Campaign ends badly, 4th edition here we come!

[Thanee]

Our Necropolis campaign ended in a very gygaxian TPK.

Wrong choice. You are all dead. It was a little more elaborate, but that was the gist of it.

The campaign wasn't really that great, so we were all glad to be able to start something new.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Verys Arkon]

I was running Savage Tide and finished it with City of Broken Idols (7th adventure). It was a good natural break, since the next adventure has them leave the Isle of Dread for Scuttle Cove. All the players came up with a brief 'retirement story' to explain what they did on the Isle. Some went into politics, one started a trade route with Sasserine, another went to live with the Olman. Satisfying, even if we didn't complete the whole arc.

4e was coming out, and 3.5 was getting difficult to run even at 12-14th level. So far 4e has been great to run so far, but I haven't seen any paragon or epic level play yet to judge if they 'fixed' it (although most reports I read say it is good).

 

[kitsune9]

Just finished my 3.5 Age of Worms campaign after 3+ years (I ran 3 adventures at a time and then took small breaks). It sure didn't end the way I thought. The entire party, except one PC died! This was in the second to last module, so we won't even be playing the last one. I think it was time to put this thing to bed anyway. I'm surprised that it lasted as long as it did. My only regret is that I have a couple of players who will now look at the entire campaign as a failure. Well, what can you do.

4th edition, here we come.

Anyone else have stories like this where the end game was maybe not so stellar.

Beldar

I ran this campaign but the players managed to get to the end. Of course, throughout the campaign, the players realized that the power level of the adventures were too tough for four characters so they hired mercs and had cohorts to fill out the party. At the end fight though, everyone survived. Overall, it was a really cool campaign. I thought it was a good story.

 

[Agamon]

It's alright, my players got to the end, stopped Kyuss, and I still consider the campaign a failure. It just wasn't fun anymore in the last 4 adventures, I was just going through the paces for the benefit of the players who wanted to see it through to the end, irregardless of the fact that they were on their 3rd party at the end. Playing that high-level stuff reminds me of trying to walk through neck-deep mud.

 

[slwoyach]

I was once in a party that was done in by a 5' wide "chasm". The DM wouldn't let us take 10 and we all fell to our doom. Come on, I can hop a 5' chasm with no effort and I'm 40lb overweight. I don't play with that DM anymore.

 

[Festivus]

Well, what about Divine Intervention, resurrect the characters (with some penalties, or a debt to the god of death) and finish up that last part! Finishing a campaign is a hard thing to do i think, and as close as you were, i'd pull some strings to make it happen. Unless you were just burned out and wanted a change of pace, which is understandable too. High level 3.x is a pain.

Flip it around. Make the players commanders (Kyuss Knights) of the undead horde to explode forth and slay the heroes. Kyuss wins with the players assistance, and the world is doomed.

 

[Wycen]

Both 3.5 campaigns I played in ended horribly and thus predisposed me to not liking the new edition.

Savage Tide ended because a player decided he was bored and he was the host. He then decided to give 4E a try, as a first time DM.

Our astral/Ptolus campaign ended in a TPK and the DM wanted to go 4E. He then got bored and handed the reigns over to one of the players.

 

[defendi]

I'd finish the campaign if you still can. TPK in the second to last adventure? You know, almost EVERY hero cycle story has the main character die right before the climax. If Trinity can bring back Neo, how hard can it be with resurrection magic, and this way you get to do the brunch with God scene.

 

[DEP]

I was running the AoW when 4e came around. We had a TPK in the Temple of Hextor and decided to give 4e a try. So I began to convert the STAP to 4e. We made it through to 'Here there be Monsters!'

The party wasnt meshing and I booted 3 players to drop the group down to 5. We all were not enjoying 4e equally. We decided that we would skip ahead to the battle of Farshore and they got to fight Vanthus!

Well the game ended with the Paladin of Bahamut missing a hand, the Cleric of Moradin missing both, the rogue dead, the wizard dead and the Warlock fine Vanthus escaped with Lavinia and they retired in Farshore.

We are now playing the Second Darkness AP and loving every minute of the Pathfinder Beta Rules.

So my encounter with 4e was a good solid 6 months and yes it has easier prep time and work, but the system just doesnt feel like D&D to me or my group.

We do talk about bringing their characters out of retirement after the Second Darkness, and maybe just maybe we will start a 4e STAP yet again...

 

[Vegepygmy]

Anyone else have stories like this where the end game was maybe not so stellar.

Exactly the opposite of what you're asking for, but it was so awesome that I have to share:

The final confrontation with Kyuss took us about 15 rounds, I'd say. My warforged paladin (who I had played from 1st level) was the last PC standing, and things were looking grim. Then Kyuss dealt me the killing blow...and my righteous aura (if you die, you blow up and deal huge damage to evil creatures around you) went off in his face.

Kyuss still had enough hit points that if he made the "Reflex half" save, it would all be for nothing, though. And he could only fail on a natural 1. As was our practice, the DM rolled in the open...

And got a 1.

Kyuss was defeated, and my paladin became the stuff of legend. It was as close to perfect as I'll ever see.