Anyway to not do a TPK? <_<

**gEiStToG** · February 6th, 2018, 12:06

So, curious what some thought are here..but I am "trying" to avoid a TPK without looking like I gave them a free pass...

In Curse of Strahd, I gave them warning after warning to not enter the Bonemill...the module even gave them a warning in game that they need to not go in....

But they did...and they messed with the Night Hag Coven.....

So any way to let them not be totally wiped out without cheesing it? One of them got hit once for half their health and they are all lvl 4...so they really went where they shouldn't have went yet.

I am also hoping the whole party doesn't die so there is some continuity here...

One of the characters won't run, since its a Zealot who enraged...but the others maybe will try to run?

Worst part of DM'ing is when the party does something stupid! lol

**Zacchaeus** · February 6th, 2018, 12:27

When you give them fair warning and the party still do stupid things then the TPK is the ultimate sanction. This can of course be heroic and lay the platform for a new party - perhaps some relatives of those that died come to find out what happened. Unless you railroad the players or they are in a linear dungeon stuff like this will always happen in a Sandbox type adventure such as COS. So, I'd say, let the dice fall how they may and be prepared for rolling up some new characters.

**gEiStToG** · February 6th, 2018, 12:41

Yeah...that's the only solution I see here. Oh well! Hoping one of them survives to make the new party more caught up to speed. Thanks!

**Ctmega** · February 6th, 2018, 13:10

Captivity is always an option. The Hag Coven may look to capture the PC's and use them for a ritual or something. Last time I ran across this situation, I had one of the PC's break free at the last moment and were able to plot a breakout with the help of some local NPC's that I had the captive players play as during the rescue mission. The result of the rescue was that they got out but lost most of their gear in the process. Sometimes loosing gear is worse than dying or creates a tangent to pursue later.

**gEiStToG** · February 6th, 2018, 14:39

oooo..that's a possibility indeed. The coven does like to keep food around for later....

**ddavison** · February 6th, 2018, 15:20

Avoiding a TPK shouldn't necessarily meaning fudging to let the party succeed. There should be some sort of cost for failure.

Does the party have a horse or mule? Maybe after knocking out the party, the hag leaves them to go eat the horse or mule. If you do that, make sure to describe the horrific sounds and give clues that they should take that opportunity to haul away downed party members. If they don't have a pack animal or mount, the monster can still leave to go after something else.

"I'm going to eat this little halfling in front of you!"

"But wait. She would taste best with a sprinkling of spices I keep in the garden. Don't go away my precious... because you'll be the main course after I finish with the appetizer." (walks away to fetch spices)

or...

"Did my foul cousin send you here to slay me? I'll go teach that nasty hag a lessen and then I'll be back to grind your bones into a tasty bread. You won't be needing this sword any longer either."

**SirGraystone** · February 6th, 2018, 15:53

In the movie Excalibur, I think it was Percival who ended up hanging from a tree surrounded by dead knight. When I ran CoS, expecting the fight with the Hags I used the werewolves intro and let the players start with silvered weapons, still that was an hard fight and Ismark was found after the battle with his throat cut.

We got a TPK in the werewolves' cave, because like your group, they didn't listen to warning and got greedy looting everything. They woke chained to the wall and in cages, facing Lord Strahd and only fast talking from our gnome and promises to bring him Ireena back to him (who was in Krezk at the time).

**ddavison** · February 6th, 2018, 16:05

There are not really rules for it, but you could also have one of them wake up with a finger missing. After all, many cooks snack while they prep the food.

**Uraence** · February 6th, 2018, 17:09

Couple of options:

(1) They are captured, but instead of being kept for food the Hags have a plot they are hatching and need the PC's to carry out part of it. To make sure the PC's do what they are tasked to do the Hags put a curse on them of some kind that inflicts harm or death if they don't follow orders. Or perhaps they threaten to kill some children or other captives they have if they don't follow orders.

(2) Another party of adventurers or rival monsters decide to attack their camp drawing the hags attention allowing for either escape or rescue. That rescue could be either friendly or a case of "out of the frying pan and into the fire" that will then place them into a position to escape later.

**gEiStToG** · February 6th, 2018, 17:30

Thank you for all the great input

Thread: Anyway to not do a TPK? <_<

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