D&D 5E One of my players screwed up. Hard. How do I make it fun without doing a tpk? LMoP

[nitePhyyre]

My players are in the Wave Echo Cave and just fought a rather nasty fight against a horde of zombies, ghouls, and a flame skull.

The explored the room with the flame skull, saw a bunch of zombies and made a bunch of noise in an attempt to get the zombies to charge them in the narrow corridor they were in. This worked, but also caught the attention of the ghouls and flame skull in the next room.

So while grouped up as tightly as they could manage, they ate the flame skull's fireball. Then had a tough fight with many miss basis than they were expecting. Now, they are out of spells, potions, rests, and they are running low on HP.

My brilliant wizard, who rolled very poorly in trying to figure out what the flame skull is, decided to keep it as a souvenir.

In an hour, this thing is going to get all it's HP back. At that point, I could easily wipe out their half dead party. (Hell, this party are all noobs, I could probably for them all out with a single goblin and some bubblegum, if I really tried)

So, I'm looking for some ideas that won be fun for my group, without me just murdering them all. Right now, my ideas are to either let the chips fall as they may, or, not resurrect the flame skull.

Anyone have any ideas that are more fun?

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[pauldswann]

Rez the flame skull with half his HP and without restoring any daily spells. It'll scare the hell out of the party but basically be a jump scare for them as they'll not know if he has that fireball back or not.

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[5ekyu]

My players are in the Wave Echo Cave and just fought a rather nasty fight against a horde of zombies, ghouls, and a flame skull.

The explored the room with the flame skull, saw a bunch of zombies and made a bunch of noise in an attempt to get the zombies to charge them in the narrow corridor they were in. This worked, but also caught the attention of the ghouls and flame skull in the next room.

So while grouped up as tightly as they could manage, they ate the flame skull's fireball. Then had a tough fight with many miss basis than they were expecting. Now, they are out of spells, potions, rests, and they are running low on HP.

My brilliant wizard, who rolled very poorly in trying to figure out what the flame skull is, decided to keep it as a souvenir.

In an hour, this thing is going to get all it's HP back. At that point, I could easily wipe out their half dead party. (Hell, this party are all noobs, I could probably for them all out with a single goblin and some bubblegum, if I really tried)

So, I'm looking for some ideas that won be fun for my group, without me just murdering them all. Right now, my ideas are to either let the chips fall as they may, or, not resurrect the flame skull.

Anyone have any ideas that are more fun?

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Well, i would describe the skull rejuvenation over time. At least occasional really bad sounds like whispering screams along with sudden hot flash. After 30m it gets warmer abd warmer and begins to smoke.

Ought to be able to give them enough "something is going on" to avoid the "uh oh"

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[Ath-kethin]

Give them warning. Have it start talking to him as it regenerates, trying to corrupt him as it regenerates. That way they can either a) smack it hard again while it's still down or b) at least be prepared.

I'm away from my books, so I don't know if this approach is bending/breaking any rules as written. But I think it will work and do what you need to have happen.

 

[Afrodactyl]

I'll second the previous messages; either give them warnings that it's going to happen, Res it with only a portion of its previous strength, or just don't res it.

 

[Charlaquin]

+1 for describing it recovering gradually. Every few minutes, describe a hot sensation radiating from the wizard’s bag, or the sound of insidious whispering only the wizard can here. If they think to check the bag, describe the skull sparking and sputtering as if it’s tryong to re-ignite itself.

Alternatively, maybe the flameskull was too badly damaged to recover fully. He gets his HP back and regains consciousness, but can’t muster up the arcane energy to ignite, fly, or cast spells. So he’s kind of stuck with the party until they can find a way to restore his power (at which point he’ll owe them). He could become the Bob to your wizard’s Harry Dresden.

 

[Oofta]

It regains it's HP, it says nothing about regaining spells so it doesn't. That makes it a little easier depending on what spells it cast the first go-around.

Did the wizard put the skull away in his backpack? A couple of flaming rays burn holes through the backpack, roll for initiative. If you really think the flameskull will take out the party even with it's remaining spells, play it from the skull's perspective. It has no real idea how powerful the party is at this point, just that he was killed even when he had allies. It may simply run away to fight another day or try to bargain with the group, even bluffing that he will fireball them all unless they do some deed.

Or maybe the skull has a moment of lucidity upon regenerating and remembers it's previous life, even forgetting it's only a skull for a moment. Flameskulls are created from dead wizards after all, the original wizard that provided the skull may be a good guy and even able to help the group before begging to be destroyed (with instructions on how to kill it for good).

There are several options, including the option to create a unique (if short-lived) NPC. I like to read up a little bit on the lore of monsters to see if I can come up with unique quirks, think of it as an opportunity to make the skull something more than just a murder-bot.

 

[Ragmon]

a. Keep the skull dead. Continue having fun, nothing ruins the mood like a TPK.

b. Or give them several hints that the thing is coming back to life, like the others mentioned.

 

[Brainwatch]

Why does it have to come back evil? You're the DM, maybe rule that the flame corruption is somehow gone, and now the party has a talking skull, advice giver, smart, think they can ask for advice etc. Something like Bob the skull is for Dresden. The party gets a cool, but not over powered item. You get a way, in game, of helping the newbies.

 

[5ekyu]

Also, note, after coming back, flameskull may be free of original compulsion to follow order... And want revenge... So maybe this can be a deal with the devil

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