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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mandeville" data-source="post: 4568264" data-attributes="member: 11847">I'm terrified about TPKs.  I worry about certain encounters and then my guys will rock it untouched in two rounds.  It's the encounters that look innocent that wipe out my players and take me totally by surprise.  It's the encounters that when taken in part are a breeze but when combined (monster, environment,  other limiting factors) can totally rip the party to shreds.As to the suggestion that players should just retreat in the face of a potential TPK; I think that may be a little unfair.  Too often the players don't realize that they are in over their heads until one or two players drop.  Sometimes the fight is too hard because the players allowed themselves to be divided and cut off from support then it's five rounds in and that feeling of "uh oh" sets in and it's too late.  At that point every group I have ever ran would never think about running away because it would be seen as abandoning the unconscious PC's and I think there would be bad feelings all around.  All my players have always exhibited a sink or swim together mentality and it's pretty pervasive.I used to run Marvel Superheroes and that game no one ever died...zero HP and it's unconscious time.  That freed the players to flee the field knowing they could regroup and rescue their fallen friends at a later time.  It freed the DM from fearing a TPK because that just meant capture and a heroic escape.  As a DM I would love to get rid of PC death all together and I think that most players would as well; but that illusion of risk needs to be present.  I'd like it if defeat led to in game consequences and story implications but more often defeat means death and the story comes to a screeching halt.</blockquote>

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