Do TPKS end campaigns?

[Vegepygmy]

I'd say by definition a TPK ends a campaign, assuming death is permanent and no afterlife adventures. The PCs *are* the campaign. If you keep playing in the same world with new PCs that's a new campaign set in the same world.

That's not a definition of "campaign" that I've ever used. (It's okay if that's what the word means to you, of course. Just be aware that not everyone uses it that way.)

 

[fba827]

It really depends on the situation and the preference of the DM and Players.

Sometimes new PCs can come in and finish what the other PCs started (either aware of the previous PCs actions or they were doing it seperately -- after all, if what the PCs were doing was a big deal then it is possible some other group was aware of it and working towards the same goal in a different or slower way).

Other times, the DM, Players, or situation just best calls for it all to be scrapped and start a brand new campaign.

I would imagine if the DM put a lot of work in to the campaign and prep work that more often he'd want to see it advanced further, but, again, it's a case by case scenario depending on the will of the three parts a) DM b) Player c) situation/circumstance

 

[Agamon]

If the game revolves around the PCs and what they do, yeah, TPK is the end of the game. It'd be like killing off the entire cast of a TV show then continuing next week with all new people.

OTOH, If the PCs are just interacting with the environment, going from one adventure to another, it's pretty easy to pick up where you left off.

 

[jdrakeh]

So, the question should be: does the loss of all PCs end the campaign, or can the entire part be replaced and the campaign be continued?

Yeah, that's pretty much what it ammounts to.

IME, a TPK kills a campaign when you try to replace the PCs with new characters or otherwise ensure that they're no longer playable. Trying to rotate new heroes into the roles of the old heroes almost always destroys suspension of disbelief for the players.

That said, if you can arrange to have the old PCs returned to life (either by NPC aid) or by fighting their way out of the underworld (something I mention in Formless), then a TPK isn't so bad. It still has very real consequences, but probably won't kill the campaign.

 

[tankschmidt]

I run a traditional megadungeon campaign, and in no way will a TPK end it. Since my players have 2+ characters each, if one party dies, the second party will hunt for the bodies to double their treasure! (And considering that treasure = exp, that's pretty much an automatic level.)

 

[Ginnel]

Another option to creating a party to come in exactly where you left off, is to create a new party who are investigating the big bad at another angle, maybe start it at the time the original PC's started and have what the original PC's have done happen at the same time they are going through their adventures and have an impact on it.

 

[Doug McCrae]

I run a traditional megadungeon campaign, and in no way will a TPK end it. Since my players have 2+ characters each, if one party dies, the second party will hunt for the bodies to double their treasure! (And considering that treasure = exp, that's pretty much an automatic level.)

Old school.

 

[Lord Mhoram]

In my case, I design the adventures and what is important in the world around the characters and their background. Losing all the characters ends the game.