All PC dead, what to do?

[Falkus]

If the dummies learn to post guards while they sleep, it's not a waste of those sessions. Unless a DM is just out to kill the party, I'm of the opinion that they got the TPK they deserved. Let 'em cry.

It was a bloody inn where they had absolutely no reason to suspect they were in danger, not the dungeon of horrendous doom. If they were knew somebody was after them, then a guard would be a reasonable precaution, but if not, then it's just bloody paranoia. If your players are paranoid to the point where they always act as if they're in mortal danger, then something is wrong.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

It was a bloody inn where they had absolutely no reason to suspect they were in danger, not the dungeon of horrendous doom. If they were knew somebody was after them, then a guard would be a reasonable precaution, but if not, then it's just bloody paranoia. If your players are paranoid to the point where they always act as if they're in mortal danger, then something is wrong.

I agree with you Falkus. You shouldn't have to post a watch every time you sleep in an inn unless you have a pretty good idea that someone might be after you. I don't think putting this level of paranoia into the PC's makes for a good game.

Elfdart obviously prefers to run or play in a different style of game to me. As long as he's happy with his game and I'm happy with mine it doesn't really matter.

Olaf the Stout

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

A minor tweek...

As long as he's and his players are happy with his game and I'm happy with mine it doesn't really matter.

 

[blargney the second]

You know, there's a lot to be said for changing 'Save or Die' into 'Save or Dying'. It changes the K in TPK from Kill to Knockout.

 

[Thomas Percy]

Today I will run a session - cold meat party.
These are solutions to talk for my players.
1.

Have them wake up in the Shadow World. They need to find their way back to the "real world" because they don't want their souls to their final resting place.

2.

Turn it into a capture scenario. The coup de grace was with a sap, not a shortsword, and each of the PCs was knocked out. They wake up in the prison of the guy who hired the rogue to get them, due to be questioned in a few days time. They then have the opportunity to escape from the prison, find their stuff, kick off the adventure in a new direction (and with a new enemy that they can really hate).

3.

I guess if the PC's have some unfinished business, you might want to consider letting them stay in this world as gosts, give them a time limit, limited area of influence and some harsh esoteric restrictions.
They need to either have it arranged that they get raised or finish their business within those limitation, otherwhise afterlife claims them and they are truly lost. Don't make it to hard, but fun.

4.

Assuming that the PCs were sleeping in an inn in some sort of town or city, then their bodies will be discovered in the morning. The next game session could start with one of the PCs being questioned by a cleric using Speak with Dead. Once the authorities discover that a mass murderer in on the loose in their town, they may want to hunt him down. But their militia leaders are off somewhere else on official business, who could we get? Hmmmm. Why not make a deal with the dead PCs, cast raise dead on them, in exchange for a quest? A quest that is over and above finding their murderer. This gives the DM the chance to have the PCs take revenge, and sets them up for the next adventure.

The only female character of fellowship was absent, and she will help her friends if she can play next session.
5.

My solution? Continue the campaign in the afterlife. All the PCs go to Limbo / The Astral Plane / etc. and have to earn their mortality back. After a couple of adventures, the PCs regain their lives and are shunted back to the moment before the assassin began to pick the lock. Now, with an extra level or so (in addition to being awake), the assassin fails miserably.

 

[shilsen]

Today I will run a session - cold meat party.
These are solutions to talk for my players.

Let us know what they decide.

 

[Thomas Percy]

Let us know what they decide.

My players decide their PC stay in this world as ghosts, with limited area of influence.
They need to finish their business within those limitation, otherwhise afterlife claims them and they are truly lost.
We use Ghostwalk types of pseudo-ghost to not modify their sheets too much.
There was no problem with equipement stolen, because of above mentioned inteligent scimitars, which led the killer to death in Abrolon's forge.

The PC finished the module (they found the child and overthrowned the usurper), so it's a time for god of law and nobility (Haelyn) to reward them for their ghost-quest.

What you think, what it can be, raise dead without XP lost?

 

[Crothian]

If the dummies learn to post guards while they sleep, it's not a waste of those sessions. Unless a DM is just out to kill the party, I'm of the opinion that they got the TPK they deserved. Let 'em cry.

Ah, yes, the meta gaming that many players do. However, if you read the thread you'll find they have no reason to do such a thing.

 

[shilsen]

My players decide their PC stay in this world as ghosts, with limited area of influence.
They need to finish their business within those limitation, otherwhise afterlife claims them and they are truly lost.
We use Ghostwalk types of pseudo-ghost to not modify their sheets too much.
There was no problem with equipement stolen, because of above mentioned inteligent scimitars, which led the killer to death in Abrolon's forge.

The PC finished the module (they found the child and overthrowned the usurper), so it's a time for god of law and nobility (Haelyn) to reward them for their ghost-quest.

What you think, what it can be, raise dead without XP lost?

Sounds like a reasonable reward.

Good to know that everything worked out all right in the end.

 

[irdeggman]

The PC finished the module (they found the child and overthrowned the usurper), so it's a time for god of law and nobility (Haelyn) to reward them for their ghost-quest.

What you think, what it can be, raise dead without XP lost?

Haelyn? I knew it was Birthright ; ).

Instead of no xp loss what actually happens is that the xp they earn in the ghost quest makes up for the loss. I'd probably throw in a few ghost (or shadow) items as rewards too.

Now if they are scions there is a whole new set of "issues" to deal with (loss of bloodline, loss of holdings (if regents, etc.)