RotRL Obituaries


Rise of the Runelords

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Had our first fatality of the path, after some close calls.
Vin'nie Elf Rogue 2
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: Bruthazmus
Story:

Spoiler:
Long story short, critical hit with the bow and an elf Bane arrow = toasted Rogue. He almost took out the dwarven fighter 2 rounds later with a critical hit from the heavy flail (2d10+12 is bad news)


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Name of PC: Engra
Class/Level: Shoanti Fighter 7
Adventure: Hook Mountain Massacre
Catalyst: Jaagrath Kreeg
Story: The players wiped out the first floor of ogres in Ft. Rannick with little trouble. Approaching the second floor, Tsuto scouts it out (he's with the party now) and gives them very good intel on what is in the rooms. The players decide to enlarge Engra and use him as an "HP Battery" meatshield and bottleneck the ogres. They were not counting on Jaagrath's damage potential.

Enlarged Engra tries to kick in the chapel door, but rolls low on the break check. *Boom* Okay, they know we're coming, one more kick should do it... rolls low again *boom*. Okay, they DEFINITELY know we're coming. Just open the door.

Ogres spill out of all three doors. The abjurer manages to negate Dorella's confusion, but Jaagrath is on his rage and disembowels Tsuto with an AoO. Vale takes the opening and moves to flank, does good damage for a few rounds but is ultimately disabled and flung back onto the altar (they revive him later).

Engra and Jaagrath are quite the match, at one point Engra plants nearly 80 damage over two attacks. Jaagrath grabs the greatsword after the first attack and pulls Engra toward him taking damage from the second attack, leaning in close enough to whisper "I love you, boy."

Next turn, on a full attack, poor Engra is bisected by an ogre hook. In accordance with his Shoanti principles, he will burned on a pyre above Fort Rannick when the wind blows east, that his ashes may scatter over the Cinderlands.


In what I consider to be the most insane events so far we had a near TPK that reulted in 1 death (plus an animal companion)...
Xyleena Varisian Sorcerer 3
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: All of thistletop
Story:

Spoiler:
The party spent too many days ravelling and resting and the time for the weekly sacrifice was emminent, which they knew. They broke into Thistletop again and watched as the majority of the inhabitants piled into the Chapel with a sacrifice. Not wanting the sacrice to die they waited as long as possible to interrupt the ceremony and attacked them. The battle was insane and was a near TPK many times over. In the end they wiped out most of the goblins, Ripnugget (who had survived them previously), all 3 Yeth hounds, and nearly killed Nualia. There are a few survivors but they mostly are scattered at this point. Poor Xy however was knocked to 0 hp and used her last action on a magic missile to kill one of the yeth hounds, and then subsequently bled to death. Luckily the party rescued the captive who turned out to be none other than ALdern Foxglove who praised them heavily and arranged a raise dead for his heroes comrade.


First death in my campaign, in HMM.

Lars - Human Barbarian 5/Fighter 2/Rogue 2

Spoiler:

They were going through the fort clearing rooms quickly without raising any alarm (making no more noise than ogres normally do).
The druid/MoMF was in the for of a Cave Troll so they weren't very stealthy.
The entered the old chapel where the ogre's leader was waiting.
I made a point of how he was larger than the normal ogres.
The orge won initiative (roll of 20) and started to rage. The barbarian charged in and took 20 points from the AoO from the ogre's reach. The druid/troll also went in. The did a fair amount of damage.
Next round as specified the ogre went for the smaller foe with a full power attack with his human bane ogre hook - 53 points and one dead barbarian.
A full attack from the druid followed by a critical hit by the bard and the ogre followed.

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path Subscriber

Name of PC: Rufus
Class/Level: Dwarf Fighter 3
Adventure: The Skinsaw Murders
Catalyst: The Skinsaw Man
Story: The player wished to switch characters, so Rufus disappeared during the night. After tracking his drunken rampage through the taverns of Sandpoint with the replacing character of Sir Gelrick, they finally found his body in the Chopper's Isle, ritually slaughtered. Then, two days later, Banny Harker met the same fate...

Liberty's Edge

Name of PC: Beyla
Class/Level: Female Dwarf Cleric [Torag] 3
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: An enraged Yeth Hound
Story: In the final confrontation with Nualia, the Cleric got ahead of the group and met up with the jaws of Nualia's Yeth Hound. With the Bard fleeing Thistletop in a panick, Roland the Fighter and Brohm the Wizard were forced to watch from captivity in the chapel as Nualia beheaded Beyla's body and offered her flesh as a sacrifice to Lamashtu.

Now the Fighter and Wizard languish in a dungeon awaiting the same fate. Hopefully the Bard can return with Shalelu before it's too late.


Name of PC: Phain
Class/Level: Male Human Rogue/Sorc
Adventure: Hook Mountain Massacre
Catalyst: Kreeg Ogre Fighter
Story: As they began to infiltrate the Kreeg's lair, Phain charged a still flatfooted Kreeg with his claws inflicting sneak attack and empowered shocking grasp damage. Phain recently upgraded his AC and was feeling confident in the fight, but fell victim to a critical hit with a large ogre hook. The Kreeg was also power attacking and ended up doing 109 damage (9d6+69). Phain did not have enough hit points and died.

