks up extra life.

Technical Questions

Q: What engine versions are supported?

A: Unreal Engine 5.6 and 5.7+. Choose the correct ZIP for your version.

Q: What platforms are supported?

A: Windows 64-bit currently. More platforms may be added.

Q: Does it work with AI characters?

A: Yes! Add component to any actor that needs death/respawn.

Q: Can I modify the source code?

A: Yes! Full C++ source included. Modify as needed.

Troubleshooting

Q: Death doesn't trigger automatically

A: Make sure:

Auto Detect Death is enabled
Your character has GetHealth() function
OR call TriggerDeath() manually when health = 0

Q: Checkpoint doesn't activate

A: Check:

Auto Activate is enabled on checkpoint
Trigger zone collision is QueryOnly
Trigger zone size is large enough
Player has collision enabled

Q: Ragdoll doesn't work

A: Requires:

Character has Physics Asset
Skeletal mesh has Simulate Physics enabled
Collision properly configured

📧 More Questions? Check Documentation/FAQ.md for 50+ answered questions, or email support@adrenalinegames.pl

📞 Support & Resources

Getting Help

Need assistance with Death & Respawn System? We're here to help!

📧

Email Support

support@adrenalinegames.pl

Response time: Within 48 hours

📚

Complete Documentation

1,393 lines of comprehensive guides included

Quick Start, FAQ, API Reference

🐛

Bug Reports

Priority handling for critical issues

Regular updates and fixes

What We Can Help With

✅ Configuration questions
✅ Integration with your health system
✅ Troubleshooting issues
✅ Bug reports
✅ Feature requests
✅ Blueprint examples

Documentation Included

Quick Start Guide: Step-by-step setup (365 lines)
FAQ: 50+ answered questions (451 lines)
API Reference: Complete function/event docs (577 lines)
README: Overview and quick reference
CHANGELOG: Version history and updates

What to Include When Reporting Issues

Description: What's the problem?
Steps to Reproduce: How can we recreate it?
Configuration: Your component settings
Engine Version: UE 5.6 or 5.7?
Screenshots: If relevant

Additional Resources

Website: adrenalinegames.pl
Fab Marketplace: Death & Respawn System on Fab
Email: support@adrenalinegames.pl

⚠️ Note: We cannot help with general Unreal Engine tutorials, custom game-specific implementation, or other plugins/systems. Our support is specifically for Death & Respawn System.

Planned Updates

v1.1: Multiplayer replication support, additional respawn effects hooks
v1.2: Advanced camera system for death, spectator mode integration
v2.0: Team-based respawn modes, respawn wave system

🚀 Ready to Get Started?

Add professional death/respawn mechanics to your game!

Get Death & Respawn System on Fab

$19.99 | Includes full C++ source + 1,393 lines documentation