In the event of a TPK...?

[Inconsequenti-AL]

In the case of a TPK, I immediately kill all of my players.

That's very unlikely. We'd all commit seppuku first. Mmmm, bring me my moonie juice.

 

[Evilhalfling]

Ive actually only had 2 TPK - one to a small party invested with a disease after the cleric player had left and his PC been disposed of.
and one in the RttToEE where I had already gotten so tired of it I had the dungeon errupt.

The first was just as 3rd ed came out - new system + new party = new world
the second we started i diff party in the same world, and 2 characters actually surrvived what appeared to be certain doom. On joined the new party (after they had caught up level wise)
and another turned up as a rumor in a 3rd game, where he had gotten home and was actually ruling part of Verbonic.

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

It would vary as to how I would handle a TPK with much depending on what the PLAYERS seem to want to do. As a rule, however, I work VERY hard to avoid a true TPK, even when the idiots really have it coming to them. The simple reason why is that it isn't just THEIR game they're screwing up - they're ruining things for me as well. Since as the DM I am in just the right position to make a deus ex machina at least seem reasonable if not actually make it all work for the better I have no problems saving MY game by saving at least one PC from a TPK to keep my plots and such going.