As a side note, the druid reincarnated him and he came back as a goblin. (He was just happy it wasn't a gnome)

This was the fifth death so far, one for each player and one NPC death.

Grand Lodge

Name of PC: Roshan
Class/Level: 2nd lvl Dwarf Monk
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: Sinspawn and Alaznist's Ranseur (Replica)
Story: The monk got greedy and didn't listen to the rest of the party. The left, and he remained. He was paranoid of getting caught in a trap, so he was trying to lasso it and yank it out of the hand of the statue. In doing so, he attracted the attention of a handful of Sinspawn. He hid with a masterful Stealth check, but did not do nearly as well on his Perception roll... He heard one, but did not hear the other three. When he jumped out to beat on the one, he got jumped by the remaining three. The other party members only heard his screams and he was torn and rent...

R.I.P. Roshan!


Name of PC: Mokie
Class/Level: Gnome Druid 3
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: Shadows three!
Story:

Spoiler:
While exploring the lowest level of Thistletop the group disturbed the Shadows in E6. The resulting combat went very badly (horrid rolls) and nearly ended in a TPK as they had only one magic weapon (which wasn't even magical as it was the clerics Blessed Weapon spell) and although they were killing the shadows in the end they took down the poor gnome and added her to their ranks to replace the one brother they lost in the fight. The party retreated and are now contemplating how best to tackle the problem.... maybe when the sorcerer comes back this week...

On a side note I have realized I have a decent sized body count from adventure paths.... Each one I run averages a few deaths per adventure if not a TPK by the 3rd one. So far I think it's the noviceness of my players, as they are getting better and better at avoiding decidedly bad choices that lead to death. Now the most common killer of players are their rolls, as this came about alot of bad rolls overall. Regardless I have sadly laid to rest 3 players in Burnt offerings so far...


Name of PC: The rogue (sadly, I don't remember his name)
Class/Level: 3rd lvl human rogue
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: Yeth Hound
Story: The party kicked open the door to the temple of Lamashtu in Thistletop and the yeth hounds got the drop on them. First hit on the rogue was a crit and suddenly he was turned into a fine, red mist.


I thought I'd update the total deaths since I last did it 3rd June 2009.

(I have continued to assume that animal companions and NPCs are additional and didn't count back to check)

1st adventure (Burnt Offerings): 166 (+9 animal companion/NPC)
2nd adventure (Skinsaw Murders): 77 (+1 animal companion/NPC)
3rd adventure (Hook Mt): 49 (+1 animal companion/NPC)
4th adventure(FotSG): 55 (+1 animal companion/NPC)
5th adventure (Sins): 15 (+1 animal companion/NPC)
6th adventure (SoX-S): 18 (+2 animal companion/NPC)
Side Quests: 5

Totals: 385 (+15 animal companion/NPC)

This is an increase of 104 in around 7.5 months not bad, however there has been a distinct lack of animal companion deaths - what's going on?

Sczarni

Gr4ys wrote:

I thought I'd update the total deaths since I last did it 3rd June 2009.

(I have continued to assume that animal companions and NPCs are additional and didn't count back to check)

1st adventure (Burnt Offerings): 166 (+9 animal companion/NPC)
2nd adventure (Skinsaw Murders): 77 (+1 animal companion/NPC)
3rd adventure (Hook Mt): 49 (+1 animal companion/NPC)
4th adventure(FotSG): 55 (+1 animal companion/NPC)
5th adventure (Sins): 15 (+1 animal companion/NPC)
6th adventure (SoX-S): 18 (+2 animal companion/NPC)
Side Quests: 5

Totals: 385 (+15 animal companion/NPC)

This is an increase of 104 in around 7.5 months not bad, however there has been a distinct lack of animal companion deaths - what's going on?

druids in PF are better off not having an AC, and rangers are unlikely to get the kind that get Obit'ed.

-t

Sovereign Court

Gr4ys wrote:


This is an increase of 104 in around 7.5 months not bad, however there has been a distinct lack of animal companion deaths - what's going on?

Sorry, I have one animal companion death to report (I've just been posting the PCs).

Druid Wolf Companion
Skinsaw
Carrionswarms

The wolf remained outside and was taken (along with 8 horses) by the carrion swarms. The PCs found the stairs to the basement and investigated that first, missing the sounds of the demise of the wolf and horses.


Well, looks like this was well-timed.

Name of PC: Char
Class/Level: Snow Auroch, reincarnated cindersnake animal companion of party Ranger (14)
Adventure: Sins of the Saviors
Catalyst: Surprisingly, dumb bad luck
Story:

Spoiler:
The PCs had just activated the first of the runelord heads and recovered a key when Freezemaw attacked, dealing about 100 to the new stone giant PC. He got resilient sphere'd for the rest of the battle (and did the occasionally effective intimidate checks from within).

After some buffing and maneuvering the Ranger, the Clr/Rog, and Char flank Freezemaw, and Char (animal growth'd and hasted) manages two very solid hits - the only melee strikes of the battle actually - doubling the total damage.

Taking affront at a 'meal' striking him (Char's auroch family was obliterated by a dragon), Freeze trips the Ranger and Rogue, then focuses on Char. What might have killed him through damaged turns into a confirmed threat to kill (20-20-14 I think), snapping his neck.

