mach1.9pants
Hero
dub post
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My First 4e TPK!
- Thread starter chaotix42
- Start date
mach1.9pants
Hero
And tune in for the next game session in Chaotix42's game, where he "forgets" that his party is only of 5 PCs and "accidentally" gives them an encounter with monster XP total enough for 10 PCs 
He'll do anything to make 'Ace'
He'll do anything to make 'Ace'
Ah. Here I thought the podspawn would be free if they are encountered with a pod demon.OK, so even though podspawn say "0 XP if encountered with pod demon" what they actually meant was "0 XP if spawned during an encounter." The sample pod demon encounter includes 4 podspawn and they contribute to the encounter's XP reward. I suspected this when I was writing up the encounter - what I thought was a 16th lvl fight was actually 17th lvl! Oh well...
Monsters that generate or need more monsters seem to do that; the Oni spiritmaster comes with 4 minions; they're included in his XP total. There's an elite monster in MM2 that, when it dies, it generates another monster, and if encountered with the original elite, it grants 0 XP.
What is a "TPK"?
chaotix42
First Post
And tune in for the next game session in Chaotix42's game, where he "forgets" that his party is only of 5 PCs and "accidentally" gives them an encounter with monster XP total enough for 10 PCs
He'll do anything to make 'Ace'
Rechan said:
Me too! When I counted the XP for the monsters in the MM2's sample encounter the 4 initial podspawn definitely count toward the total though. I hate having to read between the lines.
Hereticus said:
Total Party Kill, or some slight variation.
Runestar said:Shush. What your players don't know can't hurt them (at least no more than what they have already been through), or you (physically, so to speak).
My thought exactly! None of my players come to these boards anyway... *nervous glance*
There are more than a few "Irontooth" scenarios out there in official WotC encounters. Dungeon Delves is rife with them. Just something about fighting a guy five or six levels higher than you...Three soldiers? Ow.
Ask anyone on the boards about Irontooth.
It was 2 owl bears what done it for my 6th-level party. Hugs o'death.
Mustrum_Ridcully
Legend
I didn't manage to create a TPK yet. (But then, I am soft.)
But our group of 4 2nd level characters once died to a 1st level encounter, involving 2 Hobgoblin Soldiers and 2 Goblin Archers, and a fire trap. The trap was irrelevant for the encounter, but the fact that no one of the characters managed to roll to save his life (literally - I don't think any of the death saves succeeded) made us totally and utterly ineffective. The Wizard even tried to escape, and almost did, but he thought he should try to rescue one of his comrades and attack that bloodied Hobgoblin following him. He shouldn't have done that...
But our group of 4 2nd level characters once died to a 1st level encounter, involving 2 Hobgoblin Soldiers and 2 Goblin Archers, and a fire trap. The trap was irrelevant for the encounter, but the fact that no one of the characters managed to roll to save his life (literally - I don't think any of the death saves succeeded) made us totally and utterly ineffective. The Wizard even tried to escape, and almost did, but he thought he should try to rescue one of his comrades and attack that bloodied Hobgoblin following him. He shouldn't have done that...
In 20+ years as a DM, often a sadistic one, I have never had a "Total Party Kill".
Usually one character will survive and mount a rescue, which often amounted to finding bones and Raising Dead.
Twice I had a Total Party Capture. Once the group was converted from agents of good to agents of evil by a year of torture and magical memory manipulations. The second time they were Feebleminded and Possessed, until they were defeated and cured.
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Vael
Legend
So, last night I managed my second TPK. This was an odd one, it turned from what I thought was going to be a tough, but doable encounter into complete destruction of the party, with 2 PCs failing 3 death saves, another was blasted past negative bloodied, and the 3rd failing his death saves after the sole remaining monster left.
PCs: (9th level)
- Human Wizard
- Dwarf Cleric (balanced build)
- Dwarf Storm-and-board Fighter
- Elf Beastmaster Ranger
Monsters:
- Pain Devil Captain (level 10)
- 4 Legion Devil Hellguards (level 11 minions)
- Soulrider Devil Eladrin Arcanist w/Devastator Template added (level 9 Elite)
Basically, the Soulrider's ability to recharge his area effects allowed him to continually smack most of the party. The minions were wiped out early by the figher's Rain of Steel, meaning the Soulrider could let off blast after blast and not damage his remaining ally, and the Pain Devil's weakening basic attack meant that the fighter's damaged was continually reduced.
There were a few poor choices and some bad rolls. The party couldn't keep the Cleric on his feet after he got dropped, because 2 attempts to heal him only lead to the Soulrider's next area blast knocking him back down. Action points were unused, as were some Dailies.
PCs: (9th level)
- Human Wizard
- Dwarf Cleric (balanced build)
- Dwarf Storm-and-board Fighter
- Elf Beastmaster Ranger
Monsters:
- Pain Devil Captain (level 10)
- 4 Legion Devil Hellguards (level 11 minions)
- Soulrider Devil Eladrin Arcanist w/Devastator Template added (level 9 Elite)
Basically, the Soulrider's ability to recharge his area effects allowed him to continually smack most of the party. The minions were wiped out early by the figher's Rain of Steel, meaning the Soulrider could let off blast after blast and not damage his remaining ally, and the Pain Devil's weakening basic attack meant that the fighter's damaged was continually reduced.
There were a few poor choices and some bad rolls. The party couldn't keep the Cleric on his feet after he got dropped, because 2 attempts to heal him only lead to the Soulrider's next area blast knocking him back down. Action points were unused, as were some Dailies.
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