My First TPK

[derelictjay]

Not counting on it and including it in the realm of possibilities of the actions they can take are vastly different.

I guess I play with more, non-vile NPCs, willing to accept surrender and respect life than most DMs.

The NPC was a known nice guy and they were framed for murder, shoot when they refused I kept hoping they'd go for an escape instead of duking it out. I can work with fugitives better than corpses.

 

[Numion]

There is a way to get surrendering to work I think. Be upfront with the players that they have to surrender and DO NOT NOT play out the fight. Say something like - "Okay guys, for tonight's session to work, you'll all have to start off in prison." Then you can do your escape from prison bit.

I'd lodge a complaint to the DMs Association and have the jokers DMing license janked. Either you take my character down fair or not at all.

 

[Halivar]

Either you take my character down fair or not at all.

My sentiments exactly. I want the DM's NPC's to pay for every one of my hit-points in blood.

 

[Bagpuss]

Why is combat "to the death!" ?

Because the -10 hit points isn't a large enough buffer zone.

At low level raise dead isn't an option.

At high level you have all the save or die stuff flying about, and area effects that can kill a whole party from unlucky rolls so no one is around to raise the dead.

 

[Slife]

My sentiments exactly. I want the DM's NPC's to pay for every one of my hit-points in blood.

Roll 4d6. Thats how many guards you kill before you're captured.

 

[Halivar]

Roll 4d6. Thats how many guards you kill before you're captured.

DM's have done that to me and I have hated it every time. If all you want to do is tell the story without gaming it out, why even have a game? Just invite me over to listen to your story. At least then I don't have unreasonable expectations. [EDIT: I don't mean that sarcastically, either. No snark intended! I promise!]

Once, a DM had me captured while assaulting a castle filled with half-dragon guards (my [incredibly min-max'ed] character was solo this session, and thus predisposed to foolishness). We rolled out the entire encounter. After about two hours, it was clear that the guards supplied were insufficient. So he threw in dragons. I mowed through four dragons (I said min-max'ed... and how!) before the fifth finally knocked me down to 0 hit-points. This was a railroad done right, IMHO. By the rules, and tons of fun. If instead he had said "roll 4d6, and that's how many guards you kill before you're captured," I would have missed out on a great, rollicking, good time. I would also have mistrusted the outcome. How can the DM be sure I would only take out that many? We never rolled it out. I may think my character is capable of more than that. In the end, I may end up distrusting the DM if he makes many deus ex machina decisions like that.

PS: I game with some people that the aforementioned event would have just ticked off, and those folks would probably prefer the narrated capture to the long, slow grind down to 0 hit-points. But I think those folks just like winning more than playing, so I weigh their concerns a little less.

 

[Doug McCrae]

DM's have done that to me and I have hated it every time. If all you want to do is tell the story without gaming it out, why even have a game? Just invite me over to listen to your story. At least then I don't have unreasonable expectations.

It's just like glossing over an unimportant part of your character's life. Like summarising two weeks of travel with, "You travel for two weeks before arriving at the Forbidden Temple". You don't want everything described in detail do you? The Forbidden Temple is where the action is, that's the interesting part.

Likewise the 'game' here begins with your PC in prison. That's where your meaningful choices start. I'm definitely not telling a story, that's why the capture is covered in such brevity. A single sentence, that's hardly a story.

See if I play out a capture scene in detail you know what will happen? Of four PCs, two will die, one will escape and one will get captured. That's a big problem for the flow of the session as the party is now split up and two players need new characters. Wouldn't it be better for the game to keep the whole party together and assume they are all captured?

 

[Nifft]

DM's have done that to me and I have hated it every time. If all you want to do is tell the story without gaming it out, why even have a game?

You're missing the point here: the fun game that the DM has devised is "escape from castle Blah".

He's cleverly side-stepped the dreadful "lose a fight and almost die" part of the story, and skipped to the part where the PCs might win.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Numion]

It's just like glossing over an unimportant part of your character's life. Like summarising two weeks of travel with, "You travel for two weeks before arriving at the Forbidden Temple". You don't want everything described in detail do you? The Forbidden Temple is where the action is, that's the interesting part.

Likewise the 'game' here begins with your PC in prison. That's where your meaningful choices start. I'm definitely not telling a story, that's why the capture is covered in such brevity. A single sentence, that's hardly a story.

I'd be mostly ok starting the game in prison, but not with going to prison without me having a say in it. Getting caught is a pretty big thing for my character. I rather it happen before I was controlling the character.

Would you accept the DM saying for example: "Last night your (male) dwarf fighter put on a pink fairy dress and tried to seduce captain of the guard in a tavern!"

 

[Drowbane]

Wow. Just simply wow...I can't believe I just killed the entire party. I am really bummed about the campaign ending at level 2 with me telling them how it won't end till 20 (WotBS adventure path). I feel really horrible that happened, though I did tell them I didn't suggest they camp there, or that they should stay and fight the level 2 or 3 raging/enlarged barbarian.

Does a TPK make me a bad GM? They all wanted in on my next campaign, but I feel as if i have let them down by not going easier on them.

</vent>

Congrats! Now you're a real DM!

Hopefully with your next TPK you won't suffer those silly pangs of guilt.

Seriously though, TPK doesn't have to be the end of the campaign.

Not even. Welcome to the RBDM Brotherhood.

-Samir Asad / Thayan Menace

No, no, no... he isn't nearly ready for the Brotherhood. He clearly has alot more ratbastardry (tm) to get to before he gets into the Clubhouse.