Bad DM'ing night

[Kris]

I think I ran a pretty poor game tonight... which ended in a character death.

To cut a long story short, one of the guys was spending the day getting a new animal companion and the rest of the guys carried on without him. One other guy stayed behind with a group of soldiers gathered at a ford (where they all hoped to defend against a oncoming orc legion) while the other two guys (lvl 7) went off to harass the aforementioned horde (of at least 100 orcs and a possible giant).

No stealth involved... just ride down the road to meet them in their camp :S

The encounter ended with the wizard fleeing (flying and invisible), the bard captured, and their horse (who could not be successfully controlled in combat) killed.

During the battle the wizard fire-balled the orc host when they came into range (unfortunately a failed spot check didn't let him notice the prisoners in their ranks... prisoners who were to be executed as a sacrifice before the main battle).

So... the bard took their place. And no rescue party came for him that night

Here's where it got messy. He was beaten unconscious and then gagged and bound. I used the crucifixion rules from BoVD and had the PC hung on the cross (after midnight) in a place that would be visible to the 'good guys' the next morning (to demoralise the enemy - from the orc's point of view).

Unfortunately this didn't give the PC any real chance of escape (my bad... he could not beat the escape DC) though I thought he would just be able to hold out until morning and might be saved in the nick of time by his comrades. Unfortunately some of his antics got him smacked with a mace before the orcs left him... so his HP were down and, needless to say, he did not make it through till morning

So, although I think the group's actions were a little reckless, I'm kinda annoyed with myself for putting the PC in a situation that meant certain death (it's what was planned for the original prisoners - but not very good D&D from a player's point of view). Things had not gone how I expected (death of the original prisoners/capture of the bard)... so I just carried on with the BBEG's agenda when I probably should have thought a little quicker on my feet and done something to make this into an interesting encounter rather than a death sentence.

So tonight I consider myself a bad DM... though I guess I'm lucky that the player is not too annoyed, and is happy enough to roll up a new character.

Just needed to get that of my chest.

 

[Mystery Man]

Dont' beat yourself up, everyone has a bad night every now and then.

 

[Rothe]

Yeah, don't criticize yourself. You we're a good DM in my book. The execution took a long time, it seems you used some objective rules instead of DM fiat to determine whether he would make it through the night or not, and you played the evil orcs just as evil orcs would act.

The bad aspect of the game was the players' choices. I hate to say it, they were not just reckless, but exceedingly niave and stupid. Any 2 PCs, even in D&D, that blithly walk into a 100 orcs, whose location is know, with no attempt at tactics, stealth, subterfuge or a clear escape plan are asking for trouble. It's reckless and heroic to even attempt such an attack, but plain stupid to figure you just ride on in and start swinging.

In addition, the friends attempted no rescue! What kind of heroics is that? That's where for me, as a DM, I'd give them some slack. If they can't come up with some plan except ride into the middle of the horde and try to free their friend, I might have a NPC step up with a tactical plan (probably some tough 'ole seargent who's impressed by your gumption) and maybe a few troops to help. But it sounds like they didn't even try.

 

[Brother MacLaren]

I don't see what the problem is. It looks like the PCs chose to take a risk and it didn't pay off. If stupid and risky moves are always successful, there's no danger and so no reward in victory.

Why should you have had the orc tribe confine prisoners in any way that gives them a legitimate chance of escape? That would make no sense. They would tie them securely, station many guards, and hobble them (shoving caltrops into their feet keeps with existing game mechanics). So don't fault yourself for the DC being too high -- even the most basic precautions (tying someone with rope and Taking 20) result in a DC that few PCs can escape.

If my DM always fudged the rules and bent over backwards so the PCs survived something they should not have, purely through his mercy, THEN I would consider him a "Bad DM." Taking PCs prisoner is sometimes a sign that the DM has the kid gloves on, unless the bad guys have a really clear motivation for doing so. Taking them prisoner and placing them in an easily escapable death-trap is a sure sign there's no risk, no shame in avoiding that problem.

 

[the Jester]

I don't see what the problem is. It looks like the PCs chose to take a risk and it didn't pay off. If stupid and risky moves are always successful, there's no danger and so no reward in victory.

Why should you have had the orc tribe confine prisoners in any way that gives them a legitimate chance of escape? That would make no sense. They would tie them securely, station many guards, and hobble them (shoving caltrops into their feet keeps with existing game mechanics). So don't fault yourself for the DC being too high -- even the most basic precautions (tying someone with rope and Taking 20) result in a DC that few PCs can escape.

If my DM always fudged the rules and bent over backwards so the PCs survived something they should not have, purely through his mercy, THEN I would consider him a "Bad DM." Taking PCs prisoner is sometimes a sign that the DM has the kid gloves on, unless the bad guys have a really clear motivation for doing so. Taking them prisoner and placing them in an easily escapable death-trap is a sure sign there's no risk, no shame in avoiding that problem.

QFT.

I think you did fine. The pcs brought their situation on themselves. From what you posted, you were fair and played the orcs as, well, a horde of rampaging orcs. The pcs were tactically inept, brave to the point of stupidity, and spineless enough not to try to rescue their captured friend.

Shrug. Pcs die. It happens.

 

[The Edge]

Meh...

I've done worse. Accidently let the 'big bad plot line' slip in the second session. Oops. Meant that five planed adventures suddenly were far too obvious and kinda spoiled it all. Like reading a book backwards. :\

I also once let a Cr 8 undead with death gaze (a Bodak or something I think) loose on a 1st level party, and had to fudge every damn roll as well as give npc suport to avoid a TPK on the first session. wtf was i thinking...

 

[Thurbane]

Put down another vote for "not a case of bad DMing".

It seems like the player accepted his fate, which was basically brought on by poor tactical decisions made by him and other players.

I don't think you have anything to feel guilty about...

 

[Oryan77]

A player death doesn't mean there was bad DM'ing. Besides, if the player didn't complain, it sounds like they had a good time. It actually sounded like an interesting session from your post.

I'll bet money on it that if this campaign continues, every one of your players will be talking about that time Piccard the Bard was hung from a cross & killed by Orcs. I'll bet that player's new Bard will even write a legendary song in Piccard's honor

 

[Moon-Lancer]

In this case, i think it was about half the dms fault. Alot of the bad things that happened to the bard you acted as if it was out of your hands, when it clearly never should be out of your hands. see

 

[Xyanthon]

That doesn't sound like bad DMing to me. As the others have said, the players acted foolishly. You did not create a situation that was intended to bring about their deaths, they chose to seek out their own fortune or folly and ended up paying the price. Actually, the way you handled the orcs sounds pretty compelling to me. I'd actually have fun in a campaign like that I think.