My first TPK

[Doug McCrae]

Three players. Three 13th level PCs - sorcerer, abjurant champion, weretouched master - plus one 11th level cleric cohort.

One truly horrid umber hulk (CR14). Ambushed party in a forest while they were unbuffed, coming out of the ground right beside them. Everyone failed the DC22 will save, despite having action points (Eberron setting). Very unlucky. It fought for a bit, the weretouched master alone almost killed it. The monster retreated and let the PCs kill one another until there was only one left, then returned to finish him off. It was close, the umber hulk had only 12hp left out of 270 at the end.

I really hate confusion. D&D, and all rpgs, are about players making decisions. Confusion removes all decision making.

Umber hulks are nasty. Their best tactic is probably to appear on the surprise round, confuse everyone on round one, delay until the end of initiative then burrow back into the ground and let its victims fight it out. Repeat confusion ambushes until all but one is dead. Pretty dangerous.

 

[Rechan]

I really hate confusion. D&D, and all rpgs, are about players making decisions. Confusion removes all decision making.

Were you not the DM?

If you were the DM, I have to ask: why did you use the monster if you hate what it does?

 

[Doug McCrae]

Were you not the DM?

If you were the DM, I have to ask: why did you use the monster if you hate what it does?

I really hate it now. Yeah, I was the DM.

 

[jdrakeh]

Just nix Confusion, if you don't like it. There's no law that says you have to use monsters as-written.

 

[Rechan]

I really hate it now. Yeah, I was the DM.

I see.

Then I guess "Congratulations" are not in order.

 

[rgard]

I really hate it now. Yeah, I was the DM.

Hey, it happens. The odds were against everybody failing their save, but it happened. Sometimes you have to just let the dice roll.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[DeadlyUematsu]

Well played monster!

 

[prosfilaes]

I don't know; umber hulks strike me as basic predators. All I have at hand is the 2ed Monstrous Manual, which says "Umber hulks never fight to the death unless cornered (which is rare, since the creature can dig through stone)." Would it have stuck around until it was down to 12 HP?

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

That's nothing well played.

As Doug said, the lack of player choice killed the characters. The Umber Hulk wasn't really faced with a decision to wait as it's powers ran their course. This choice of action was self evident. Actually I rather doubt a 12hp Umber Hulk would have gone for the total kill, it would seem safer to drag the 2-3 characters under the ground.

A TPK is just a plain bad experience, unless there is little player/dm investment.

You can go through all the effort to restart a campaign, if you can convince the players to again play, despite the possibility of a similar ending. Or if you don't want to see invested time and effort wasted, you could short cut to the later resurrection courtesy of friends or allies.

Either way, the fun factor of the game will likely need a serious upwards bump after such a downer.

 

[Ulrick]

Congratulations, Doug McCrae you are now officially a full-fledged Dungeon Master.

*Welcomes Doug into the fold with open arms*