May Your Character's R.I.P

[Alejandro]

We're playing through Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, and Death walks beside us. *SPOILERS*













Our scout bled to death after being mauled savagely by wolves. He got better, but only because his fiendish father mocked him for his weakness.

Our warrior died next, after taking on a blue dragon in a moathouse. The player lost interest and left the campaign, so we honored the warrior's memory by eating his ashes in a Hommlet Omelette.

Our scout died again, after triggering a portal of grells. The player decided to play a paladin, so we honored the rogue's memory by drinking his ashes in our cups of sorrow.

Our templar died after being Confused and subsequently ripped apart by an air elemental. He was Raised, and is now our foremost elemental smasher.

The paladin's companion (NPC) died while rescuing him from the air elemental who killed the templar. She was Raised, but left our party.

I, the dwarven wizard, was pounded into the ground by an invisible stalker. I was Raised, but now walk around with a Protection spell at the ready.

Our druid died to the templar while both were Confused. The Druid was Reincarnated into a wolf.

The paladin died while battling trolls and giants. He was brought back with Lasting Breath, but frittered the next few seconds and died yet again. We buried the paladin (and did not eat him), but the player lost interest in the campaign and eventually left.

My brother (half-orc harrier cohort) died when assassins attacked us in a temple. He was Raised, but was vindicated when he defeated that assassin at another temple.

Our barbarian (guest player) was hammered hard by a massive water elemental, and died when his rage ended. He was Raised, but left our party.

And there you have it! Nine characters, eleven deaths, four remaining party members out to save the world.

 

[Dark Dragon]

Two of my PCs died in old AD&D times.

The first one was a fighter / cleric / mage (all at level 7). The party rested in a cave and was preparing for a battle with some weak dragons. My PC needed a simple material component for a spell (rember Nap ? You need a part of cushion...), but the next village was some days distant. So he ploymorphed into a hawk with the words: 'Don't worry, I'll be back within two days' and went off. I don't know why I DIDN'T used that invisibility spell (duration 1 day!). Well, two giant eagles spotted that little hawk, but the PC failed his check to spot them. They attacked by surprise, beginning with two rolled 20s. My PC didn't realised what has killed him. He was almost eaten, and the rest of him couldn't be used for Raise Dead ...

The second story was from a druid. He has been aged (10 years) in a fight with a ghost. His new age was 26. In the Tome of Magic handbook was a druid spell that can give lost years back. But the PC has to survive the procedure, meaning rolling against physical shock (roll d%). The druid wanted his youth back and used the spell. He had a shock-value of 90, I rolled a 94...He was ressurrected, but lost 20.000 GP to the temple of Helm and a level.

 

[Piratecat]

In my last big campaign, the evil relic the PCs were fighting a demon for fell (along with the demon) into a sphere of annihiliation. I describe the sphere quaking (the result of destroying a major artifact) and the gnomish illusionist panics. "He's gotten away," he yells. "I'm going after it!"

And while I look on agog, he flies into the damn sphere. "Are you sure you want to?" I ask. "Yes!" he answers, and off he goes.

"What happened to him?" asks the rest of the party. "He's gone," I answer, "and the solid black sphere is now pulsing and quaking."

"Oh crap," says another party member. "Boost me up."

Apparently, the gnome thought it was a gate - and his bravery (?) convinced everyone to try and go in after him. Now that's a way to die.

 

[Westwind]

When campaigns go bad...

We were in the midst of a delve campaign and had come across a vial of some very very nasty stuff. We couldn't open it, and given the number of infernal symbols on it, that was probably a good thing. Anyways, a trio of mid-level demons come to the hamlet looking for the vial and a huge fight breaks out. The PCs are all scattered across town (tricky tricky DM) so it's almost impossible to coordinate our resources. The PCs guarding the vial are losing badly and finally, in a final act of defiance, the gnome takes out the vial and yells...

"You want this so badly? You'll never have it!"

rolls to attack...natural 20...

Turns out the thing was an evil artifact containing a massive plauge, which instantly killed every living thing in a 10 mile radius (grass, PCs, earthworms). Ouch.

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On another occassion I was playing an evil thief (2e) who was fairly vain and immature (haughty evil is never fun!). Our resident mage had insulted him in front of the rest of the party and I was looking for revenge. The mage scouts ahead (why? got me...) and I sneak up to him in the shadows.

Me: Boo!

Him: Eep! *blasts me with a charge from his wand of lightning bolts, doing quite a bit of damage*

Me: Rat bastard! *stabs him in the arm and grabs the wand* Screw you! *snaps wand*

The ensuing retributive strike (aka the Tidal Wave of Electricity) finished off most of the party about 4 minutes into the game. That was years and years ago and I still get crap from people about it (rightly, I suppose). On the bright side, the mage-player went on to found a church dedicated to the destruction of dangerous magical items.

 

[Hand of Vecna]

so many deaths....

First one I can recall is Sven, a Wizard/Cleric of Boccob who got ensnared in Castle Amber. This was not long after 3E came out, so we were all new to it, and the DM later admitted his conversions may have been a tad bit "off." Which explains why I and 2 other characters all died in one Flame Strike cast by a crazed cleric.

Then, there was Radknooz. Ah, Radknooz, my Kobold Cleric of Vecna. He died so many times in so many ways (though the grey ooze that fell on him did NOT kill him -- it just removed his face), but the final one that did him in was being feasted on by a pack of Ghouls led by a Ghast within 6 seconds. Which was completely my fault, since I (the player) had gone temeporarily insane and forgot Radknooz could turn undead....

Then there was Colvin, my PSionicist who I had planed to become a Pyrokineticist. But that was before a Blue dragon killed him, then he got raised, than a Green dragon killed him (this was all at the beginning of our RttToEE campaign)

Then there was Zerth Da'kon, the human PSychic Warrior who was convinced he was a Githzerai. I liked him, he was fun and quirky. He did when Featherstone (our party's evil Sorcerer) decided to finally turn on us, and blasted us all with lightning bolts.

And finally there was Elrod, my Druid/Oozemaster. His Dire Wolverine companion was mashed by a Ghoul Athatch (VERY nasty), and then Elrod died when we were swarmed by 4 elementals (one of each type), some arrowhawks, and an ethereal cleric of Tharizdun. Shortly after Elrod's death, the entire world was consumed when Tharizdun was freed.

Now I'm playing Shujinko Sanako, a Shugenja of the Citrine (Crab) clan. It's my first female character, and she's made it from level 1 to level 3 without dying -- I'm so happy!!!