diff --git a/server/db/bodies.go b/server/db/bodies.go
index 3a4be62..ddad650 100644
--- a/server/db/bodies.go
+++ b/server/db/bodies.go
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ type Body struct {
 	Z        float64
 	DiedAt   time.Time
 	FoundAt  *time.Time
+	FoundBy  *int
 }
 
 func (db *SQLite) ListBodies() ([]Body, error) {
@@ -41,3 +42,22 @@ func (db *SQLite) AddBody(body *Body) error {
 	}
 	return nil
 }
+
+func (db *SQLite) ReadBody(body *Body) error {
+	args := make([]interface{}, 0, 1)
+	q := `select id, player, x, y, z, died_at from bodies`
+	if body.ID != 0 {
+		q += ` where id = ?`
+		args = append(args, body.ID)
+	} else {
+		q += ` where player = ?`
+		args = append(args, body.PlayerID)
+	}
+	q += ` and found_at is null`
+
+	row := db.db.QueryRow(q, args...)
+	if err := row.Scan(&body.ID, &body.PlayerID, &body.X, &body.Y, &body.Z, &body.DiedAt); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to read body from db: %w", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/server/db/sqlite.go b/server/db/sqlite.go
index f5c3ce5..f560ca6 100644
--- a/server/db/sqlite.go
+++ b/server/db/sqlite.go
@@ -80,7 +80,6 @@ func (db *SQLite) ReadPlayer(p *Player) error {
 	if err := row.Scan(&p.ID, &p.Name, &p.Hash, &p.Salt); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("unable to read player row: %w", err)
 	}
-	fmt.Printf("read player from db: %v\n", p)
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/server/go.mod b/server/go.mod
index 86e1e67..2c029ad 100644
--- a/server/go.mod
+++ b/server/go.mod
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ require (
 	github.com/gorilla/websocket v1.4.1
 	github.com/jordanorelli/blammo v0.0.0-20200201231725-9fd70eb7c1f2
 	github.com/mattn/go-sqlite3 v2.0.3+incompatible
-	github.com/prometheus/common v0.4.0
 	github.com/spf13/cobra v0.0.6
 	golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20200117160349-530e935923ad
 )
diff --git a/server/go.sum b/server/go.sum
index ffcf581..1e37dc8 100644
--- a/server/go.sum
+++ b/server/go.sum
@@ -46,8 +46,6 @@ github.com/hashicorp/hcl v1.0.0/go.mod h1:E5yfLk+7swimpb2L/Alb/PJmXilQ/rhwaUYs4T
 github.com/inconshreveable/mousetrap v1.0.0 h1:Z8tu5sraLXCXIcARxBp/8cbvlwVa7Z1NHg9XEKhtSvM=
 github.com/inconshreveable/mousetrap v1.0.0/go.mod h1:PxqpIevigyE2G7u3NXJIT2ANytuPF1OarO4DADm73n8=
 github.com/jonboulle/clockwork v0.1.0/go.mod h1:Ii8DK3G1RaLaWxj9trq07+26W01tbo22gdxWY5EU2bo=
-github.com/jordanorelli/blammo v0.0.0-20200121053404-bd13f6b43c9f h1:m1UX7IV22aEt+hw5R/9MkmB2jdF4kRucP9Z/E/ql1JU=
-github.com/jordanorelli/blammo v0.0.0-20200121053404-bd13f6b43c9f/go.mod h1:ofUhNTXhWoL77wTBOnWpjPN9s244RK1Hn0XiYhE4E1s=
 github.com/jordanorelli/blammo v0.0.0-20200201231725-9fd70eb7c1f2 h1:DH2VZ5Z4paQJe0zViSQENrwbgfrt4yyTeckjureCKOw=
 github.com/jordanorelli/blammo v0.0.0-20200201231725-9fd70eb7c1f2/go.mod h1:hh4DdsA3OoMbUpCM3iftScrKFmrPuTLOqnK1aJmadqk=
 github.com/julienschmidt/httprouter v1.2.0/go.mod h1:SYymIcj16QtmaHHD7aYtjjsJG7VTCxuUUipMqKk8s4w=
diff --git a/server/main.go b/server/main.go
index 5ccd1ab..e049781 100644
--- a/server/main.go
+++ b/server/main.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"crypto/rand"
+	"database/sql"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
@@ -120,6 +122,33 @@ func runPlayerSetPassword(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
 	}
 }
 
+func runPlayerStatus(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) {
+	conn, err := db.OpenSQLite(cmd.Flag("db").Value.String())
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "unable to open sqlite database: %v\n", err)
+	}
+	defer conn.Close()
+
+	player := db.Player{Name: args[0]}
+	if err := conn.ReadPlayer(&player); err != nil {
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "unable to read player record: %v\n", err)
+		return
+	}
+
+	body := db.Body{PlayerID: player.ID}
+	err = conn.ReadBody(&body)
+	switch {
+	case errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows):
+		fmt.Println("alive")
+		break
+	case err == nil:
+		fmt.Printf("dead since %v\n", body.DiedAt)
+		break
+	default:
+		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "unable to query for bodies: %v\n", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func main() {
 	cmd := &cobra.Command{
 		Use: "kloam",
@@ -164,5 +193,13 @@ func main() {
 	}
 	player.AddCommand(playerSetPassword)
 
+	playerStatus := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "status",
+		Short: "gets a player's status",
+		Args:  cobra.ExactArgs(1),
+		Run:   runPlayerStatus,
+	}
+	player.AddCommand(playerStatus)
+
 	cmd.Execute()
 }
diff --git a/server/request.go b/server/request.go
index 239c0cd..a38c6ac 100644
--- a/server/request.go
+++ b/server/request.go
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"database/sql"
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"time"
 
@@ -72,8 +74,10 @@ type login struct {
 }
 
 type loginResult struct {
-	Passed bool   `json:"passed"`
-	Error  string `json:"error,omitempty"`
+	Passed bool      `json:"passed"`
+	Dead   bool      `json:"dead"`
+	DiedAt time.Time `json:"died_at"`
+	Error  string    `json:"error,omitempty"`
 }
 
 func (l *login) exec(s *server, from *player) {
@@ -93,7 +97,6 @@ func (l *login) exec(s *server, from *player) {
 	fmt.Printf("login read row from database: %v\n", row)
 
 	if row.HasPassword(l.Password) {
-		sendResult(loginResult{Passed: true})
 		from.username = l.Username
 		from.id = row.ID
 	} else {
@@ -101,6 +104,22 @@ func (l *login) exec(s *server, from *player) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	body := db.Body{PlayerID: row.ID}
+	if err := s.db.ReadBody(&body); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, sql.ErrNoRows) {
+			sendResult(loginResult{Passed: true})
+		} else {
+			sendResult(loginResult{Error: err.Error()})
+			return
+		}
+	} else {
+		sendResult(loginResult{
+			Passed: true,
+			Dead:   true,
+			DiedAt: body.DiedAt,
+		})
+	}
+
 	messages := make([]string, 0, len(s.souls))
 
 	for _, soul := range s.souls {