I killed my entire group
StalkingBlue
First Post
I killed my entire party about six months ago - first time for me, too, and it happened only because the players had been unbelievably, sleepwalkingly stupid. In short, they waded into battle with a master villain right after repeated unsuccessful attempts to find out "what exactly that shadow was doing there behind that urn, let's go look once again". There was no one in that low-level group who wasn't heavily Strength drained. 
When that fateful battle with the master villain ended, we sat around the table for a while, stunned.
Then slowly we started making new plans. Like you, bolen, I was already secretly counting on having three more undead opponents for the "revenge group", but I asked my players whether revenge appealed to them. As it turned out, all of them preferred a fresh start , so I went with that.
At any rate, their common "death experience" is adding more depth to the new game ... not to mention considerably improving party combat tactics.
I like Henry's suggestion myself, but I wouldn't recommend it if your players got their characters killed because of raw stupidity (and your account sounds like they did). Gives them the wrong sort of signal.
When that fateful battle with the master villain ended, we sat around the table for a while, stunned.
Then slowly we started making new plans. Like you, bolen, I was already secretly counting on having three more undead opponents for the "revenge group", but I asked my players whether revenge appealed to them. As it turned out, all of them preferred a fresh start , so I went with that.
At any rate, their common "death experience" is adding more depth to the new game ... not to mention considerably improving party combat tactics.
I like Henry's suggestion myself, but I wouldn't recommend it if your players got their characters killed because of raw stupidity (and your account sounds like they did). Gives them the wrong sort of signal.
Breakstone
First Post
Just a random idea, if it would fit your gaming style-
Have them wake up as ghasts, ghouls, skeletons, or zombies.
However, somehow, they've retained their consciousness. They need to fight against the preist again, and regain their old bodies, either through being raised, ressurected, or even reincarnated (although that would lead to a new form).
Just an idea.
Have them wake up as ghasts, ghouls, skeletons, or zombies.
However, somehow, they've retained their consciousness. They need to fight against the preist again, and regain their old bodies, either through being raised, ressurected, or even reincarnated (although that would lead to a new form).
Just an idea.
frankthedm
First Post
Ask them if they would like to discuss combat tactics and how to survive situations as the one they croaked in.
Then hand them all a nice fresh character sheet and some d6's
Then hand them all a nice fresh character sheet and some d6's
frankthedm
First Post
Ask them if they would like to discuss combat tactics and how to survive situations as the one they croaked in.
Then hand them all a nice fresh character sheet and some d6's.
They won't be losing too much.
if you just let them wake up they will never fear death.
Then hand them all a nice fresh character sheet and some d6's.
They won't be losing too much.
if you just let them wake up they will never fear death.
Crispy Critter
Explorer
DM Guilt
In the past year I have killed four out of five members of an adventuring party and a TPK to my credit. Both times it has been pretty shocking events. As each character went down, I could see what the inevitable conclusion was going to be.
In the end it was really a matter of poor dice rolling on both groups' parts but still I felt bad about it. I never fudge my rolls or pull any punches because I like my players to feel like that death is a possibility, but seeing my friends get massacred made me a feel a little guilty. Plus, it definitely put a little speed-bump in my plans for the campaign.
Does anyone else get that guilty feeling after offing a whole party?
In the past year I have killed four out of five members of an adventuring party and a TPK to my credit. Both times it has been pretty shocking events. As each character went down, I could see what the inevitable conclusion was going to be.
In the end it was really a matter of poor dice rolling on both groups' parts but still I felt bad about it. I never fudge my rolls or pull any punches because I like my players to feel like that death is a possibility, but seeing my friends get massacred made me a feel a little guilty. Plus, it definitely put a little speed-bump in my plans for the campaign.
Does anyone else get that guilty feeling after offing a whole party?
If the players dont like their PCs too much, I would suggest a new party. When things like this happens, it will make the victorys much sweeter for the coming adventure parties.
But I would make the new party in close connection to the old. Make them be a crack squad trying to find out what really happened, or make the new PCs find the bodies of the old in some way. In that way, the old PCs are not completely lost.
