ExploderWizard
Hero
also taking rechan's idea. make it a time shift too.
reincarnation is a fun spell
Time shifting? Excellent!! Listen to this Rufus dude he knows what he's talking about.
-
The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is LIVE! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
TPK strategies?
- Thread starter Truename
- Start date
Time shifting? Excellent!! Listen to this Rufus dude he knows what he's talking about.
Yup, that'll kill 'em.
And, I asking about what to do after I killed 'em.
Great suggestions, thanks. Have you tried them? What were your experiences?
the Jester
Legend
So, what other plot ideas do you use for TPKs? I want to look forward to the twists and complications that a TPK will bring. No more pulling punches because I'm afraid to derail the game.
Sorry, I let the dice fall where they may. I don't do bacon-savings. I always go for the "roll up new characters" approach.
That said, I really like the "500 years later, the heirs to your troubles bring you back with a cry for help against the mess you left behind" approach.
pawsplay
Hero
Kill them all. And let it be obvious they had a chance of winning if they didn't screw up.
The 500 year later thing is not bad either.
Heck, do both. They roll up new characters, who are simply a later generation still dealing with the failure of their predecessors. Now that's how you roll. Never cheapen suffering when you can deepen it...
The 500 year later thing is not bad either.
Heck, do both. They roll up new characters, who are simply a later generation still dealing with the failure of their predecessors. Now that's how you roll.
Never cheapen suffering when you can deepen it...TheRealRonn
First Post
Before the campaign begins, roll up new characters and keep them aside for the TPK. Once that occurs, hand out the new characters and tell the players these new characters remember the lives of the former and that they are on a quest to get their old bodies back. If that occurs, give the players the option of "transferring" back into their old bodies or staying in the new ones. Think of all the cross race/ class / gender classic fish out of water gags!
roguerouge
First Post
I've read Ghostwalk a long time ago and liked the concepts. Not right for the campaign I DM, though. That's a 1 PC campaign and Escape from the Forest of the Lanterns will be perfect for if she goes. There's a similar "Fairy Tale" adventure in Goodman Games' The Adventure Continues, with a community of failed heroes to boot! So, I've not run it, but I think it would work. Anything surreal and more difficult than just going off to the afterlife should.
Usually I'm all for the re-roll, but th etime jump idea is fun.
Then again, a now-insane, high-level spellchucker with reincarnates to burn was watching the epic battle/party and is chaotic-yet-merciful enough to let them be the recipient of his goodies.
New stat boosts/nerfs and racial abilities to try to figure out but still basically the same characters. Plus, could be fun with a Brownie Paladin, Centaur Rogue or a Kobold Wizard.
Then again, a now-insane, high-level spellchucker with reincarnates to burn was watching the epic battle/party and is chaotic-yet-merciful enough to let them be the recipient of his goodies.
New stat boosts/nerfs and racial abilities to try to figure out but still basically the same characters. Plus, could be fun with a Brownie Paladin, Centaur Rogue or a Kobold Wizard.
hafrogman
Adventurer
You could always combine new characters with Rechan's idea.
They all die. Have them make a new party. Have that party set out to resurrect the fallen "heroes of legend". Around the time that the new party is at the level of the old party, have them succeed in their quest. Now each player can individually decide whether to play their new character or their old.
Have the "spares" set off on some tangentially related quest, while the "main" party goes on to face the BBEG.
If you're feeling particularly adventuresome, make them do both quests, and have the results of one affect the other, and vice versa.
They all die. Have them make a new party. Have that party set out to resurrect the fallen "heroes of legend". Around the time that the new party is at the level of the old party, have them succeed in their quest. Now each player can individually decide whether to play their new character or their old.
Have the "spares" set off on some tangentially related quest, while the "main" party goes on to face the BBEG.
If you're feeling particularly adventuresome, make them do both quests, and have the results of one affect the other, and vice versa.
Of course, he wants to avoid the rolling up of new characters.
But it is a good idea.
I've seen a similar suggestion made by Asmor: when the PCs are captured by some entity, have the PCs roll up lower level heroes who try to save the PCs from their current predecessor.
Hey! I've actually used Rechan's idea before! Well...actually it was my idea...at the time. So...our idea.
It was an unexpected and "accidental" TPK, and it was only about 10 minutes into the session, so I just made up some junk about their afterlives for about twenty minutes, then had a party of adventures resurrect them 30 years later (in one of the only places where such a spell could still work in the future--a fallen shrine in the middle of a vampire-infested mountain).
It was hilarious having them run, naked, for their lives from a horde of undead, and then find out that their failure had let the world fall into the hands of the demigods of aberration and lycanthropy. As a DM is was thrilling to make up the session entire off the top of my head.
I was a bit more merciful than most DMs would have been. Several sessions later, I had them discover a relic that allowed them to travel back in time. It was much much harder than that, so they had to earn the right to get their characters back into the original quest. If they had died again, there would have been no more DM resuscitation.
It was an unexpected and "accidental" TPK, and it was only about 10 minutes into the session, so I just made up some junk about their afterlives for about twenty minutes, then had a party of adventures resurrect them 30 years later (in one of the only places where such a spell could still work in the future--a fallen shrine in the middle of a vampire-infested mountain).
It was hilarious having them run, naked, for their lives from a horde of undead, and then find out that their failure had let the world fall into the hands of the demigods of aberration and lycanthropy. As a DM is was thrilling to make up the session entire off the top of my head.
I was a bit more merciful than most DMs would have been. Several sessions later, I had them discover a relic that allowed them to travel back in time. It was much much harder than that, so they had to earn the right to get their characters back into the original quest. If they had died again, there would have been no more DM resuscitation.
