Inspired by the numerous accounts of TPKs in the Savage Tide Obituaries thread, I'm interested to hear how you DMs that have killed off entire parties handled (or are handling) moving on.
Are you picking up with new player characters and proceeding with the STAP?
Or are you and your players moving on to something new?
How are you tying the new characters into the campaign if you are continuing to run the STAP?
Perhaps some suggestions here would also help if you're stuck on how to keep things going.
I had a TPK in the second session, down in the hold of the Blue Nixie crossing the first rhagodessa.
Well we just built new characters and Lavinia sent them after the previous ones on the ship. She still wanted to know what was going on there and where her money went, so she searched town for new heroes!
Last session we had something similiar to a TPK: three players joined me at the table, three dead characters ended in the belly of the river hydra.
But there are still PCs on board the Sea Wyvern and as I love this greatest-campaign-ever and won't stop running it in one way or the other until this monkeyboy gets what he deserves (again: one way or the other!)we continue, of course.
Next stop on the route to the IoD is Renkrue and there is a bunch of castaways waiting for the next ship leaving for Farshore.
I had two PC's die during The Bullywug gambit in Lavinia's mansion.
Both came back as new replacement crew members for the Sea Wyvern's Wake.
My last PC death was at the hands of the flotsam ooze. He was buried on the beach and his replacement was found as a statue at Tamoachan. The party didn't need Urol's potions due to high Fort saves on their part vs. the basilisk.
Finally, my last PC replacment is due to a player trying a new character concept he ended up not liking very much. So his rogue is either going to die at the hands of the Mother of All (very likely) or drown in the upcoming storm to be replaced by his new character.
I know none of these are TPK's but so far the group has done quite well despite the few deaths. I find the Savage Tidings articles in DRAGON very helpful in supplying ideas for replacement PC's too.
I find the Savage Tidings articles in DRAGON very helpful in supplying ideas for replacement PCs too.
This is really hitting the nail on the head. This was probably one of the best features of the Savage Tidings articles and a brilliant idea to help DMs keep their campaigns going. When there's a lot of fun ideas out there for tying new characters into the campaign at any given part of it AND some really cool new feats they can take, it takes much of the sting of character death away. It also seems to make for good motivation to create new ones.
Not had any major deaths or TPK yet.
It's looking likely they are goign to skip the Lotus Dragon dungeon and head stright to Kraken's Cove.
Before next session i'm going to level them to 3. But i won't cut much more slack than that, i'm a greta fan of IC actions deserve IC reactions, they are taking on more than they can chew, and knowing the party and players as I do i'm predicting a TPK shortly after arrival at Kraken's Cove (they are also going overland, so i may get chance to shove in a sidetrek and get them to lvl4).
They are currentlly in a big intrigue plot and lavinia is quite what she is written, her brother hasn't stolen any wealth from her, but he has absconded with large amounts of funds and a ship, the players don't know he's turned traitor, they just think he's vanished and is either 1) dead 2) undercover and doesn't want to blow it!
But they have been hired as mercenaries by lavinia, so i have an excuse of bringing in new characters, as mercenary type replacements.
Not sure what i'm goign to do if a TPK happens!
We are not picking the adventure up, yet...
My players tend to mourn the loss a lot. And they like more a fresh start. But the TPK occurred only two days ago, so maybe I'm in for a surprise...
...
A lot of work down the drain, again...
Well, I'm going to run a couple of short adventures in Sasserine before starting up ST. Then when I start ST the players have to create new characters, and as soon as they meet Lavinia they will discover that the Jade Ravens are quite familiar.
Apart from giving the players a more emotional connection with the JR it also gives me an out in case of a TPK. In that case the players simply take over their old characters in JR.
