D&D 5E Unexpected TPKs

[Lidgar]

So far, no TPK's in 5e. Came close a time or two, but so far, so good.

Last TPK was actually the last Pathfinder campaign before 5e. Really wonky party of misfits, and our overly proud samurai half-orc decided she was not going to play a game with the bandit leader (Crimson Throne Adventure Path) while we were completely surrounded in his lair. TPK in 3.5 rounds.

Now that I think of it, I think the drow alchemist managed to escape (but then again, drow always run...

 

[Gamgee]

A TPK happened last year. Or it would have been if not everyone burned fate points. They were fighting necrons and awoke the Necron Lord and his forces. A vast horde of hundreds of Necron warriors whittled them away to nothing. All of them spent fate points to "survive" the encounter.

So thankfully rogue trader Captain Sawyer came to save the day with his personal shuttle and elite crew. (A shout out to another campaign we played in that I was a player of for once).

 

[Nemio]

It should be mentioned that my players took the deaths with good cheer and were enthusiastic to try out new race/class combinations.

Out of curiosity, will you continue the story with them and how will you introduce the new PC's?

Imagine that my new players get TPK'd in the cave, what is a way to keep the game running fast?

They are kept alive and brought to Cragmaw Castle for interrogation after which they have to try to escape?

 

[Reynard]

Out of curiosity, will you continue the story with them and how will you introduce the new PC's?

Imagine that my new players get TPK'd in the cave, what is a way to keep the game running fast?

They are kept alive and brought to Cragmaw Castle for interrogation after which they have to try to escape?

The first group of characters aren't the only adventurers in the world, and the trouble in town doesn't end just because the PCs bite it. Maybe one PC has a sibling or cousin who wants to know what happened and puts together an adventuring party to find out. Maybe a justice minded temple sends heroes to town to deal with trouble they've been hearing about. Maybe one of the NPCs calls upon an adventurous relation to come help with the brigands. As long as there are enough adventure seeds planted, it should not take a new party long to uncover the larger plot.

 

[Grazzt]

TPK 2: "The cleric is out of spells and begging for a rest, but we can take out a group of bugbears without healing, right?" (Group 2, Level 2) This one was bad luck more than anything, as they whiffed their surprise round and then proceeded to not-run-away in the face of a clearly superior foe.

That doesn't really make it an unexpected TPK at that point.

 

[Grazzt]

The first group of characters aren't the only adventurers in the world, and the trouble in town doesn't end just because the PCs bite it. Maybe one PC has a sibling or cousin who wants to know what happened and puts together an adventuring party to find out. Maybe a justice minded temple sends heroes to town to deal with trouble they've been hearing about. Maybe one of the NPCs calls upon an adventurous relation to come help with the brigands. As long as there are enough adventure seeds planted, it should not take a new party long to uncover the larger plot.

Or maybe the new party isn't connected to the previous one at all, but are hired because "We sent a party out and they never came back." or "No one's ever returned from there." All the hooks used that mention things like that...the players can relate somewhat to the latest because they were one of the parties that never returned.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Or maybe the new party isn't connected to the previous one at all, but are hired because "We sent a party out and they never came back." or "No one's ever returned from there." All the hooks used that mention things like that...the players can relate somewhat to the latest because they were one of the parties that never returned.

The old 'no one has ever returned' has more grit when you have been IN one of those parties.

 

[Boarstorm]

Out of curiosity, will you continue the story with them and how will you introduce the new PC's?

Imagine that my new players get TPK'd in the cave, what is a way to keep the game running fast?

They are kept alive and brought to Cragmaw Castle for interrogation after which they have to try to escape?

To the first bit:

I will continue with the story. Luckily I have three weeks to prepare suitable hooks and encounters to get the new PCs up to the level they were at. Usually I'd let them roll up new characters at a higher level, but we're experimenting with bringing in all new characters at level 1 to eventually find out how mixed-level groups fare in this edition.

As to the second:

That was actually the plan should something like this happen. Except it only takes 1d4 hours to awaken from unconsciousness, so you could have them still in the cave, bound and awaiting a crew from the castle to transport them. That gives them a bit more of a chance if they can escape their bonds quickly enough.

 

[Murkmoldiev]

Heres something Funny-

PC A, B and C are on a quest.
( Lets say its a massive 1-20 Lev Adventure path )

PC A and B die . PC C struggles back to town and recovers .

PC C recruits PC A1 and B1 to help him on the same quest .
( Played by the guys who played characters A and B )

On the second foray into the quest PC C and B1 die.

PC A1 struggles back to town and recovers .

PC A1 recruits PC C1 and B2 to help him on the same quest .
( Played by the guys who played characters C and B )

On the third foray into the quest PC A1 and B2 die.

PC C1 struggles back to town and recovers .

PC C1 recruits PC A2 and B3 to help him on the same quest .
( Played by the guys who played characters A1 and B2 )

You can see where this is going....

After a while everyone is some ways removed from the original goals
and reason of the quest -- all the plot tokens and story notes have been handed on
and on to Characters down the line...and there are NO original members of the group left.

But the PlAYERS are the same... Anyone seen this madness ?

 

[Sadras]

Experienced a TPK with the playtest rules two weeks ago, but not because of the rules, but due to player stupidity. It was a well learnt lesson in dungeoneering - TToEE took no prisoners this time. The bungling heroes managed to accidently free Zuggtmoy - who then took a much awaited vengeance on her "captors" and the 150 knight/squires they came with. Colossal failure