Breath of Life from the instant-standing cleric/rogue brought him just back, but the damage was done, and the melee assault was broken.


Well in fairness I didn't post bob the wolf as i was also only posting pcs :P


Stewart Perkins wrote:
Well in fairness I didn't post bob the wolf as i was also only posting pcs :P

It appears those poor unsung heroes of the campaign have been ignored for too long as they give their lives in sacrifice of others. The animal companions are finally being recognised...

'Bob' the wolf, really?


Gr4ys wrote:


'Bob' the wolf, really?

In our campaigns we've had both a Boar the Handsome and a Rhino, who are both horses.


Ice Titan wrote:
Gr4ys wrote:


'Bob' the wolf, really?
In our campaigns we've had both a Boar the Handsome and a Rhino, who are both horses.

I had a campaign with Elf Stomper the warpony and Flower Eater the wardog.

Sczarni

wspatterson wrote:
Ice Titan wrote:
Gr4ys wrote:


'Bob' the wolf, really?
In our campaigns we've had both a Boar the Handsome and a Rhino, who are both horses.
I had a campaign with Elf Stomper the warpony and Flower Eater the wardog.

my Goblin Druid had Wartooth, Wartooth II, and the dire bear: Funnel Cakes.

-t


Name of PC: Morgrym "Greybeard" Torag
Class/Level: Paladin 2
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: Failing a DC 5 Climb Check
Story: Interested in finding out how the goblins mysteriously arrived in the center of town the heroes searched the alleyways and cliffs around Sandpoint. At Junker's edge the party is talking to a wheelbarrow pusher while the paladin is a bit overeager to get started, he ties a rope and says "I'll see you guys at the bottom". He slipped and splattered all over the rocks, junk, and sand below.

Name of PC: Shuten Doji
Class/Level: Fighter 2
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: Player Turnover of and Evil PC
Story: In a game that was decided to be a good group game one of the players decided to be evil and boasted about it after a particularly hazardous event listed above. The next game, the town showed up and lynched Tsuto's co-conspirator by tossing him off of the same cliff.

Name of PC: Jarrod
Class/Level: Ranger 2
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: Being on Point in the fight with Erylium
Story: The party entered the Cathedral and he moved away from the others to line up a better shot with his firearm. He almost blew away a Sinspawn, but not before the invisible Quasit appeared above him with an Inflict Moderate wounds. The next round Erylium seeing his companions rushing to save him, ripped his throat out while laughing and taunting them.


Name of PC:
Osborn (Halfling co hort)
Martaniss (Human/Shori Fighter)
Class/Level:
Rogue 13
Fighter 13
Adventure: Spires of Xin SHalast
Catalyst: The Hidden Beast
Story:
The PCs decided that close combat with the invisible beast was a good idea. 10 tentacle attacks, ALL hit. Costriction damage.

Halfling was crushed into a bloodly pulp.
(raised in same round by cleric)
Fighter was only brough to -5.
(made save vs. death.)

The Halfling has been the most abused/traumatized character.

Party ArtWork


Looks like I missed on doing two other AC deaths in my campaign:

Name of PC: (name forgotten by me)
Class/Level: Wolf, animal companion of party Druid (2)
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: Chief Ripnugget

Name of PC: Char
Class/Level: Cindersnake, animal companion of party Ranger (9)
Adventure: Hook Mountain Massacre
Catalyst: Silas Kreeg, outraged at being called pretty

An unfortunate critical hit with an ogre hook took poor Char out rather instantly, enraging the Ranger. After leveling from killing Silas, she took Favored Enemy (Giants) +4.

Char was later reincarnated by

Spoiler:
Myriana, the Nymph Ghost, and gained the "Nymph-Wrought" template, +4 Con, +4 Cha, Cha bonus (if positive) to saves.
, as an Auroch (slain but breathed a few posts up).


Not quite dead but damn near it. Twice.

Skillum

Paladin Lvl 2

Cliffs at Thistletop

First, he charged through the bramble wall, bull rushing them down. Unfortunately, one of the ones he did this too is the western guard door that opens onto the 70' drop to the bay.

Luckily, Verios the Wizard had Feather Fall memorized.

Then, at the bridge, he charged across at double move, failed a Refelx save (critical fumble) and slipped off the bridge 2/3 of the way across. Luckily, Estle the HedgeWitch had Feather Fall and he drifted slowly to the surf below. Then he managed a decent swim check, despite his armor, and made it to the island, where a lowered rope allowed him to climb out before the Bunyip could find him.

They're really trying to keep him away from the edge of things now.

Sovereign Court

Three deaths last night (though one was reincarnated and one was raised).

Duncan
Dwarf Ranger 7
Kreeg Ogre

The PC explored one of the mine shafts and encountered an ogre mining crew. Duncan faced off against the crew leader (a big bad Kreeg fighter), thinking the party fighter would clear out the other ogres with greater cleave in a couple rounds. The party fighter, however, could never hit more than one or two before missing with his greater cleave and took five rounds to get through, which was one round too late for the ranger. The party put a Sihedron Medallion on his body and carried him through the rest of the Kreeg stronghold.

