@khaleesibot thinking about the obvious "what if I have 0 gold?!" I think the Death Cost should be considered as a "bribe" more than a toll to escape the Ferry of the Damned.
Meaning, escaping sooner would be possible but at a cost, so if unwilling (or unable) to pay, one would simply need to wait the usual (maybe increased) timeout to escape the Ferry of the Damned.
That's part 1 :)
Part 2: The cost.
If "Death Cost" is meant to be payed in gold, then different prices for PVE death vs PVP death should apply.
"stupid" deaths should cost more, so player learn some sense into their thick skulls.
In this order (more expensive "bribes" on top):
- Fall Damage (you're not Super-Pirate-Man!)
- Drowning (you're not Aqua-Pirate-Man... btw, where's our Water-breathing potions?!)
- by (Skell) Cannonball (didn't you see it coming? Literally! It's a frickin' big ball, c'mon!)
- by Shark (hey, weird things happen at sea)
- by Skell (tough world out there)
- by Lightening (this one I think we should be payed a reward instead! xD)
(not sure if I forgot any other PVE deaths)
EDIT: Oh, of course, FORTS (duh)!!! Thanks @AssassinsKing98 for reminding me!
I guess death at Skull Forts would be the "PVE" exception and pushed into the "PVP" style of "death cost", briefly mentioned below.
Then, the PVP deaths, to me, those would cost less than the ones above, since those are (usually!) less... uh... "stupid", at least compared with the ones above, IMHO :P
Part 2 B: Not paid in gold but as a ghost quest
Now, if "Death Cost" is to be paid by running some errands or doing chores for the death ship Captain, then this would open another level of gameplay, where our ghost would be sent out to do some quests in the world of the living but still as a ghost, with the disadvantage of not being able to do any PvP or gain any gold or rewards while sailing a ghost ship to retrieve some obscure treat or object that the Ferry of the Damned Captain would love to get, from the living.