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I won't bother listing kills from previous campaigns, just my current Pathfinder game. Which has had 1 kill.
PC's Name: Brandar the Total Elf
Race: Elf
Class: Cleric
Level: Three
Circumstances of Death:
Brandar stabbed an orc through the mouth with his rapier, scoring a critical hit that left the orc spitting blood (using the Critical Hit deck, he scored a wounding hit). The orc was still standing with 3 hit points. On his next action, Brandar rolled the wound damage and got 2 hp, reducing the Orc to 1 hp. The orc attacked Brandar and scored a mighty blow that reduced Brandar to 11 hit points.
Brandar screamed for help, as he was pinned by the orc. The other characters simply laughed and said "Oh don't worry Brandar, he'll bleed out before he hits you again." On the orc's next action, Brandar rolled for the bleed damage: 1 hp. This left the Orc with 0 HP. the orc attacked, rolled a critical hit for near maximum damage, and reduced Brandar to -12 HP, one more than Brandar's CON of 11, and Brandar died just before the orc collapsed unconscious on his corpse and proceeded to rapidly bleed out.
It's worth noting that Brandar's player called the critical hit that killed him.
Setting (and Adventure Path, if you're using one): Mystara, Castle Whiterock
Final encounter of my campagain
PC name: Jamacainmetan
Class: Barbarian 24
COD: Got hit with a whirlwind full attack by an aspect of Thrazidun. He did 449 points of damage to it with a full attack first, though.
Also:
name: Thorn Tribless (AKA ranger prick)
Class: ranger 19/order of the bow initaite 5
COD: Hit by a cosmic ray/gamma burst line attack by the aspect of Thrazidun. Facemelting, tumor popping, bone corroding nuclear death.
PC: Winger
Race: Raptoran
Class: Rogue
Level: 6
Campaign: The Istivin Campaign/The Ring Gear Gate
Circumstances of Death: His stubborn refusal to move away from a Slaad, he tried 3 times to tumble past it, and got killed for his trouble.
PC: Denny
Race: Elf
Class Duskblade
Level 6
Campaign: The Istivin Campaign/The Ring Gear Gate
COD: A fatal encounter with a Jeepers Creepers-esque Bone Claw. He zigged when he should have zagged.
PC: I don't remember
Race: Dwarf
Class: Monk
Level: 5
Campaign: The Istivin Campaign/The Ring Gear Gate
COD: The aforementioned Slaad. he tried to grapple, and his dice betrayed him.
Name: Lanya
Race: Gnome
Level: 10
Class: Sorcerer [Aberrant]
Campaign: Expedition to the Ruins of Castle Greyhawk (PRPG Beta)
Cause of Death: 3 rounds of combat with a beholder.
PC's Name: Taosen
Race: Human
Class: Scorpion Clan Samurai
Level: 1
Circumstances of Death: Attacked by trio of orcs; he managed to slay two but the third managed a lucky critical (that failed to confirm but grievously wounded him) followed by another lucky hit on its next round.
Setting: Homebrew (think World's Largest dungeon but with an accessible town - it's apparently just as lethal too)
PC's Name: Krome
Race: Dwarf
Class: Cleric
Level: 1
Circumstances of Death: Two orcs; he managed to drop one but the other scored a critical hit that didn't confirm but managed to roll max damage which dropped him anyways.
Setting: Homebrew (think World's Largest dungeon but with an accessible town)
Another one up courtesy of the deadly dungeon:
PC's Name: Havok
Race: Human
Class: Fighter
Level: 1
Circumstances of Death: Tangled with a dretch; managed to bring it down to about 5 HP (a lucky critical saw to that) but it having three attacks 2 his one simply won out in the end. I didn't use any of its SLAs or its summoning ability 'cause I figured the fighter had it bad enough (and he did). He did manage to get raised from the dead afterwards, though.
Setting: Homebrew (think World's Largest dungeon but with an accessible town)
PC's Name: Lian
Race: Halfling
Class: Wizard
Levels: 11th
Circumstances of Death: Drained of strength by an ephemeral swarm.
Adventure: Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth set in Faerun.
PC's Name: Lian
Race: Halfling
Class: Wizard
Levels: 10th
Circumstances of Death: Drained of strength by an ephemeral swarm. Yep, the party raised him and went back with a plan that quickly fell apart.
Adventure: Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth set in Faerun.
PC's Name: Pickles
Race: Halfling
Class: Cleric
Levels: 11th
Circumstances of Death: Donned a Cloak of Poisonousness
Adventure: Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth set in Faerun.
PC's Name: Ilana
Race: Elven
Class: Enchanter
Level: 10
Circumstances of Death: Walked up a flight of stairs leaving the rest of the party one floor lower. Grappled from behind, turned to face the creature and a knowledge check and failed save later the rest of the party was warned what was up there by Ilana's terrified cry: "Bodak!"