Duncan was later raised in Magnimar (the second time the character has been raised) the character's brother (the party fighter) has taken to calling him Duncan "Dirtnap" Diamondtooth.

Selyene
Elf Paladin 8
Barl's Earthbreaker

In the showdown with Barl, the paladin closed with Barl and took two hits, one a confirmed critical, from Barl's earthbreaker, killing her and sending her body flying out into the center of the room in a bloody mass.

Selyene was later reincarnated by the ghost nymph in Whitewillow in thanks of bringing the body of her lover back to her. She, surprisingly, actually rolled an elf off the chart for creature type, so she is herself ... but not quite.

Dourfoor
Human Rogue 8
Dire Bear and a Neckalace of Fireballs attack

During the raid on Sandpoint, Dourfoor ran point ahead of the party and located the dire bears and stone giants. The party fighter caught up with the rogue as the bears charged down the street. One bear went for the rogue, but that was enough to knock him to -6hp. One round later, the party ranger threw a bead form his Necklace of Fireballs, hitting the killer bear, but catching the rogue's body in the area of effect, effectively killing him.

When the party recovered his body after the raid was over, they discovered he was wearing a Sihedron Medallion that the party was unaware of (the rogue consistently snagged stuff whenever possible, this being one of the items). As these medallions have been found on the party's enemies, and the rogue joined the party when they freed him from the holding cells on Thistletop, there are suspicions that he is an agent for whoever is causing them all the grief they and Sandpoint have experienced.


Name of PC: Zandrezi
Class/Level: Evoker12/Sor1
Adventure: Sins of the Saviors
Catalyst: A taste of his own medicine

So... background: Zandrezi's player has a preternatural ability to make highly effective, highly invulnerable characters. Good stats, bad stats, rangers, clerics, monks, wizards, fi/m-u's. Not cheating, not stretching the rules, just very good choices.

Zandrezi started with an 8 Con (10 now), leaving him not so many hit-points generally (64 at 13th level). He has been chopping his way through since he joined the group - his empowered fireballs and quickened spells have been painful to my poor giants. It's a bad day when I manage to knock all of his false life hit points off, let alone actually hurt him.

Sunday, his luck turned badly.

Spoiler:
After forcing Freezemaw to flee, the group pressed on and entered Runeforge, and followed that wise adventuring adage... "stay left".

Entering the illusion area the encountered the mirrors of opposition. The ranger and the stone giant PC got hit, and a long battle ensued, but Zandrezi managed not to duplicate himself (to the thanks of everyone).

Walking into the next room though they were confronted by the 4 Vraxeris'. All went greater invis, and two got off their empowered fireballs before Zandrezi went, taking off his false life, and about 30 hp. He bravely blasted out a glitterdust, then fled around the corner out of sight. Unfortunately, empowered fireballs don't need line of sight... a *vicious* roll of 45 (empowered to 67), and a failed save doomed to a very charred death.

Fortunately, I think he likes Zandrezi enough to accept a raise (he'd usually tear up a character that dies).


Name of PC: TorVar of the Skull Clan
Class/Level: Shaonti Cleric of Serenrae 4
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: Malfeshnor
Story:

Spoiler:
They found the hidden chambers with big M made lots of noise letting him know they were coming (A fighter kicked open one of the doors to the room next to his) he prepped and waited. Only a few got in melee with him after he nearly one rounded the first guy in the room. He beat them about charmed on and just whipped them around never hardly taking any damage before they shut the door. Sadly TorVar was healing people and trying to shut the door and took a full round including a critical bite. He was ended. Luckily the party hocked off all their extra gear aswell as good diplomacy with father Zantus and a small amount of financial help the grateful Ameiko, and he was raised... Net loss of like 1400 xp though ><

Grand Lodge

Name of PC: Asuka
Class/Level: Female Human Ninja
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: Thistletop final battle
Story: In my version, Nualia attempted to recruit the PCs, left them in the Cathedral of Lammashtu overnight (effectively allowing them to heal up for a bit.)

The next morning, they were brought up to the Trophy room, where they were to give their decision. In the battle that ensued, she was savaged by the two Yeth Hounds that were protecting Nualia, but not before hitting Nualia with two nasty Sneak Attacks.

The hounds left to deal with the Barbarian, while Asuka bled. Because her Con was low, they were unable to get to her in time.

PC death #2. RIP Asuka.


Name of PC: He was so short lived, I can't even remember his name.
Class/Level: Rogue 1/Alchemist 3
Adventure: The Skinsaw Murders
Catalyst: Wrong place, wrong time.
Story: The newest member of the party decided to go for a night-time walk outside of town and ran right into the ghast, Foxglove. To quote the party's wizard, "Great. Not only is he now a ghast, he's a ghast with bombs."


wspatterson wrote:

Name of PC: He was so short lived, I can't even remember his name.

Class/Level: Rogue 1/Alchemist 3
Adventure: The Skinsaw Murders
Catalyst: Wrong place, wrong time.
Story: The newest member of the party decided to go for a night-time walk outside of town and ran right into the ghast, Foxglove. To quote the party's wizard, "Great. Not only is he now a ghast, he's a ghast with bombs."

