bravery vs. stupidity

[buzzard]

I pretty much wiped out my party last night. If anyone recalls they were doing the Lord of the Iron Fortress adventure. They had been sent back to the prime material, with one member left behind. They came on back to Acheron to make their assault on the fortress.

Now we get to the stupidity part. Do they scout out the place? No. Do they send in the thief to check for sentries? No. They simply form up their marching order with the bricks in front and march on in. I even let them know that a sentry had seen them and went into report. What did they do? They went in anyway.

At least they used a bit of tactical acumen by teleporting in half the group while the rest walked into the wide open front door (not suspicious?). The four that went in the front door were hit, successively, by horrid wilting, chain lightning, and a breath weapon. The barb and monk survived. The cleric and thief began pushing up daisies. The Barb lasted one more round before joining the fertilizer club. The monk, as one would expect, managed to either save against, or have his SR save his butt.

The others teleported into a closet into the midst of some invisible steel predators (all the opposition had improved invisibility up due to the pit fiend). At least the good guys weren't surprised on this occasion, or rather both sides were. This group was a paladin, a fighter, and a wizzard. They managed to get out of the confined space and eventually dispatch the predators. There they linked up with the monk. They they got to fight the main villain and the fallen trumpet archon. They did manage to dispatch the main villain and the archon. However the two warriors were added to the compost heap. The wizzard then teleported out with the two bodies of the fallen warriors. The monk used abundant step to get the heck out of Dodge himself.

I believe we will be starting a new campaign next week.

At least they did kill off the bad guy, and foil the plan. A rather heroic death, but foolish nonetheless.

Buzzard

 

[med stud]

Well, hopefully they have learned until next time. Give them some webpages to some elementary military tactics so that they are better prepared next time (for example, strike where the enemy doesnt expect you; dont charge unless you have much more power then the enemy).

Sorry to hear about the TPK, btw

 

[Zhure]

The cleric and thief began pushing up daisies. The Barb lasted one more round before joining the fertilizer club....
However the two warriors were added to the compost heap.

We irreverently call that "multiclassing to druid the hard way."

Sometimes the players underevaluate the threat, sometimes it's the characters doing it. You gave them a sentry, but did they know how bad it was going to be?

Based on what you said I assume it's a fairly high-level campaign, so resurrection is easily accomplished. Why not merely get the deceased to raised?

 

[buzzard]

Well, hopefully they have learned until next time. Give them some webpages to some elementary military tactics so that they are better prepared next time (for example, strike where the enemy doesnt expect you; dont charge unless you have much more power then the enemy).

Sorry to hear about the TPK, btw

Actually I'll be handing off the DM duties, so I get to play. I can guarantee that there will be no tactical SNAFUs like this in a party I play in.

I've been DMing for more than a year straight now, so I am looking forward to just playing. Not that this lead me to wipe them out, but it is rather convenient.

Buzzard

 

[buzzard]

Re: Re: bravery vs. stupidity

We irreverently call that "multiclassing to druid the hard way."

Sometimes the players underevaluate the threat, sometimes it's the characters doing it. You gave them a sentry, but did they know how bad it was going to be?

They had already been in the fortress and done something fairly stupid last time. I had laid some whupass upon them on that occasion. They had every reason to expect that the whupass would come in an economy sized can in the future.

Based on what you said I assume it's a fairly high-level campaign, so resurrection is easily accomplished. Why not merely get the deceased to raised?

Well they aren't able to get most of the bodies back, and the cleric is one of the deceased. Also I am a touch burned out on DMing, I will welcome playing.

Buzzard

 

[Zhure]

I like running but I prefer to play. My incidence of burn-out is a lot lower as a player, so I can certainly understand that.

Decided on who's running and what you're playing? Or are you running under a completely new setting instead? Whichever you do, I hope it reenergizes you for the game.
Greg

 

[buzzard]

I like running but I prefer to play. My incidence of burn-out is a lot lower as a player, so I can certainly understand that.

Decided on who's running and what you're playing? Or are you running under a completely new setting instead? Whichever you do, I hope it reenergizes you for the game.
Greg

One of the more experienced players will be running the new game. He's almost as much of a D&D old fart as I am. We will be doing 3rd Ed, though I am not sure of the campaign setting.

I have not lost my enthusiasm for D&D at any point. I had just been losing my enthusiasm for being DM.

buzzard

 

[xjp]

It is hard to properly pin the fault on the DM or on the party without having been there. So who knows.

 

[Jezrael]

To paraphrase Patton: "We don't want any of our troops to die for their country; the trick is to get the other poor, dumb, bastiche to die for his country." [Edited for explicit content]

Sounds like everyone needs to bone up on tactics, hopefully you playing will help them out.

The biggest and best thing you can do is to lead by example; don't go along with silly plans or outright charges into certain doom. Liberally apply the quote above. I've had problems like this in the past; sometimes you can help people out with their little "problem" and sometimes they insist on being not so bright. Just roll with it.

Sorry to hear you're on a DM-burnout, play for a bit and you'll probably be raring to go again.