TPK's - and the parties that liked them

[Tilla the Hun (work)]

Since there's been a few of these threads around here - here's a new one.

What TPK did you have happen in a game wherein the party LIKED the results?

Alright - those may be rare - What TPK's have the party you were involved with done to themselves?

 

[Greybar]

Hmm... mine wasn't a classic TPK but more of a deus ex bigmeanie. The end of the last sequence ended with an opportunistic political/spiritual leader (Matriarch Gorkana) finishing off the work of a rival - to release a imprisoned being from a previous age.

She then commanded him to turn all of the heroes into stone, which he did handily. The players groaned a bit with grins on their faces, and still come back to talking about it from time to time.

A couple years later we started up the campaign with them being released from their statue-selves (see .sig below).

Now we're going to be wrapping up the latest series in two Sundays... the situation they are going into has the potential for a TPK and they know it. If so, I'll let you know if they liked it...

john

 

[Mark]

I remember a low-level party trapped on a rope bridge over a lava-filled chasm, being attacked from both sides by hobgoblins, and the leader (in the middle) shouting that they needed to cut the bridge so they had only to face one front. A player with a character on one side, and a player with a character on the other, both decided their side should be cut.

They argued. "I'm cutting my end!"

"No! I'm cutting my end!"

The players with characters in the middle shouted and screamed not to do this. Some ran toward one side, some to the other. Some started in one direction only to double back and create a traffic jam toward the middle. The leader told them all to stop but no one was now listening to anyone else.

"Hang on to something!" shouted the player on one side while cutting.

"Don't cut over there cause I'm cutting this side and you'd better hang on!" countered the player from the other side. The leader drank his levitation potion.

As DM, I tried to convince the two players that one should stop but they both insisted it should be the other guy and that they were definitely cutting their end. I gave in.

As most of the party plunged to their death, the two bull-headed players fought valiantly, each against his own side of (roughly) a dozen hobgoblins, but to no avail.

When the screaming was over and all had died but the leader, I enlisted the players to take the part of the hobgoblins as they made a levitating pin cushion of him with their arrows. The ceiling wasn't high enough for him to float far enough to avoid the arrows, so he lowered himself out of range still far above the lava stream below. Eventually the potion's duration expired.

They seemed to enjoy the "falling action"...

True story.

 

[LordOfBlah]

I was DMing a group in 2e that was really fond of killing dragons. They all had dragon armor of way too much AC bonus. Plus they where all loaded with magic so they where almost immune to the dragon breaths (like if they failed a save they would take 1/4 dammage, if they saved the took 1/8th) So they go to Myth Drannor and talk to a shape changed deep dragon and pay him for info on where dragons are. So this deep dragon sells them out and 6 dragons jump the group. 2 Reds, 2 Blues and 2 blacks. Needless to say is was a crazy battle, they killed 3 and almost a 4th befor finnaly dying. The one wizard broke his staff of power at the last second to kill himself and one of the dragons. My group loved it and still tallk about that party all the time.

 

[Abisai]

We were 3E group full of people with long histories in real life and within the game itself as well. We were dubbed the Invincible Campaign and called ourselves the Madmen. The final sequence went something like this:

Dwarf PC (me), Elf PC, and Lizardman PC fight enemy they cannot defeat and run away. Dwarf and Elf go to visit NPC cleric that had quit the group earlier the same session from abuse from the Elf. NPC cleric refuses to heal them and runs away fearing for his life. Elf tries twice to burn down his home, but Dwarf stops him twice. On third attempt, Dwarf tries locking Elf in home, but Elf escapes to the streets yelling that the Dwarf did it. When the three meet up again, Dwarf tells Lizardman what happens. Elf then states he told everyone Lizardman did it. Lizardman begins throwing javelins at Elf until Elf retaliates. Elf destroyed. Dwarf (me) casts spell on Lizardman to make him get Elf brought back to life. Lizardman, already wanted for other crimes, storms thru streets of major city deflecting arrows and slaying town guards on his way to a church. Bloodied and with dead Elf in tow, he meets resistance outside church gate. He slaughters many cleric and guards and enters temple, throwing Elf carcase down and demanding he be raised. High clerics assault and Lizardman kills more before having his neck slit. Dwarf and Human PC both there and did not attack anyone, but Dwarf gets arrested for other crimes in the city and sent to jail for several years. Human gathers the remainer of the party and all known allies (NPCs) and demands THE INVINCIBLE OVERLORD to release the Dwarf. Upon refusal, battle soon ensues. Massive battle. Hundreds of allies slain in the streets. No one survived.... except for one. The Assassin. What does he do? He finds all surviving PCs and murders them in their sleep. Upon completely eliminating the entire surviving party, he goes on wanton killing spree in the streets until he succombs to death himself.

In case you could not tell, it was partially voluntary. Lizardman, Dwarf, and Assassin all fed up with the campaign and were more than willing to end it all that night. Elf and others surprised as anything and some disappointment no doubt. For the record, we played for several months and reached near epic level, but still could not get along. A fresh start seemed in order and things have been better since.