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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Inconsequenti-AL" data-source="post: 1366721" data-attributes="member: 6584">That's when I really dislike insta-kill stuff. I think it has it's place in the game...I do agree with what a lot of people have said - GM fudging the dice rolls to completely remove the risk of dying... it's not fun - I've had an 'immortal PC' before and wasn't happy about it. Ever since then I've gone for a dice on the table policy. However, I do go with cutting my PCs a break - what fun is a TPK - surely it's far better if the last survivor or 2 get offered the chance to surrender/flee? They're going to have some interesting adventures... and it keeps the game on track. If you can come up with ways to kill/TPK and still carry on the game then that's also great. Animated as oddball undead. Playing on as ghosts for a session or two. Bit of time in the afterlife. etc. Makes for something a bit more interesting than a standard 'raise dead', 'roll a new character' or worse yet 'start a new campaign'.Obviously it can't be used in every situation, but now and again this sort of stuff really does it for me... IMO, it adds to the story side of the game and it's interesting? I don't really consider it fudging... it's just a little plot alteration.The above ideas were inspiration from a particularly good GM... was worth the price of my tickets to gencon by itself!Another one he had is possibly best shared with an example: A party is fighting a necromancer - he casts a spell. Green Ray shoots out and hits a PC. Ask PC to make a fort save. Passes it - that was the dreaded Finger 'o Death you just avoided: Have some damage. PC 'gets the fear' but survives. They've just seen that their opponent can throw death magic around. They're going to want to alter their tactics right about now.Fails it - that was a maximised vile Ray of Enfeeblement - really unfriendly, the player won't be dancing around the room, but isn't dead. Someone who can throw magic like that around probably has access to death magic. They're going to want to alter their tactics right about now.Obviously it comes apart if spellcraft checks are made but, imc, that's only likely to happen either a)someone readied a counterspell. (and they're going to counter this!). b)after the spell is cast, to work out what it just did.These sort of things go in my game. I think they add to it. As long as they're not overused.... In any case, I never tell the players about them!If they deserve it then they get whatever the dice dish out for them. These things just get used if someone deserves a break.They generally get used if I think the PCs need to be cut a break.</blockquote>

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