Thus ... you now have the Ghast dubbed Combustive...

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32

Name of PC: Rua'avinsali
Class/Level: CG Elf Cleric 11 of Calistria and Shelyn
Adventure: Fortress of the Stone Giants
Catalyst: Mokmurian
Story: Rua was in the group when they confronted Mokmurian, and since he was enraged by her dropping a Silence Spell on the cohort fighter who moved adjacent to him, he hit her with Finger of Death. She botched the roll, used her luck re-roll, and still failed. Fortunately they had found a Luckblade with one charge remaining on their way to the Fortress, which the rogue used to bring her back the next round.

Name of PC: Alandra
Class/Level: Celestial Bloodline Elf Sorcerer 11
Adventure: Fortress of the Stone Giants
Catalyst: Mokmurian
Story: After attempting several Enervation spells on Mokmurian, the stone giant lost patience with Alandra, who was flying 60 feet off the ground with her celestial-granted wings. A single casting of Flesh to Stone, and she turned into a pile of rubble on the ground. Fortunately for her, the cleric was there, and cast Make Whole the next day, while the party Wizard memorized Stone to Flesh from Mokmurian's spellbook.


Name of PC: Still can't remember his name.
Class/Level: Rogue 1/Alchemist 3
Adventure: The Skinsaw Murders
Catalyst: Wrong place, wrong time.
Story: So, the alchemist, having come back as a ghast, attacked the party with some ghouls. The party monk jumped him and proceeded to beat him to death (redeath?) in one round. This time, they're burying him.


Name of PC: Gropan
Class/Level: Male Human Fighter 3
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: Ripnuggets bodyguard

Story::
Groppan was too sure of himself for his own good. When they entered Ripnuggets throne room and the goblin chief ordered his minions to attack Gropan told the rest of the party to go for Ripnugget while he would hold back the three bodyguards. he was hit by all the goblin gards on the first round and the last hit was a horse chopper x3 crit. Gropan was taken out faster than anyone expected and from then on the fight was up hill. The party won without further losses though.

Name of PC: Miro the Unlucky
Class/Level: Male Halfling Bard 6
Adventure: Skinsaw Murders
Catalyst: Scarecrow

Story::
The party snuck into the Shadow Clock and the Scarecrow snuck up on the party. The surprise round hit was bad, but the next round the bard was hit by a Scythe x4 crit and was cut in two.

Name of PC: Dega Glitterhammer
Class/Level: Male Dwarf Fighter 6
Adventure: Skinsaw Murders
Catalyst: Faceless stalker

Story::
After defeating the Scarecrow the party was accosted by thre Faceless stalkers disguised as beggars. When they where close to the party they sprung another ambush. The party formed a neat and tide formation and where doing quite well. Dega would only be hit on 19+ and it came as a huge surprise when one stalker thrust his dagger right into Dega's eye socket, killing him instantly. The Faceless stalker had rolled three consecutive natural 20's, which at our table is an instant kill.

Name of PC: Urgar the Ugly
Class/Level: Male Human Wizard (diviner)8
Adventure: Hook Mountain Massacre
Catalyst: Dorella Kreeg

Story::
The party had made it into Ft. Rannick by way of the secret tunels. From there on the party had no clue where to proceed and found themselves fighting back to back against the ogres. When Dorella appeared (invisibly) and started raining lightningbolts and other spells on the party things started to get ugly. Urgar was caught squarely in the chest by a lightningbolt and having already sustained substantial damage in melee was killed by the schock.
Urgar was reincarnated as a halfling.

Name of PC: Dolgrin Twinaxe (actually Vale Temros)
Class/Level: Male Dwarf Fighte 4/Ranger 2
Adventure: Hook Mountain Massacre
Catalyst: Jaagrath Kreeg

Story::
My son was sitting in on this game and was given Dolgrin to play. Dolgrin was a dwarven version of Vale Temros who matched better the story we are playing. In the fight mentioned above Dolgrin threw himself between Jaagrath and the partys wizard and sorceress. It was a noble sentiment, but Jaagrath scored a critical hit (9d6+75) and killed Dolgrin dead.

Name of PC: Elektra Dragonia
Class/Level: Female Human Sorceress 10
Adventure: Seven Swords of Sin (modified sidetrek between AP3 and AP4), Kaer Maga
Catalyst: The Swordpriest (Male Human Vampire fighter 4 / cleric 3)

Story::
The Swordpriest was a formidable opponent against twhich a sorceress has no business standing toe to toe against. None the less that was her choice and the Swordpriests combined Power Attack + Destructive Smite + Channel Smiting cut her to ribbons in the matter of 1½ round.

Name of PC: Urgar the Ugly (again)
Class/Level: Male Ex-Human Halfling Wizard (diviner)10
Adventure: Seven Swords of Sin (modified sidetrek between AP3 and AP4), Kaer Maga
Catalyst: The Swordpriest (Male Human Vampire fighter 4 / cleric 3) & The Fire Giant Gruenar

Story::
As above: a wizard has no business standing toe to toe against the Sword priest. Luckily the party's cleric was ready to save Urgar with a breath of life spell.
Unfortunately the party was not facing the Swordpriest alone. His comrade the fire giant Gruenar was swinging a large dorn-dergar in wide arches and using great cleave to devastate the tightly packed party. Right after being saved from the Swordpriest Urgar had his head crushed by the fire giant, again Urgar was lucky as the party's cleric was ready to save Urgar yet again with one last breath of life spell.