Setting: Homebrew campaign
I once shot a man in Vegas... just to watch him die.
OH! Wait! You meant GAMING.... Uh, disregard what I just said.
Actually, I don't know if this'll count, as it happened in Hackmaster, not D&D, but...
The Cleric of Pyremius had decided to stay back at the keep the party had just finished looting, while the rest went back to town. unfortunatly, he had the sleepwalking quirk, and when he woke up after the first night, he was hopelessly lost in the middle of a huge forest. After some close calls with giant lizards, he decided the main thing keeping him lost was the fact that there were too many damn trees in the way...
Now, ordinarily I'm not the type of DM who will just off a player because I think he should die, but you tell me. If a character intentionally starts a fire with the intent of burning down the forest, would you say he got what he deserves? (FYI: I tried to warn him ahead of time that it was probably a bad idea. He was convinced otherwise.)
While journeying through caverns leading to the ancient lair of a long fallen Nar Demonbinder, when the fighter claims that disarming traps takes too long and is a waste of time, don't listen. Cais listened.
PC's Name: Cais
Race: Human
Class: Ranger
Level: 4
Circumstances of Death: The already wounded Cais (mauled by spider swarms) was neatly bisected by a crit from a Ceiling Pendulum trap. His HP were in the teens and the damage dropped him well below -10.
Setting: Forgotten Realms, home campaign
Undeterred the party wrapped his halves and forged on! To the demise of:
PC's Name: Brother Caerus
Race: Human
Class: Cleric of Tempus
Level: 4
Circumstances of Death: Standing toe to toe with a huge Fiendish Monstrous Spider, buying the party time to withdraw. He was peeled from his breastplate raw and wriggling, like a little mollusk.
Setting: Forgotten Realms, home campaign
The rest of the party, seizing the moment of brave sacrifice to make their withdrawl, realized they only needed to be faster than their slowest member. Namely:
PC's Name: Moira
Race: Human
Class: Fighter
Level: 4
Circumstances of Death: Overcome by poison (str) and unable to run under the burden of her heavy equipment. With ample HP, but a strength of 0, she was unable to resist as the spider wrapped her up and left her to hang a bit. Just a bit though.
Setting: Forgotten Realms, home campaign
PC's Name: Viet
Race: Dwarf
Class: Warmage
Level: 12th
Circumstances of Death: The party wanted to subdue a certain possessed NPC and warmages don't do subdue. At a loss as what to do and as the primary target of said NPC, Viet probably should have just withdrawn, instead he ate many greatsword attacks.
Adventure: Shadowdale: Scouring of the Land
PC's Name : Victorino
Race : Human (shoanti)
Class : Gestalt fighter/dragon shaman
Level : 3
Circumstances of Death : Succesfully duped and betrayed by the worg when he was at half HP. He nearly survived and even stabalized once with the "loan wolf" feat and returned to half health with his dragon aura, but ultimately got it in the end, despite multiple chances.
Setting (and Adventure Path, if you're using one): Pathfinder Module, Falcon's Hollow.
PC's Name: Axis
Race: Human
Class: Monk/Sorceror
Level: 1/3
Circumstances of Death: Turned into Forge Spawn after having taken the flaming spiked chain off of the defeated forge spawn, and attempting to recover from their injuries before heading down to the lower level.
Setting: D1-Crown of the Kobold King
So now there's a level 1 monk/3 sorceror Forge Spawn running around who is seriously pissed off and looking for more souls...especially after the other forge spawn confronted it and took it's chain back!
I had made the call that the injuries he had sustained prior to transformation made him want to flee to recover prior to assaulting the party. But the other forge spawn, just reformed attacked him and took the forge chain prior to him fully healing. The party has the adamantine hammer and the new spawn knows the vulnerability. I doubt they'll make that mistake again...heh
PC's Name: Flora
Race: Longtooth Shifter
Class: Cleric (Avandra)
Level: 3
Circumstances of Death: Taken to negative bloodied value by hobgoblin warcaster's force pulse after being smashed by a soldier's flail on Level 2 of the Keep on the Shadowfell.
Setting: Nentir Vale
Flora was later taken back to town and raised. All is well.
PC's Name: Erich
Race: Halfling
Class: Rogue
Level: 4
Circumstances of Death: Knocked unconscious and then coup-de-graced by the villain of the Keep on the Shadowfell in the final battle.
Setting: Nentir Vale
Erich did not wish to come back from the dead; he left a note to this effect in his will. All his worldly goods pass to his rather similar cousin.
- Briannth d'Medanni
- Half-Elf
- Ranger 1 / Rogue 2
- Hanging from a rope whilst fighting a barbarian grimlock hanging from the same rope below him. Brought to -2 HP by the grimlock, he then fell 30ft...
