What does "TPK" mean?

[the Jester]

TPKs are epic fail. They simply shouldn't happen. The encounters should favor the party, the players should retreat when things are going bad, the DM should fudge, the Enemies should capture the PCs.

That's certainly one valid way of looking at tpks. Another would be to say that tpks are the natural end of a campaign, and a good time to start over with 1st-level pcs.

I disagree that they simply shouldn't happen, that encounters should favor the party, the DM should fudge, the Enemies should capture the PCs. I do agree that the pcs should know when to retreat- but that is up to them, not the dm.

 

[ShinHakkaider]

That's certainly one valid way of looking at tpks. Another would be to say that tpks are the natural end of a campaign, and a good time to start over with 1st-level pcs.

I disagree that they simply shouldn't happen, that encounters should favor the party, the DM should fudge, the Enemies should capture the PCs. I do agree that the pcs should know when to retreat- but that is up to them, not the dm.

This.

I let my players know that if they make bad choices, those choices will come back to haunt them. One of the many ways that players pay for "bad" choices are TPK's. I don't look to inflict them and I usually try to throw a bunch of hints their way that there may be a possibility of one if the pick a certain path. Beyond that if they choose to ignore the signs and the warnings It's on them. I'm not going to mollycoddle players into thinking that they world that they're playing is safe and there's no fear of death.

 

[Fifth Element]

It means the DM has won the game. King me!

That would be a lot funnier if I didn't used to play with that DM. He was the only game around for a long time. I had 3 characters make it past 1st level in about 5 years.

 

[pogminky]

I had 3 characters make it past 1st level in about 5 years.

Duuuuuude????

He was obviously being lenient.

When I DM half the player's PCs die during character creation.

 

[Asmor]

Snoweel - in terms of character flaws, being new is a whole lot less egregious than being as rude and unwelcoming as you are right now.

Let me be clear to everyone - that is not an acceptable way to treat people around here. Low postcount or lack of knowledge about a particular topic is not an excuse to treat people badly. Even if it was a joke, it gives the wrong impression to anyone not in on the joke. We have a whole lot of new folks around here, and we expect you to threat them with respect.

I may be wrong, but I read Snoweel's comment differently... I thought he was suggesting that "TPK means n00b," i.e. that having a TPK means the players, DM, or both were lacking in experience and/or skill. I didn't read it as a comment on the OP.

 

[pawsplay]

TPKs are epic fail. They simply shouldn't happen. The encounters should favor the party, the players should retreat when things are going bad, the DM should fudge, the Enemies should capture the PCs.

I would never run my game this way. I never fudge the dice, I never have the enemies "capture" PCs they were obviously trying to kill, sometimes the players don't retreat when they should, and sometimes the dice are mean. Really, why would a pack of hungry ghouls "capture" someone?

EDIT: For my current fame, with is at 13th to 14th level and they are nearing the final battle, we're probably just going to switch to Mutants & Masterminds if they lose. If they lose, however, my idea for the next D&D game is 200 years into the future, with darkness reigning over the land. Ha!

 

[pr1]

Total Party Kill - a wipe.
*I think I just failed a spot check*

You mean... one day... my character might... *gulp*... die?!? :*(

And I spent all that time mulling over his or her feats and wrote a five-page background and everything! That offends my narrativist sensibilities, sir, and I am offended!

 

[mach1.9pants]

It means the DM has won the game. King me!

ROFL, king the DM FTW! ooh arghh

 

[Thunderfoot]

Duuuuuude????

He was obviously being lenient.

When I DM half the player's PCs die during character creation.

You must have been playing Traveler - that was actually in the creation rules.

TPKs are a fact of life. As for me, I plan all major battles with TPKs as the end result. Why you might ask, because I find that my players are more than resourceful, if I plan for a TPK, they have yet to let me actually accomplish it, though I have gotten close a couple of times. What this has meant for the campaign is that Epic battles, seem truly Epic; because they always somehow manage to pull it out at the last minute (and no, I'm not helping them, they just have an inordinate amount of luck and skill when it comes to large scale battles.)

However, if it happens, it happens. The thing to remember is not to rub it in someones face, realize that you probably made a mistake (discounting the luck of the die rolls) and learn from it, fess up to the party re-roll characters and start over. A good way to gloss it over s to pick up the story line several years later and the story of their valiant heroes deaths has become a folk story to inspire courage and greatness, even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice. Have a bard sing about, old women tell the children to aspire to be like them and have the new characters (ie players) hear how awesome they were. That way when they finally catch-up to uber ugly bad guy, its all the sweeter when they avenge their deaths.

But, YMMV...

 

[The Little Raven]

I have seen some DMs work some kind of a story hook to get the PCs resurrected, which can avoid the end of a campaign but every "Ok! Draw up some new charcters and start over!" or "Draw up some new characters and we'll just rotate them in as the new heroes!" effort I have seen to date has killed the campaign dead in short order.

I once had a TPK that riled up my players. They hated the villain that slew them and were literally raging around my house about it. So, I had their characters fight their way through the realm of the dead and defeat the lord of the dead in several tests of skill to regain their lives.