The Happy Side of a Total Party Kill
Ahh, the “Total Party Kill” nothing makes my heart sing like a “TPK.” Whether it be by design with a massively out of tier beast rending the hero’s bones or too many “natural 1″ on the dice, the party goes on to their eternal reward.
I can hear the screams now, echoing from the damaged souls of gamers with beloved, dead characters. “Trask is a killer DM!” “He is not a DM, he is a butcher!”
These are visceral responses, shouted without thought. A little analysis reveals that a TPK is actually a good thing for a campaign. I am assuming that the players are sufficiently mature and well-adjusted enough not to quit the game group or swallow Drano in despair. If they quit, then you are better off without them, see my post on finding a new player . If they commit suicide, then pat yourself on the back for improving the gene pool. It is just a game.
The primary function of a TPK in a campaign is it increases the enjoyment of the players. Fighting battles you always win, because you know the DM is a “softie” is just not fun. Players get complacent. Shake the players from their torpor with some PC death! Victories after that are much sweeter, since you clearly risk your PC every time you fight. It gives the DM credibility, which is a critical part of their toolkit. It also makes for more “intellectual” game play. Charging in where angels fear to tread is a recipe for early PC generation.
Beyond the DM benefits, the storyline can really benefit from a TPK housecleaning, especially if it involves a heroic last stand or a suicide mission to save the world.
Historical inspiration spring from “The Alamo ,” “Thermopylae ” and “Masada.” Do you want your PCs to die in bed? Surrounded by weeping women and children? Let them go out in a blaze of glory and use it in the campaign. Perhaps the PC’s children come forth to seek revenge. There can even be a political component, such as the eventual independence of Texas from Mexico after the Alamo. For a fun spin on the last-stand trope, maybe the bad guys win and the dead heroes face scorn and ridicule for losing. You can rub salt in the fresh wound by labeling them “traitors” by the people they sought to protect. See this post for running a campaign after the good guys lose. Story options always surface in the bloody wake of a TPK.
Building an entire campaign around a TPK is feasible. So the next time your party is in trouble and their back’s are against the wall, slaughter them like sheep. You will feel better and your campaign will expand and deepen with your bloody sacrifice.
Be sure to keep some extra Drano around. Someone might need it.
Trask, The Last Tyromancer
Filed Under: DM Advice
About the Author: Trask is a long-time gamer, world traveler and history buff. He hopes that his scribblings will both inform and advance gaming as a hobby.