Name of PC: Urgar the Ugly (yet again)
Class/Level: Male Ex-Human Halfling Wizard (diviner)10
Adventure: Fortress of the Stone Giants
Catalyst: Stone Giant boulders

Story::
Arriving at the Storval Stair the party quickly found themselves bombarded by stone giants. Opting to buff the party's dwarven fighter Urgar found himself defenseless against the ensuing boulder bombardment and was crushed. The lesson here is: Don't turn the AC 36 dwarf invisible; if you are an AC 20 wizard facing stone giants you need that greater invisibility spell more than he does.
Urgar's player rolled up another character.

Name of PC: Zordlon Andosana (Shallelus brother)
Class/Level: Male Elf Fighter 1/ Wizard 5 / Eldritch Knight 4
Adventure: Fortress of the Stone Giants
Catalyst: Cinderma

Story::
Zordlon's player (formerly Urgar's player) had learned a few hard lessons and scouted ahead in the Jorgenfist valley under the cover of invisibility. He spotted Cinderma at the watch tower and returned to the party. Moments later he dimensiondoored half of the party onto the tower roof, where Cinderma was ready to leave the watch to the ettins.
Too late Zordlon realized the the taiga giant was able to see through his greater invisibility spell. Zordlon leapt from the tower trying to get to cover. Cinderma wlaked coldly to the edge of the tower and threw her spear at the heavyly damaged elf skewing him where he stood and nailed him to the ground.

Name of PC: Alaria Sandpoint
Class/Level: Female Human Rogue 10
Adventure: Fortress of the Stone Giants
Catalyst: Cinderma

Story::
Part of Zordlon's strike team against the watch tower Alaria found Cinderma's strength and long reach too great a match for her. She was beaten to a bloody pulp and died from bleeding before the cleric (not part of the strike team and 5 rounds away) could heal her.
The lesson here: Don't Split the Party!


The Grandfather wrote:

Name of PC: Gropan

Class/Level: Male Human Fighter 3
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: Ripnuggets bodyguard
** spoiler omitted **

Name of PC: Miro the Unlucky
Class/Level: Male Halfling Bard 6
Adventure: Skinsaw Murders
Catalyst: Scarecrow
** spoiler omitted **

Name of PC: Dega Glitterhammer
Class/Level: Male Dwarf Fighter 6
Adventure: Skinsaw Murders
Catalyst: Faceless stalker
** spoiler omitted **

Name of PC: Urgar the Ugly
Class/Level: Male Human Wizard (diviner)8
Adventure: Hook Mountain Massacre
Catalyst: Dorella Kreeg
** spoiler omitted **...

Wow. That's a lot of dead PCs. How do you keep managing to introduce new ones into the party?


wspatterson wrote:


Wow. That's a lot of dead PCs. How do you keep managing to introduce new ones into the party?

Gropan's player left our table after his character was killed.

All the other characters have been raised/resurected (one occasion). The most notable exception was when Miro died, he chose to make the wizard Urgar (even though Miro was actually raised). When Urgar died last month his player chose to make Zordlon in stead.

Urgar was easy to introduce. The party was intended to escorthim as a prisoner to Ft. Rannick, where he was supposed to join the Black Arrows contingent.

Zordlon's arrival was less elegant. Shalellu had traveled with the party in AP1 and AP3. When she died (colateral damage to a spell barrage by Urgar) it was the last anyone saw of her. Zordlon being her brother naturally tried to find her and the trail lead him to the party, at the foot of the Iron Peaks.

I realy do not like killing players, but I do punish poor decisions by letting the dies dictate the outcome. I try to spare PC lives against minions and semi random encounters, but when the players face a boss the gloves come off.
I believe my players like my GMing style. It makes their challenges very real and they never take success for granted, which makes their victories all the more rewarding.


The Grandfather wrote:
wspatterson wrote:


Wow. That's a lot of dead PCs. How do you keep managing to introduce new ones into the party?

Gropan's player left our table after his character was killed.

I realy do not like killing players, but I do punish poor decisions by letting the dies dictate the outcome. I try to spare PC lives against minions and semi random encounters, but when the players face a boss the gloves come off.
I believe my players like my GMing style. It makes their challenges very real and they never take success for granted, which makes their victories all the more rewarding.

In all fairness I have almost as many deaths in the ap and we just started Skinsaw. I have had 4 deaths I think already, so Grandfather's kills aren't so bad considering it's 4 books worth and he has what, 10? Thats a little over double mine and he's 3 books ahead of me, that says alot. In the end though my pc deaths are similiar, bad circumstances, and or just boneheaded decisions. Very few of my pc deaths are the result of just being overwhelmed, but the bodies do stack up or people don't learn. Luckily My players have learnt from their deaths and mistakes and they have become pretty good at avoiding death usually, its when someone new comes in and they want to play haphazard and kick in the door without thinking that people die...


I had 6 kills in the first three modules (one character was killed twice, she was almost killed--dropped to negative 5 or greater--at least twice more, as were several of the other characters).


