So you've killed all the adventurers!

[Darklone]

Depends on the situation and the campaign. Pretty often the players use NPCs that they befriended earlier... but usually my players learn when to run, so TPKs haven't taken place in the last years.

 

[delericho]

Usually, a completely new campaign, in a new setting with new goals and new characters.

One time, I ran new characters in a different part of the same setting, with goals that were initially different, but gradually dovetailed in with the goals of the previous characters. One of my players remarked "suddenly, a lot of what was going on a few months ago makes a lot more sense..."

 

[thedungeondelver]

I asked (and thank you all for many of your answers thus far) because a couple of years ago there was a TPK in G2 THE GLACIAL RIFT OF THE FROST GIANT JARL which ended the campaign.

I'm once again refereeing a Greyhawk campaign and I'd like to have that over-arching story consistency that a certain fellow from Lake Geneva - old guy, some of you might know him...wargamer, ran a small publishing company up there that had it's own store up on the corner of Main and Lake - has in his house campaign, but I really don't think that's possible in this case.

Well, whatever, I'm going to plan for a TPK in terms of how it will impact the campaign world and move forward accordingly. If it happens, then the next group that adventures in my GREYHAWK campaign may well find the bones and magic-items (or not!) of the previous adventurers...

 

[Morgan Stormane]

Do you:

Reset the campaign, same adventures, same locale, same goals, new characters?

...or do you...

Start a different campaign, same campaign world, new goals, same locale, new characters?

...or do you...

Start a different campaign, differeng campaign world, new goals, new locale, new characters?

...or do you...

Switch genres altogether and play a different game?

I'm just keen to know what other Dungeon Masters do in this situation.

Our group has two primary DMs (I'm one). When we have a TPK (we had our first one last year in my campaign), the "other" DM runs his campaign while we decide what to do about the first one.

In my case, we decided to say goodbye to the Kingdoms of Kalamar. We all liked the setting, we just butchered the names so much it kind of ruined our experience and we decided to start over in a new world. I chose Greyhawk and we're currently running the Shackled City Adventure Path. My players are enjoying it immensely! So, I guess, we do #3 in your list.

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Actually, I've never had a TPK. I've had 8 out of 10 or 11 out of 14 or 3 out of 4 PCs dead or otherwise out of action, but invariably the one to three survivors are the most tactically astute and powerful and they either win through or execute a successful fighting withdrawal.

If I *did* end up with a TPK, I would either:

a) "Reload" the situation from the last time the PCs were out of danger. Of course, the shift in reality would change more than just their being dead. Though, they might not realize it until someone tried to metagame their "foreknowledge" of the adventure...

b) Start a new campaign, almost certainly in a different genre, probably with a different set of rules.

 

[Kafkonia]

The situation can't arise in my game. PCs get swashbuckling cards or action pts which can be used to stabilize them at -9 if a blow or effect takes them below -10. So, at worst, they can all be beaten down to unconsciousness, with presumably a couple dying if all their cards/pts run out. After that, depending on the particular scenario, they may wake up with all their stuff gone, may wake up as slaves, etc. and have to deal with the consequences of the defeat.

I was just thinking about that the other day -- "Say, nobody seems to die in Shilsen's games..." Now I know why.

 

[shilsen]

I was just thinking about that the other day -- "Say, nobody seems to die in Shilsen's games..." Now I know why.

Yup, that's it. So far, we've had PCs go to -10 and below 25 times in 50 sessions. Without that house rule, I'd either have to make returning from the dead really easy, or have a completely new group of PCs every dozen sessions or so.

And, as I always say, death means they've escaped me

 

[Lanefan]

Entirely depends on the situation. If the players have other characters in the same world we just go to those and carry on, in a different adventure unless they've reason to know the original party is missing...

If they don't have backup characters it'd conpletely depend on what we all want to do...this has yet to come up in my games.

Lanefan

 

[Kafkonia]

Yup, that's it. So far, we've had PCs go to -10 and below 25 times in 50 sessions. Without that house rule, I'd either have to make returning from the dead really easy, or have a completely new group of PCs every dozen sessions or so.

And, as I always say, death means they've escaped me

Wow, you are vicious. *hats off*

After losing two PCs in the first session of my new higher-level campaign, I'm going to do something similar and introduce the Dork 20 deck. I was already going to do that for the low-level game starting this weekend (with one experienced 3.5 player out of 8!)

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Start a new campaign, save the lethal adventure for later and/or a new group.

The Auld Grump