What normally happens after a TPK?

[amerigoV]

Well, as the DM I do my happy dance.

As a player, the last one caused a complete campaign reboot. But, that was more due to the fact we decided to change systems and the campaign really did not catch the players imagination. If the campaign had been better, I think the players would have rolled up new PCs to carry on the quest. Otherwise, I think that campaign would have died due to apathy after awhile.

I have never had a full TPK as DM (other than a one-shot). My backup plan has always been to pull out GhostWalk and use that to continue the story.

 

[howandwhy99]

A TPK doesn't mean the campaign is over, but you are tentatively back at zero. So it's not a good thing, but a new story begins with each new character. And dead characters can be brought back to life and levels regained. That all takes time, but it is the fallout.

 

[AntiStateQuixote]

Other: after I finish cackling with maniacal glee I ask everyone what they want to do next.

Sometimes we roll new characters and pick up where we left off. Sometimes we start a new campaign. Sometimes another player takes over as DM.

 

[Ahnehnois]

Start a new campaign. I suppose I could resurrect the entire party for some scheme, but I've never done it. I wouldn't even try to do the same plot with all new characters.

 

[ExploderWizard]

It depends on the game. Sometimes the campaign lends itself to being a meatgrinder and the B team enters. Other times the campaign comes to a close and the new characters start their own adventures. Sometimes we play a different game for a while.

 

[Rechan]

Game over man, new campaign.

 

[drothgery]

I've never actually seen more than half the party go down for the count in one session. When one or two PCs die, they just get resurrected or roll up a new character, depending on what the player wants to do and the type of game it is.

 

[Steel_Wind]

I voted "Other".

In my current campaign we have experienced one effective TPK (three PCs died, one retired), a partial TPK (two PCs died, one retired, one continued to adventure), and one sort-of TPK (three PCs died, one continued to adventure and had the other three resurrected). In addition, there have been four other PC deaths and one PC retirement. The campaign continues with the same NPCs, the same BBEGs, and the same situations occurring. The only difference is the new PC's goals and relationships with the NPCs and other PCs.

This has been the norm for all of our campaigns.

The difference between one character surviving and no character surviving is that with a TPK, there is the end of plot continuity and there is nobody around to raise/ressurect the fallen unless the GM wants to pretend there is and does something cheesey like raises the party through use of a NPC.

When it's less than that - it's character death, but not plot continuity death. It's a MASSIVE difference, as the party continues if it wants to.

That's not a technicality; it is, in fact, a distinction with a massive difference.

It's a TPK, or it isn't.

 

[sev]

I treat the (rare) TPK just like I treated the time I had to apologetically drop GMing in mid-campaign: When we restart, a whole new party adventures in the same campaign world, far enough into the future that the repercussions of the failed previous party are clear. A city has fallen, a new evil has taken hold, etc.

But really, I prefer to avoid TPK if we can. My gaming group tends to think really hard about running when about half the party's down. I can't remember the last time we actually killed the whole party, though we've had a number of character deaths.

 

[I'm A Banana]

What normally happens after a TPK?

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDmb4YQqizQ&feature=related]YouTube - Best. Maniacal laugh. Ever.[/ame]