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DM advice: How do you NOT kill your party?
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<blockquote data-quote="Laurefindel" data-source="post: 7397327" data-attributes="member: 67296"><p>I'm a big fan of the "fail forward" gaming philosophy. When it comes to combat, I usually plan a "PC lose" scenario. It doesn't have to be a "the eagles are coming" ex-machina situation, that should be used sporadically, but imagining defeat as a plot-moving scenario. Heck, I've planned combats where losing was THE way to move further in the story.</p><p></p><p>Also, I don't always play all my combats to-the-death. Escaping is often an option. As a matter of fact, I usually tell the players when concequenses are going to be lethal. Such combats need to be frequent enough for victories to be rewarding, but even bosses and BBEG may have other plans than killing their opponents. Slavery, emprisonment, ransom, saving the PC for the big ritual tonight, or just humiliation, are all valid "TPK" scenarios.</p><p></p><p>Other than that, I try not to fudge rolls and don't show hit points (although I show damage dealt so far), but sometimes I take an opponent with only 1 remaining hp out-of-combat. I call that a failed moral check, the creature feigns death or run away, or whatever. I'll save the 1hp situations for zombies and raging barbarians and whatnot.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Laurefindel, post: 7397327, member: 67296"] I'm a big fan of the "fail forward" gaming philosophy. When it comes to combat, I usually plan a "PC lose" scenario. It doesn't have to be a "the eagles are coming" ex-machina situation, that should be used sporadically, but imagining defeat as a plot-moving scenario. Heck, I've planned combats where losing was THE way to move further in the story. Also, I don't always play all my combats to-the-death. Escaping is often an option. As a matter of fact, I usually tell the players when concequenses are going to be lethal. Such combats need to be frequent enough for victories to be rewarding, but even bosses and BBEG may have other plans than killing their opponents. Slavery, emprisonment, ransom, saving the PC for the big ritual tonight, or just humiliation, are all valid "TPK" scenarios. Other than that, I try not to fudge rolls and don't show hit points (although I show damage dealt so far), but sometimes I take an opponent with only 1 remaining hp out-of-combat. I call that a failed moral check, the creature feigns death or run away, or whatever. I'll save the 1hp situations for zombies and raging barbarians and whatnot. [/QUOTE]
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