tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2465863144787683153.post5897119452675279597..comments2024-03-27T19:02:58.368-04:00Comments on BARKING ALIEN: Removing The Kid GlovesAdam Dicksteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04840144928096089178noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2465863144787683153.post-433593879593788532014-07-25T12:58:26.105-04:002014-07-25T12:58:26.105-04:00"TPK usually means everyone failed including ..."TPK usually means everyone failed including the GM"<br /><br />Completely disagree - it means choices were made that led to a specific outcome. It doesn't necessarily mean anyone "failed". <br /><br />Personal example: Party is invading a particular dungeon. Two members of party scouting ahead are cut off, remainder of party comes under fire from flying foes they can barely reach. The "base" half chose to stay and shoot it out because they were not willing to abandon the scouts, even though the odds were against them. Leaving people behind was not an option - even though there was a clear line of retreat available, and in the end the entire party was dead. That's how they chose to play it, and I never had a problem with it.<br /><br />I don't think a TPK is a goal to be achieved but it is a possible outcome if you play with a real chance of character death. Once it does happen, players take it a little more seriously too, so it's not a totally negative outcome. <br /><br />The system and genre does make a huge difference. I don't think I've ever had a player character die in a supers game, but in D&D it's probably an annual occurrence at least. I also find that games with hero point type mechanics are far less likely to involve a character death, especially mass character death, than more old school games like D&D and Traveller. That extra cushion provided by those kinds of options makes a huge difference. Blacksteelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16289298640828309072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2465863144787683153.post-80561812601890396062014-07-24T19:04:03.908-04:002014-07-24T19:04:03.908-04:00I could count the number of character deaths in al...I could count the number of character deaths in all the games I've run over nearly a decade on one hand. Then I started an old school D&D game that suddenly included lots of character death, including two full party wipes. F. Douglas Wallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06497140550892192807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2465863144787683153.post-8455945405820263402014-07-24T15:45:02.343-04:002014-07-24T15:45:02.343-04:00Problem players...those bastards.
Well, assuming ...Problem players...those bastards.<br /><br />Well, assuming you've talked to the person about the issues, and tried to get them to behave differently and they haven't, then I would kick them out. That is assuming it won't ruin anything for the other players because, lets be honest, at this point, the other players are who you really care about (besides yourself because you should always care about yourself). Monkapotomushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15863829877299943297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2465863144787683153.post-55236221805364186792014-07-24T15:29:12.420-04:002014-07-24T15:29:12.420-04:00I'm with Barky on this one, TPK usually means ...I'm with Barky on this one, TPK usually means everyone failed including the GM. <br /><br />I think, when discussing character deaths, we should distinguish between a TPK and character deaths. Character death should absolutely be a possibility since actions and decisions should have consequences (both good and bad) since great risks often lead to great rewards. TPKs, however, are rarely if ever of value. Characters dying impact the campaign and story. They lead to changes, alterations, upheavals, and new directions. TPKs just end things and usually rather abruptly. So unless you're looking to end things quickly and abruptly, embrace the possibility of character death and avoid TPKs at all costs.Monkapotomushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15863829877299943297noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2465863144787683153.post-62842275774283897032014-07-21T19:29:36.846-04:002014-07-21T19:29:36.846-04:00Well, you know me. I've never had a TPK ever. ...Well, you know me. I've never had a TPK ever. I've never wanted one. I don't want one now. I don't see it as a mark of pride or accomplishment. I tend to view it as a failure on the part of everyone involved.<br /><br />That said, action have consequences. There are ramifications to the events that unfold. If one of those consequences is death, so be it.Adam Dicksteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04840144928096089178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2465863144787683153.post-5358290281119787222014-07-21T18:49:29.501-04:002014-07-21T18:49:29.501-04:00As the supervisor of several TPK's over the la...As the supervisor of several TPK's over the last decade I applaud this policy change!Blacksteelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16289298640828309072noreply@blogger.com