SPOILERS - but you probably knew that already -
Let's see. I haven't had a TPK yet, but I am concerned how things may play out in TINH. I started the campaign in Freeport actually (shortly before Savage Tides came out) and had a near TPK in Death in Freeport. All but one pc was killed trying to storm a docked pirate ship with a full crew aboard. I had the Pirate God npc cleric bring them back with the deal that they had to avenge their deaths and bring all loot to the temple for the services provided. They went back and the pirates got toasted and the church got a pirate ship and anything else that was valuable on the ship (including the pirates magic equipment).
Then the party saw a vision of the Pirate God telling them to leave Freeport "that this was not the place for their adventures yet untold" and they went to Sasserine and TINH started. The party rogue pilfered an ornate decanter in Lavinia's parlor while waiting to see her. The party went to the Blue Nixie and I had horrible visions that the TPK was going to happen all over again as they had the same plan in mind (that failed the first time). They tried to broker a deal with the pirates but things went awry and it turned into a slugfest. The rhagodessa made his appearance and almost killed the barbarian-sorcerer if not for party teamwork.
They go to the Vanderboren crypt and Parrot Island and things go by the numbers. While scouting for Lavinia's brother in Sasserine, a child-rogue pickpocketed the party cleric and I did the alley trap with the Lotus Dragons. The barbarian got pissed and immediately killed the pickpocket and the Dragons sniped them from the rooftop. The Dragons snipers all died but they had the clue to go to the Taxidermist Shop next. The party rogue (a clever, nasty fellow) takes the child's corpse in a burlap sack and they go to the shop. Upon entering, the rogue says that he has something he wants stuffed, taking the kid rogue out of the sack, and the party unloads on Roblach and they take him alive (unconscious) back to the Nixie to question him.
Now I want the Dragons to be one step ahead of the party (as they should be) but I am trying to come up with a twist. I figure maybe they should clear out the lair entirely and move into another place before the party comes back for more. Any advice is appreciated along with criticism.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32
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If you still like the lair you could just have them nail the entrance shut (or get a wizard to seriously seal it) and let the party do some digging to find another entrance. Maybe they can strike a deal with the ixitawhatchamacallits, or just fight/ sneak their way in. You know what's up one of the passages near that entrance, don't you? Muhahahaha!
And if you don't want them getting to the "end" too soon just swap a few rooms around. Shame to waste the lovely Crucible :)
I did consider wizard locking (or worse) the entrance. I must admit that it would be priceless if they went in locked and loaded only to find that the place was completely vacant (of anything valuable and with no thieves in the joint).
Neverthless, I have to re-read that section again.
Thanks!
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Early in the adventure path (pre Isle of Dread) I introduced all replacement characters as people hired by Lavinia. I portrayed her as having a sort of stable of adventurers of varying levels in her employ. I also played up Zasker Grankus as close friends with Lavinia's parents and so a few characters came in from Zelkharune's Horns to help Lavinia in her time of need.
Once they were on the voyage to the Isle of Dread, I had one replacement character come from the passengers riding on the Sea Wyvern.
On the Isle of Dread I had two replacement characters who were "anthropologists" studying the Olman tribes join the party. I also had one replacement PC come from Farshore. That one was a Dwarf who was also friends with Lavinia's parents but opted to stay in Farshore to help with the defense of the colony when it was established. I also had one PC play a Warforged Charger who I introduced as having been on the island for 10,000 years, and was mistaken for a statue, until he talked to some PC prisoners that had been detained in the room he was in by Olangru's mates.
Once they leave the Isle of Dread I will likely use Scuttlecove as my next source of replacement PC's. Let me also add my praise for the Savage Tidings articles for great character ideas for players to explore. I can't wait to get Dragon 354 to see the Totemic Demon Slayer for my players to use for replacement characters if anymore of them die (I expect that the fight with Khala in the City of Broken Idols has TPK written all over it).
Anyway, thats what I have done. Your mileage my vary.
I had a TPK occur in Sea Wyvern's Wake.
I have started over with a small campaign arc of my own and plan to reintroduce the group to the STAP at the beginning of the module following SWW.
It actually oddly worked out because I had been working on the new campaign arc and wondered when I was going to have time to run it.