- Eberron, Age of WormsCheers! :D
That fight is so brutal. In the three times I've run that encounter, I've had two tpk's there and a poor cleric get killed in one hit. The cleric got crit by an arrow while climbing and failed the check to hold on and fell to his death.
That fight is so brutal. In the three times I've run that encounter, I've had two tpk's there and a poor cleric get killed in one hit. The cleric got crit by an arrow while climbing and failed the check to hold on and fell to his death.- Briannth d'Medanni
- Half-Elf
- Ranger 1 / Rogue 2
- Hanging from a rope whilst fighting a barbarian grimlock hanging from the same rope below him. Brought to -2 HP by the grimlock, he then fell 30ft...
- Eberron, Age of WormsCheers! :D
I think my group was very lucky as they actually managed to spot the grimlocks with the bows, so they could take them out before facing the barbarian. I wonder how they would have faired without that? I hate to think.
Cheers! :D
PC's Name: Ke'eyrak
Race: Human
Class: Cleric
Level: 1
Circumstances of Death: Encountered a trio of skeletons, he managed to drop one of them but the other scored a lucky critical hit and one-shotted him.Setting: Homebrew (think World's Largest dungeon but with an accessible town)
Dude you really need to stop sending things in threes.
PC's Name: Silk
Race: Halfling
Class: Rogue/Fighter
Level: 8/4
Circumstances of Death: Party chose to kill him, so he'd count as baggage for a teleport and the psionicist would revive him without level loss. When the conversation turned to the "how" of the plan, I couldn't stop laughing. Eventually, the used hold monster-coup de grace.
Adventure: Anauroch: The Empire of Shade
I almost killed someone last weekend. In a Star Wars d20 campaign, my 3rd-level party of Jedi are storming a farming outpost taken over a 4th-level Dark Side Adept and a band of low-level thugs.
In the space of one combat:
The Adept hit the Consular with a natural-20 Fear (-10 to arse-scratching) at the same time he was knocked to Wounds by the thug's blaster - instant KO (DC 26 or so).
The Adept used Move Object on the soldier droid who fumbled his Will save and went flying backwards, dropping his own blaster rifle in the process.
The Adept then used a ranged Force Lightning bolt against the Guardian, rolling and confirming a critical hit and doing a massive 20 damage straight to Wounds. The Guardian dropped to -8 instantly and was only saved half a round from death by a KOTOR-style health stim.
The Adept then used Move Object to glide rapidly towards the far exit and flee the combat, later using Drain Energy on the Jedi jeep so he wouldn't be followed as he fled into the hills.
My all-time favorite for callousness:
1st-level dwarf fighter. Experienced player, but first time playing with me. First encounter of a new campaign. Dwarf opens a door. Two kobolds, lying in wait with heavy crossbows. Surprise round. First shot hits. Second shot hits and crits. Dwarf falls dead, never having gotten to do anything more than open a door.
Low level crossbow ambush for the win.
About a month back, I DMed a game for the first time in about three years. I decided to design a dungeon that was, for all intents and purposes, one big trap, with very few monsters.
In short, I have never fudged as many rolls in my entire life. There were about six or seven possible deaths which I had to avert. Not cool. Once I get the time, I'm going to finish up, but right now, the three PCs are stranded in the middle of the dungeon in the following condition:
CG female elf ranger 1 / rogue 1:
- concussion (rotating room trap; possible death 1)
- broken leg (tripwire-activated musket; possible death 2)
- multiple small stab wounds (fusillade of darts trap)
LN male half-orc monk 2:
- two stab wounds (spiked pit trap, tripwire-activated spear; possible deaths 3 and 4)
- suppurating stomach wound (tripwire-activated musket; possible death 5)
CE female human sorcerer 2:
- missing arm (scything blade trap; possible death 6)
- stab wound (pressure-activated concealed arrow trap)
- near-drowning (possible death 7)
I need to design easier dungeons.
Got two of 'em last session!
PC's Name: Ragnar the Wise
Race: Human
Class: Swordsage
Level: 1
Circumstances of Death: Charged into the midst of a trio of blackscale lizardfolk. They quickly pulped him.
Setting: Homebrew (think World's Largest dungeon but with an accessible town)
and
PC's Name: Othiogauov Kaveth’uthan’uvagoa (damn goliath naming...)
Race: Goliath
Class: Warblade
Level: 1
Circumstances of Death: Killed himself via critical fumble (I love that deck!).
Setting: Homebrew (think World's Largest dungeon but with an accessible town)
Here are the PC deaths’ from Treasure of Chimera Cove.
Lavernia, Rogue 7, killed by combination of attacks from a Hellcat and a Mimic.