I'm starting to think I'm too lenient on my players. I've only had 6 deaths in the last 65 game sessions of Rise of the Runelords. About to start book 5, so I'll probably get a few more soon.


Stewart Perkins wrote:
Luckily My players have learnt from their deaths and mistakes and they have become pretty good at avoiding death usually, its when someone new comes in and they want to play haphazard and kick in the door without thinking that people die...

In defense of my players I will say that two of them had never played 3.5 let alone PRPG before.

They have been playing for a little over a year now and even though he challenges keep growing before them they face them with good spirit.

My greatest part in their deaths is that I allowed them to play the characters they wanted to play. In the future I will be more involved in player's character choices.
One of the new players started out with a sorceress. I thought it was the easy version of a wizard, so why not. The other player chose a bard, which he later changed for a wizard.
I thought it would be OK, but for novice players it was not. They are still both only comming to grips with basic rules like reach, threat, AoO, SR, concentration, full-round attacks, movement, terrain... With that in mind I think they should have been given a fighter, rogue or each as starting characters.


The Grandfather wrote:
In defense of my players I will say that two of them had never played 3.5 let alone PRPG before.

Well a few of my players are newer aswell, and they do tend to be the ones that die because of odd and end rules such as reach and defensively casting spells, etc. I remind them of all rules they have learned a few times per session and I always explain any new mechanic they have yet to encounter but mistakes do happen when you don't have the 15+ years of experience (Who am I kidding even with 15+ years I get smoked regularly because of mistakes :P) But in general most really blatant mistakes are avoided as the other players will catch them and help them when they come up so most rules or tactics get reminded by other players. So most bad decision deaths are born of real "I don't care" moments, and are met with death or disaster from carelessness. For example earlier I posted that Malfeshnor got a player, it was pretty much because he was fully prepared because someone was running around kicking open unlocked, untrapped doors for whatever reason. Now he knows not to do that. :P


After 15 weeks and just about to finish Burnt Offerings, we have had several VERY near deaths in ROTR, but no actual deaths. (The party works hard to keep each other alive.)

The Paladin has fallen off the Thistletop Cliffs...Twice.

The Ranger/Rogue had his CON dropped so badly that one week he went to negative HP in EVERY battle.

The whole party tried to explore the Sandpoit Devil's lair at level 2...

The porticullis Trap nearly finished off the Ranger/ Rogue.

Etc.

Nearly every fight has been a white-knuckle encounter, but they somehow manage to survive.

We did have a death in the Into the Haunted Woods game I ran as a Demo/ pre-campaign. The Bard (Silverwolf...lamest name we've had so far), suffering from ability damage, wandered into the woods at night, alone, without Survival.

He was eaten by a dire rat.

After watching that adventure and the way the party behaved, I explained that ROTR would be a bit more detailed and that the "fate of the world" might be on their shoulders and that they needed to learn to work together more.

Our most experienced player replied: "The sound of the Fate of the World resting on this party's shoulders is 'CRACK...OW!'"

Luckily, they quickly learned teamwork. And that may be why they survive.


Name of PC: Morgrym "Graybeard" Torag
Class/Level: Dwarf Paladin 3
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: Bad Tactics
Story:: So when the party opened up the double doors for Lamashtu's Cathedral in Thisteltop the party dwarf, who usually has a tower shield decided to plink a few arrows at the flying yeth hounds. They quickly closed to melee range and flanked him tanking a full round of attacks, on the dwarf's turn he changed to a melee weapon triggering 2 attacks of opportunity, killing him dead.

Name of PC: Kyogin
Class/Level: Low Templar 3
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: Chief Ripnugget
Story:: Kyogin had a particular problem, he was mentally unhinged and had a law abiding complex so when Chief Ripnugget told him he couldn't approach Kyogin recognized the goblin's authority and stood to the back using his ranged weapon when stuff hit the fan. Unfortunately, he fired on the chief who promptly charged him and ended his day with a lucky hit.

Name of PC: Johanis
Class/Level: Human Sorcerer 3
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: Food Poisoning
Story:: After the battle with the Yeth hounds the party was recouperating and handing out potions, Johanis managed to grab the one cursed potion his previous character had created. It had been floating around the party for a while, but someone finally rolled to pick that one. When he drank it he went beserk and started attacking the cleric, the party responded and put him down quickly as he was a new character, they thought he was a spy or a traitor.


James B. Cline wrote:


Name of PC: Kyogin
Class/Level: Low Templar 3

Did you let your player play a prestige class as a core class?

Sovereign Court

Name of PC: Gunter Goldtooth
Class/Level: Cleric 9
Adventure: Fortress of the Stone Giants
Catalyst: Wyvern poison
Story:: Gunter was grappled and flown into the air, having also received the bad end of the wyvern tail. He failed his save the first round and lost a chunk of his CON. Second round he did not succeed his save again and dropped to 0 CON. The party is now without a primary healer, though they do have a Paladin in the party ...


Name of PC: Vlad Duckson
Class/Level: Ulfen Fighter 4
Adventure: Skinsaw Murders
Catalyst: Ghoul Dire Bat
Story:

Spoiler:
The party decided to investigate the well at B1 when arriving at Misgivings, and Vlad tied himself off and climbed down... One near TPK later and Vlad was no more...


