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Worlds of Design: The Lost Art of Running Away
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<blockquote data-quote="Haffrung" data-source="post: 8067492" data-attributes="member: 6776259"><p>An example of a TPK (going from memory, and making reasonable assumptions).</p><p></p><p>Against the Cult of the Reptile God. Party of four brand-new level 1 PCs venture into an abandoned inn. Three troglodytes are waiting in ambush (the adventure says they're "hiding to avoid detection."). The trogs get a good surprise roll (they surprise on 1-4!), and get two full segments of surprise, which by AD&D rules means two full attacks on helpless PCs (though only one on the thief, due to his Dex bonus).</p><p></p><p>Surprise round 1: The magic-user, thief, and druid are targeted with melee attacks. Both the magic-user and thief are hit (not improbable, with ACs of 9 and 6). The trogs are armed with stone axes for 1d8 damage. The Magic-user, who has 3 HP, is dropped immediately. The thief, who has 5 HP, is also dropped. Two PCs left standing.</p><p></p><p>Surprise round 2: Time for the trog stench save. Ranger fails and druid succeeds. Ranger loses 1 Str. Two trogs target the druid. One hits, knocking him down to 2 HP. Attack on Ranger misses.</p><p></p><p>Initiative: PCs win. Range loses another point of Str. He attacks and wounds one, but it's still standing (troglodytes are 2HD monsters). Druid misses his attack. Two trogs attack Druid again. One hits, killing the Druid. Attack on Ranger misses.</p><p></p><p>A round or two more play out. Maybe Ranger drops one of the trogs (though with the cumulative Str penalty that's far from certain). But with three trogs with 9 HP each round attacking him and dealing 1d8 on hits, it's only a matter of time.</p><p></p><p>It took a bit of luck on the part of the monsters (especially the surprise roll), but not outrageously so.</p><p></p><p>In our AD&D campaigns, the survival rate for PCs to reach to 5th level was maybe 40 per cent. Which is why tactics like scouting, evasion, and retreating became SOPs.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Haffrung, post: 8067492, member: 6776259"] An example of a TPK (going from memory, and making reasonable assumptions). Against the Cult of the Reptile God. Party of four brand-new level 1 PCs venture into an abandoned inn. Three troglodytes are waiting in ambush (the adventure says they're "hiding to avoid detection."). The trogs get a good surprise roll (they surprise on 1-4!), and get two full segments of surprise, which by AD&D rules means two full attacks on helpless PCs (though only one on the thief, due to his Dex bonus). Surprise round 1: The magic-user, thief, and druid are targeted with melee attacks. Both the magic-user and thief are hit (not improbable, with ACs of 9 and 6). The trogs are armed with stone axes for 1d8 damage. The Magic-user, who has 3 HP, is dropped immediately. The thief, who has 5 HP, is also dropped. Two PCs left standing. Surprise round 2: Time for the trog stench save. Ranger fails and druid succeeds. Ranger loses 1 Str. Two trogs target the druid. One hits, knocking him down to 2 HP. Attack on Ranger misses. Initiative: PCs win. Range loses another point of Str. He attacks and wounds one, but it's still standing (troglodytes are 2HD monsters). Druid misses his attack. Two trogs attack Druid again. One hits, killing the Druid. Attack on Ranger misses. A round or two more play out. Maybe Ranger drops one of the trogs (though with the cumulative Str penalty that's far from certain). But with three trogs with 9 HP each round attacking him and dealing 1d8 on hits, it's only a matter of time. It took a bit of luck on the part of the monsters (especially the surprise roll), but not outrageously so. In our AD&D campaigns, the survival rate for PCs to reach to 5th level was maybe 40 per cent. Which is why tactics like scouting, evasion, and retreating became SOPs. [/QUOTE]
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