Hargon, Ftr 5/Rog2, killed by combination of attacks from Hellcat and Mimic.
Gregor, Monk 4/Ftr 3, killed by attacks from a Large Water Elemental and a Two-Headed Giant Constrictor.
All deaths occurred in High Port near the ship The Silver Reign.
I'm running an Iron Heroes game where it's almost impossible to kill PCs (there's no resurrection or magic in general, so falling to less than -10 is not always fatal, but incapacitates them for a day or so.). So, as a result, I plan to post here when I knock a PC to -10 or below. Feel free to call me on this if you feel it's "cheating".
PC name: Cain Nightroad
Class: Executioner (combat rogue type) 1
COD: First encounter, ambushed by goblins. He tried to climb up a cliff to attack goblin archers and got flasks of burning oil dropped on him for his trouble. Knocked unconscious, let go and fell 15 feet, dropping him to -12. Several rounds of bleeding later, he was rescued, stabilized, and ready for his second "death" in the next fight.
PC name: Cain Nightroad
Class: Executioner 1
COD: Sneak attacked an ogre child, got charged by its mother, dodged the blow, and then tried to circle around it. I rolled a 19 on the AoO for 3d6+11 damage and one-shotted him to -14.
Total Party Kill!
Symon - Knight (lvl 3)
Isabelle - Druid (lvl 4)
Tolouse - Knight (lvl 4)
Takhan - Mage (lvl 4)
Setting: Cursed Empire (Chris Loizou)
Adventure Path: 'Seed of Destruction' (own)
After meeting with an Envoy (a human avatar of a 'dead' God), the PC's realised they were being duped into undermining the security of the very Empire they had determined to protect.
Despite being only a modest fighting force themselves, the PC's reasoned that with some subterfuge they might 'get the drop' on this Avatar and be able to pound them into submission with physical violence.
It didn't work.
Total Party Kill via Red Dragon (alternate version)
Lucius - Paladin (lvl 7)
Inrina - Fighter (lvl 7)
Edgar - Fighter 4/Cleric 3 (lvl 7)
Darius - Druid (lvl 7)
Rothgar - Rogue (lvl 7)
Setting: Verden (Custom Home Brew)
While travelling to the Dwarven run City of Xonar the party notices a large red dragon high overhead flying towards the mountains. They decide to travel towards the nearest city and find out more. They discovered the tale of Flametear the Horrible (suggested to be very tough and out of their league).
They bought supplies and made a tough over mountain trip (during mid winter to boot). They got to the volcanic area it was said that Flametear dwelt in after over a month of travel. After days of searching they found three likely caves. They then discussed how they would try and beat the dragon (a little late on the planning, I thought). They explored the crevices (with some poison gas and lava problems). The PC's reasoned that with some subterfuge they could 'get the drop' on the dragon and be able to gain the upper hand.
The dragon minced them. You should have seen the surprise on the player's face when the mature adult red dragon chose to throw a large spear across the cavern to nail the paladin. The dragon then quickly moved in, breathed and the laid a whooping all around and subdued everyone in just a few rounds.
I knew the dragon was well out of their pay grade (and so did they). But I wasn't going to save them from themselves.
Morgan - Knight (lvl 6)
Setting: Cursed Empire (Chris Loizou)
(Seperate player group to TPK above)
Adventure Path: 'Seed of Destruction' (own)
After a druidic attack on the City of Celestia left the entire place in ruins, prisoners escaped from the 'special' wing of the state prison. Some of the Empire's most notorious criminals made a fast alliance and basically whooped the PC's badly, causing general defeat and one fatality.
About a month back, I DMed a game for the first time in about three years. I decided to design a dungeon that was, for all intents and purposes, one big trap, with very few monsters.
In short, I have never fudged as many rolls in my entire life. There were about six or seven possible deaths which I had to avert. Not cool. Once I get the time, I'm going to finish up, but right now, the three PCs are stranded in the middle of the dungeon in the following condition:
CG female elf ranger 1 / rogue 1:
- concussion (rotating room trap; possible death 1)
- broken leg (tripwire-activated musket; possible death 2)
- multiple small stab wounds (fusillade of darts trap)LN male half-orc monk 2:
- two stab wounds (spiked pit trap, tripwire-activated spear; possible deaths 3 and 4)
- suppurating stomach wound (tripwire-activated musket; possible death 5)CE female human sorcerer 2:
- missing arm (scything blade trap; possible death 6)
- stab wound (pressure-activated concealed arrow trap)
- near-drowning (possible death 7)I need to design easier dungeons.
Pfff ... kill them all off, the characters are ooze-fodder anyway. :)
Sounds like your dungeons need more oozes ... be the perfect thing for a character who can't run (broken leg), bad vision (concussion), disease bait (gut wound) and a missing arm. Priceless!