Chapter 2:
Firepelt druid companion cut in half with a critical from the golem in the Shadow Clock Tower.

Chapter 3:
Bastagre, level 7/1 Fighter/Rogue gnome died at Barl's hands. The two fighters ran off ahead while the bard, cleric and cohorts dealt with his bodyguard.

Many more near misses. :)
My players are competent - up to keeping the party together.


Name of PC: Karrak One-Ear
Class/Level: Shoanti Cleric 10
Adventure: Fortress of the Stone Giants
Catalyst: Headless Lord hatchet crit
Story: Karrak moved forward to save the halfling sorcerer who was one round from bleeding out. Unfortunately, he moved a little too far forward and was full attacked by the headless lord (after a couple of whacks from the remaining zombie giant). The first attack was a crit (crit deck result: Huge Gash) which killed him dead.

Some teleporting to Magnimar and a raise dead later (plus the use of the greater restoration scroll they discovered) and he's ready to go.

That's my second death in this whole campaign. I'll try to do better, but they're really cautious.

Edit: I forgot to mention that

Spoiler:
the Giant/Undead slaying Ranger/meat shield failed the DC 12 will save not to run away. Leaving the back ranks open.

Wayfinders

Pathfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I have been busy.

Name: Tellorn
Class/Level: Monk 3
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: distracted cleric
Story:

spoiler:
The monk was one of the few effective combatants against Malfeshnekor, using his ki strike to make his attacks magical, but he was getting beat up quite a bit as a result. He went down (unconcious, 1 point away from bleeing out) and the cleric (below) didn't realize that he needed ASAP healing. He failed to stabilize.

Name: Alonian Tyrinx
Class/Level: Cleric 6
Adventure: Skinsaw
Catalyst: unfortunate focus of violent attention from...
Story:

spoiler:
...Xanesha, who started things off by trying to turn the halfling to stone (failed) and then turned her attention to the cleric. He withdrew, but moved away from the party and no one was able to get to him for support (some were not flying, some were in combat). She just straight up murdered him. This was my husband's character, so I feel a wee bit guilty.

Name: Able the Halfling Orator
Class/Level: Rogue 6
Adventure: Hook Mountain
Catalyst: he jumped into the water with...
Story:

spoiler:
...Wet Papa Grazuul. He suffered an AoO on the leaping attack and then the skrag laid into him and managed to successfully rend. Case closed, rogue dead.

Name: Durgrim Skullsplitter
Class/Level: Ranger 7
Adventure: Hook Mountain
Catalyst: Confusion spell on the nearby barbarian
Story:

spoiler:
Bable, the raging halfling barbarian (and triplet brother to Aable,above) was under the effect of Confusion cast by the ogre sorceress. He rolled 'attack nearest' and opened up a can of Crit on his fellow PC.

Name: Eredus
Class/Level: Paladin 8
Adventure: Hook Mountain
Catalyst: was first into base to base combat with...

spoiler:
...Barl Breakbones, who hit him once and then scored an almost max damage crit with his next hit. Those earthbreakers do some nasty damage.

My campaigns aren't usually quite so deadly, but I have to admit that I'm enjoying the old school lethality. The current group name that has been suggested: The Revolving Doors.


Okay. I've officially taken it too easy on the party. We just finished book three with no deaths - oh, sure, lots of bystanders and such. Guess I need to make life a bit more difficult because I sure figured I'd be posting here at some point with a RIP or two.
M


mearrin69 wrote:

Okay. I've officially taken it too easy on the party. We just finished book three with no deaths - oh, sure, lots of bystanders and such. Guess I need to make life a bit more difficult because I sure figured I'd be posting here at some point with a RIP or two.

M

Don't feel too bad, I didn't have any deaths until book 4.


*** TPK*** One Hour Ago....

Name of PCs: Zeldana (NPC Sor4), Titania (Rog4), Harsk (DMPC Drd4), and Mazrim (Rgr4)
Adventure: Burnt Offerings
Catalyst: Incorporeal + Strength draining touch attacks + create spawn + dark room = OMFG! Why do we not have a cleric?

Story: After a tough battle with Yeth Hounds and Nualia we get to the Shadows. The only light source we are using is an Everburning Torch from Lyrie's room. Dim light makes shadows harder to find, so they got the drop on us.
Bad Rolls on the 50% miss chances, Scorching Ray happy-player running the Sorcerer NPC didnt think to try Magic Missiles. Druid powerhouse melee had bad attack rolls, most of the ones that hit missed anyway (did I mention Incorporeal miss chance is icky?).

Funniest TPK moment...
The Ranger (Mazrim) survived at 8 Str getting the last Shadow down, falls to his knees and screams "By Erastil, I live!!!".
That round Create Spawn brings up Shadows from the bodies of Zeldana and Titania. Players jaw drops, as he tries to run past them and out the doors. 2 Attacks of opportunity later he becomes a shadow himself.

Next stop.... Legacy of Fire, Kingmaker, or Castle Whiterock. Havent decided yet. Im leaning toward Kingmaker for the least amount of prep (no conversion needed).

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