TPKs stink, but in a way they are part of the game. There is no joy in victory if there is no bitterness in defeat.
But I would make the new party in close connection to the old. Make them be a crack squad trying to find out what really happened, or make the new PCs find the bodies of the old in some way. In that way, the old PCs are not completely lost.
TPKs stink, but in a way they are part of the game. There is no joy in victory if there is no bitterness in defeat.
Henry@home
First Post
AH - I see, you didn't kill off the entire group, just half of them.
I do have some comments:
1) You might want to discuss their tactics with them. If they made a boneheaded mistake and they know it, no harm, no foul. If they didn't quite catch the lesson (PROTECT YOUR CLERICS!) then it might be better, at such a low level, to create new characters and have them start over. They can be the new hires that the remainder of the first party has hired to seek retribution.
2) If you don't want to reset, you could have the rest of the party be rescuers of the first. Don't forget to make the first three characters go through hell on earth to escape though - it will be a strong lesson in heroics and how NOT to survive a combat. For instance, make it so that unless the first three can give some outward sign of where they are being held, that the other players don't have a chance to find them.
In any event, good luck! Let us know what the outcome is!
I do have some comments:
1) You might want to discuss their tactics with them. If they made a boneheaded mistake and they know it, no harm, no foul. If they didn't quite catch the lesson (PROTECT YOUR CLERICS!) then it might be better, at such a low level, to create new characters and have them start over. They can be the new hires that the remainder of the first party has hired to seek retribution.
2) If you don't want to reset, you could have the rest of the party be rescuers of the first. Don't forget to make the first three characters go through hell on earth to escape though - it will be a strong lesson in heroics and how NOT to survive a combat. For instance, make it so that unless the first three can give some outward sign of where they are being held, that the other players don't have a chance to find them.
In any event, good luck! Let us know what the outcome is!
EOL
First Post
I have a brother-in law who was interested in D&D so I told him that one night I would do a one shot for him, his wife(my wife's sister), my wife and my wife's brother. I started them in the Sunless citadel, fully expecting that all of the women would be bored and just do it as a favor to the one guy who was actually interested. Everybody loved it and wanted to start a campaign. Expecting that it was a one shot I hadn't put much thought into it and I wanted to create more of a world, so I told them that we would finish the module and then restart. So in the last encounter at the tree with the Druid and his wand of entagle I killed them all.
Looking back even though I did intend to restart it was probably pretty cruel to kill them all off with entangle (a horribly annoying way to die) after five sessions. As far as the issue of the thread lots of creative ideas have been suggested. Rather than hitting the reset button I would use it as a way to make the story arc more interesting.
Looking back even though I did intend to restart it was probably pretty cruel to kill them all off with entangle (a horribly annoying way to die) after five sessions. As far as the issue of the thread lots of creative ideas have been suggested. Rather than hitting the reset button I would use it as a way to make the story arc more interesting.
adndgamer
First Post
I've had a couple of TPK's in my day. And more almost-TPKs. Some of them were accidental (not cool), others had it coming to them (cool ). The latest near-TPK was when 4 sixth level characters refused to run from a 20' tall demon who had just summoned 2 devils. It was one of the dumbest things I've yet witnessed. I gave them plenty of opportunity to run (and only one did), but some of the players apparently believed that I wouldn't let them die. Heh. Fat chance. Demon starts laying down fireballs, lightning bolts, and a whole assortment of other goodies. *sigh* Maybe I'll just not include those kind of things in the future, but then again, what fun would that be?
). The latest near-TPK was when 4 sixth level characters refused to run from a 20' tall demon who had just summoned 2 devils. It was one of the dumbest things I've yet witnessed. I gave them plenty of opportunity to run (and only one did), but some of the players apparently believed that I wouldn't let them die. Heh. Fat chance. Demon starts laying down fireballs, lightning bolts, and a whole assortment of other goodies. *sigh* Maybe I'll just not include those kind of things in the future, but then again, what fun would that be?
