Are you a killer DM?

[Balgus]

But of course it would be an unfair poll cause my DM is a nice guy. i just happen to play the most peabrained barb you know.

One time, my lvl 2 barb opened a door to find an ogre. He rushed in and was killed with one blow.
Another time, the rogue set off a magical trap and instead of running, my barb smashed the door to find 4 lightning bolts, 3 fireballs, 2 magic missile (sets) and a partridge in a pear tree were all aimed at him. He did not have remains left to ressurect. I just rolled up a new char.

 

[Necrobeer]

I've posted softie since my campaign is still new. In some cases, total party kill would have been merciful. In one game, it felt like everyone was against the group I was in.

 

[Mark Chance]

Re: Statistics

A is for Amy who fell down the stairs.
B is for Basil assaulted by bears.
C is for Clara who wasted away.
D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh.
E is for Earnest who choken on a peach.
F is for Fanny sucked dry by a leech....

Edward Gorey! Yay! I used to have the book that was in. Wish I'd never have lost it. My kids would love it. My favorite letter-related death:

N is for Neville who died of ennui.

Man, ain't that truth. I can't begin to count the number of times I've been a Neville.

 

[Jhyrryl]

PH34R M3!!!1

Most of my kills can be tallied up to one of the following:

1. "My world is not static."
2. "Bad luck happens; I won't save you from it."
3. "I will present you with 'unwinnable' fights."
   [/list=1]
   That being said, while I won't save a character from bad luck, I will help her recover from it. I'm not a fan of permanently killing off characters simply because of a bad die roll, or an oversight on the players' parts.
   
   My players fear me because I often know what their characters are capable of better than they do, and I regularly test those capabilities to the limit.
   
   Edit: spelling

 

[spunky_mutters]

I'm pretty sure I've had a TPK in every campaign and/or game system I've run. Usually I'm not even trying. The players will go out of their way to goad powerful NPCs or potential allies into combat, or will just refuse to run away even when given plenty of opportunity.

Thankfully, I'm with a new group. I'll see how it goes when I start the new game next month. I'm hopeful. You have to be. I mean, I always feel like I've failed when they all die. That's not what I'm going for.

 

[geezerjoe]

I voted that I've been known to be cruel ... and that's usually true. I have infact been known to be cruel monthly rather than yearly ... but it has to be a special circumstance ... like the players won't take a hint
Me: Um you know most people get arrested for that kind of thing?
Player: Yeah ... but they aren't me! I waste him with my crossbow!!!
Me: Ok ... the villiager dies from your ... 6? points of damage. [Rolls dice.] Now the city guard has noticed your not so subtle actions.
Player: Psha! City guard hunh ... I waste them with my crossbow!!
Me: You DO know you're only 2nd level right?
Player: I'm sure they aren't higher than second or third level ... this will be a cake walk with my homies.
Other Players: Dude ... you're going to jail.

...Or I'm running Rapan Athuk ... again

...Or they show up ... just kidding about that one

l8r

Joe2Old

 

[Zarrock God of Evil]

I've been running RttToEE for the last 6 months and whacked up 9 kills in that period (and more "times dying" than anyone cares to remember). And they still have the three main obstacles before them...

-Zarrock

 

[Numion]

I had to tick the last box, since a lot of characters die in my games. I don't know if that really means I'm a killer DM, though. You see, sometimes the PCs actually kill themselves.

BWAHAHAHAAAHHAAA!!!!11!!1!!

 

[Numion]

I've been running RttToEE for the last 6 months and whacked up 9 kills in that period (and more "times dying" than anyone cares to remember). And they still have the three main obstacles before them...

Way to go! I raked in 25+ PC kills in that one. Without spoiling anything, the going gets pretty rough towards the end. I hope you players aren't "perfectionists" that want to clear and explore every place. For their own sake. (My group had actually completed the main adventure, and then wanted to check out couple of things they hadn't previously. Unnecessary deaths followed.)

Just print / copy more of them character / meat sheets and warm up the grinder!

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Well, one permanent death in my Space Experiences campaign so far...
Our Monk died two times, and our Bard 2.5 times (the one I let him survive though he was - rulewise - dead... At least I was able to capture a character )

I do not tend to kill the PCs, but sometimes an encounter becomes more challenging than I would have expected, or the group simply has bad luck...

Mustrum Ridcully