2012 PC Bodycount thread

Jon_Dahl · Jul 17, 2012

Yesterday I fulfilled a long-time dream but it didn't quite work out well.
The PCs went to investigate a problem regarding giant ants. They had a few skirmishes, tracked the ants down and finally entered their nest. They fought their way to the queens lair where the workers maintained the queen.

Everything had went fine so far but these workers really punished the players. One of the PCs and a super-important NPC met their fates. I was really surprised by this because I considered 9th-level and 7th-level PCs and the 3rd-level NPC superior compared to the four 5HD giant ant workers (CR2 each). Those bite-attacks were just lousy! However the ants' grapple proved to be effective and there was an unhappy ending...

Nevertheless I really enjoyed designing the colony, adding lot details to the hive and describing it all to my players. I researched a little bit about ants and it was really fun, kind of of surprisingly since I'm not very good at biology.

Total deaths: 1 PC

JediSoth · Jul 17, 2012

As chronicled on my D&D campaign's blog, two PCs in my game died to mako sharks in a ruined temple built on an island (Taboo Island) in the caldera of an extinct volcano on top of a plateau on the Isle of Dread.

How did the sharks get there? I don't know. At first guess, one might say "Since that part of the temple is flooded, they swam in from outside." OK, but how did they get into a lake in a volcanic caldera 3,000 feet above sea level?

The answer: It's Basic D&D!

Traveon Wyvernspur · Jul 24, 2012

A few deaths to report in my group from our session on July 21, 2012:

PC 1 - Chimi Naglita (Level 6 witch/sorcerer) was at the receiving end of a boulder thrown by a Storm Giant. She was splattered like a pancake and all that was left of her was a smear of blood on the ground as the Giant got the jump on the group.

PC 2 - Koncaron Beatus (Level 6 Paladin of Sarenrae) died at the hands of the same Storm Giant's mace. His brains splattered across the wall taking him to -18 hps with a critical hit and instant death.

Chimi was a new character after the player had decided to switch out their magus for the witch/sorcerer. The player has decided to leave the table and try out other things, we wish him well.

Kon has been with the group since level 3 and was the party tank. The player plans on bringing in a Tiefling Bladebound/Kensei Magus next.

We'll see how well we do w/o the frontline plate wearer as the other melee characters are or will be a ninja, a barbarian/fighter (who wears light armor), and the new magus who is based off of dexterity for ac/hit/dam.

Drowbane · Jul 25, 2012

System: 3.5 + some add on from the Tomes, Pathfinder, Trailblazer, and other assorted house rules.
Campaign: Shackled City Adventure Path (Paizo's first AP from Dungeon mag).

Deaths
Dwarven Cleric 2 - died charging an Ogre, while already down to 1hp ("I was taking a risk!")
Dwarven Rogue 3 - died because he tumbled to flank Troll#1. Troll#2 was able to take a 5ft step behind him and Claw/Claw/Rend... he died in chunks.
1/2 Orc Fighter 2 - At the Lucky Monkey - died to three "Hillfolk" ("They're just mooks!")
Aasimar Paladin 4 - died fighting the good fight against Skaven Umbermead, Tarkilar and a horde of undead and spiders, in the Kopru Ruins
1/2 Orc Rogue 4 - went down the stairs leading into the Pit of Seven Jaws to scout ahead. Like all good scouts, he did not return.

The PCs are now resting up after an epic fight with a random encounter before assaulting Bhal Hamatugn. Let the dice fall where they may!

Herschel · Jul 25, 2012

My Tuesday Night 4E group's first foray in to Epic-tier battle! Bring on the Dracolich!

T.
P.
K.

Oops.

Edit: Monster Vault version.

Celebrim · Jul 25, 2012

It's been a harsh year at my table.

PC deaths:
1) Rex, 4th level human Fanatic: Beaten to death while running up a staircase by a small army of Kelternist cultists wielding wooden mauls.
2) Lythen, 4th level elven Sorcerer: Died at the foot of the same staircase to the same group of beserk vengeful cultists.
3) Mandible, 4th level human Explorer: Sliced apart in a darkened ally by a pair of Malenti assassins while running from a bunch of crossbow wielding pirates.
4) Blue, hobgoblin Explorer 1/Feyborne 1/Fighter 2: Paralyzed by a gang of ghouls, who proceeded to horrificly eat him alive.
5) Quelos, elven Fighter 2/Wizard 2: Brought down from behind by a ghoul while fleeing the scene of Blue's death, and then torn apart.
6) Jarl Felix, human Rogue 2/Hunter 2: Crushed to death after stumbling into a black tentacles trap.
7) Maruth, 4th level human Cleric: Crushed to death by the same black tentacle trap.

Although its not entirely clear from that, all of that is from two near TPKs - 3 deaths (out of six) on one night, followed not that long after by 4 deaths (out of six) on another night. There is a tendency for one death to start cascading into many, as the party finds the loss of one or more members puts it increasingly over its head and unable to extricate itself. In both cases, the players a) split the party and b) avoided warning signs of danger and c) paniced, lost party cohesion and adopted an 'every man for himself' approach that manified the actual danger. In both cases, the party had successfully handled worse odds without loss of life.

Still, all characters will be missed.

Quarotas · Jul 30, 2012

Chibi(Zen Archer 11//Summoner 11 gestalt) the psychopathic murder hobo died
when he sent his eidolon to aid the rest of the party, and was charged by a fire giant and brought to negatives, no one was able to get there to help in time.

Herschel · Aug 1, 2012

Two more kills, this time at Level 22. I modified the Desert of Desolation series for Epic with the Efreet but left the end of Pharoah in-tact as far as "escaping" the pyramid. The Paladin discovered the illusory "painting" covering the window 10,000 feet above the pyramid. After he stuck his hand through he then decided to just walk through it. Gave a save, failed to catch the edge. I didn't feel the need to roll 1000 d6 for the actual damage total.

That was coupled with the party then checking out teh tomb and grabbing the Staff of Ruling from atop teh sarcophagus, but the BArd decided he should open it too, even though they were down a member. Lo and behold, Epic Mummy. I scaled it down but it was a pretty nasty melee combatant that hit hard and stacked dangerous sounding effects on characters it hit. The remaining party members imobilized it and tried to get away from it as fast as they could they could with only one slight problem: The last in initiative PC was the Bard right next to it who was taking ongoing damage and went unconscious right before the Mummy's double-attacking turn.

Grogg of the North · Aug 10, 2012

My party has been travelling through a magical dimension where each layer represents a season. Spring was peaceful and ideal, summer was blistering hot, and autumn was all about the harvest.

To get to the next season the PCs had to help collect the harvest for the Count. Traveling to each of the villages they gathered food and a few citizens. After they delivered the harvest and received the token that would allow them to pass to Winter the PCs started asking the count why he needed people too.

Unhappy with his answers a battle broke out and the bard activated the token. Only to arrive in the land of perpetual winter, in a snowstorm, at night without any means of protecting himself from the frigid environment. He's now a bard-cicle.

Reynard · Aug 19, 2012

We bid farewell to Adoamoros, human ranger, crushed under the club of a petrified then animated oger while exploring the Valley of 1000 Tombs. He got better tho -- reincarnated as a female halfling named Adoamora.

In the same adventure, Aeriadnae fell to a similar creature in the lair of the sorcerous medusa who was creating these monsters. Although the monster was defeated, Aeriadnae remains dead.