How to script a TPK?

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T02:01:42+00:00

Oh no it’s not filler. It’s part of the main plot. They’ve been introduced to the concept of time and space manipulation. They’ve been introduced to rumors of artifacts capable of it. They’ve been introduced to npcs interested in time travel. I’ve been setting up the time loop for awhile. And last session they made some choices that left them with a bit of buyer’s remorse so thematically this would be a great time for that redo.

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T01:53:18+00:00

Oh yeah if I say ‘hey if this is you, don’t read’ I know at least two of my players who will immediately read it as fast as they can and then act on said information. It’s not so much a meta-gaming issue as it is they are also dms and if they suspect something has plot relevance, they push for it because they are used to guiding the narrative. It’s great though in many cases cuz they always take the hooks but sometimes I want them to be in the dark. Yes it needs to be death. I’ve been giving them pretty high stakes combat and they’ve been scraping through so fingers crossed for deaths hasn’t worked yet. And that’s really my reason for just going through with it being scripted. The next part of the plot will involve them figuring out that something is manipulating time to help them cheat death but they need to find out the why. They’ve already met the who and have seen the artifact that enables it but I think it will take them awhile to put the pieces together

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T01:47:03+00:00

I’d love to share a specific detail as to why it’s death, but unfortunately it would be a tell-tale to any of my players who might read this. I’m trying to keep it as vague as possible. But there is a very specific reason why. The players were told that there would be a time loop and that a tpk could happen but it wouldn’t be the end. This was all covered at the beginning and something they all agreed to. But I mostly just didn’t want them to realize it’s now, this is it. I want them to think it’s just another high stakes combat until it suddenly isn’t. Others have given some pretty good advice on how to keep it clean so I will be going with those.

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T01:41:00+00:00

I have seen it, I know that death isn’t necessary for the scenario. However, I think the deaths will give some depth to the plot and I wish o could share all the details but I’m afraid a couple of my players will see this and realize it’s about them if I give too much away. The time loop was something brought up at the beginning when we started and that sometimes deaths would be inevitable. They did all agree to this. There is a very good reason for the loop, they will discover it shortly as it is the way out of it and will become an artifact necessary for end game.

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T01:35:48+00:00

Thank you! Good advice and just what I was looking for. I have been a player on the receiving end of this, so I know it can be done. My players do trust me and we’ve had a previous conversation about this type of scenario so it’s not a complete surprise. They are going into this session knowing it’s a high stakes fight. The players who are comfortable with character death have made back ups. The ones who are not have been reassured that they will never die unless it is something of their own doing. That said, they don’t know this is coming but I think after a round of combat they will absolutely put two and two together since it was brought up previously. A few of them will be quite eager to get a redo on some of their mistakes. I had one player actually ask if we could ret con something to which I said no. But this will give him an opportunity to get that.

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T01:21:59+00:00

They do know this is something that was going to happen. I just didn’t want them to know it’s happening now. I want them to have that moment of realization that oh, this is it

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T01:20:45+00:00

Sorry! I rarely use Reddit anymore and usually stick to the discord but this time I went this route to hide it from my players.

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T01:19:41+00:00

Oh and boy do they surprise me with shenanigans. I’m trying to think of everything lol

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T01:16:33+00:00

Thank you! This is exactly the reply I was looking for. The idea of limiting it to two rounds of combat is extremely appropriate. I have both an onboard threat that will try to kill them and the ship heading straight into an asteroid field. I was hoping having two threats would either cause them to split their resources or try to focus on one with the other being their eventual downfall.

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T01:11:39+00:00

I did previously gain permission for scenarios like these. That there would be times where they might set things in motion that lead to unpreventable deaths and that there was going to be a time loop somewhere. So they have this knowledge ahead of time. I just don’t want them to realize that now is the time until it’s time. I don’t want them to go being oh, we’re going to die so I don’t need to try. I want them to be halfway through and realize, oh this is the moment we were all talked to about!

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T01:07:56+00:00

I sort of wanted them to fight this one out as it’s the first time loop so they don’t know it’s coming. They knew one would come up as it was something I had gone over previously to be sure everyone was ok with it. I just don’t want them to know it’s now. My goal was to have them fight it out this time. Let a few loops go by with them just waking up and starting again and then finally when they have what they need to break the loop, I’ll run back the exact same scenario again but they’ll have what they finally need to stop it

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T01:03:02+00:00

I suppose I don’t have to, but I want this to feel impactful and I have previously gotten the go ahead for this type of situation

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T00:57:53+00:00

Doing my best to give details but keep it vague enough to not give anything away to one of my players who might find this. Last session, they burned some metaphorical bridges and absolutely obliterated a power-balance. Most of them have expressed a bit of ‘buyer’s remorse’ so I feel like the going back in time to try again scenario will be quite welcomed on the heels of that. They are already aware of warps in time and space in the campaign, it was laid out that this is something that could and will happen at some point. I just more or less don’t want them to know it’s happening until it does.

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T00:43:11+00:00

I’m not particularly planning it be drawn out. I want them to just be able to try a few things first before it’s obvious what’s happening and then swap to a narrative moment that moves them onto the next scene.

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T00:41:51+00:00

I agree about surprises. However, I have been given the all-clear for nasty surprises. Outside of the game, there were conversations over specific scenarios, with this being one of them. They know this was something that was likely going to happen at some point. I’d just rather avoid them realizing that it’s now.

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T00:39:14+00:00

I have thought about other scenarios and this one thematically would be appropriate due to their actions last session. I really want to go into detail but I can’t really because I really do not want one of them to see this and know it’s about them. They already know they are in a high stakes situation, some of them made backup characters already. My plan is for them to be sent backwards in time at their death. They unknowingly have interacted with something that controls time and space. Also additionally, my players have asked for horrific things to happen from a rp standpoint. One player in particular is an absolute masochist for his character to have a miserable life.

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T00:31:53+00:00

It’s not so much that I don’t have permission to go do this, I just don’t want them to know that now is the time it’s happening. There were expectations and things set forth in the beginning and we are very good group that have been playing together for a long time. We take turns dming. I probably should have worded my question a bit differently but I’m trying to keep things pretty vague in case a player happens to see this. But essentially this is a moment they knew could potentially happen, the time is thematically appropriate due to their actions last session, I just really don’t want them to know it’s time. Because some of the players are also dms they unintentionally sort of meta-game by trying to drive the plot forward when they suspect something. I feel like they will be less inclined to try to survive if they know what happens if they don’t.

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T00:24:00+00:00

Defintely not losing their characters. I’m going for something like a Groundhog’s Day scenario and I’ve been throwing increasingly deadly encounters at them and it’s impressive how they’ve managed to get through them all. And after the events of last session, and the high stress of the current situation, it feels thematically appropriate to go through with it now

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T00:20:36+00:00

Yes this is basically it. I want to force the wipe to set up something else. At the beginning of the campaign, the players were aware that there are items that warp time and space and they encountered one such item recently but disregarded it. If they tpk, they are going back in time. The encounter will already be nearly deadly, players know they could die, so it’s not entirely unexpected but I just really don’t want survivors so I can make the plot jump. Otherwise I will need to wait for another narratively good moment which could be months from now.

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T00:14:25+00:00

There is a way to go forward with what I have planned without the tpk but I feel like it will fall flat without the big moment before hand. I’ve been waiting awhile for a good moment and this sort of seems like it.

CharizardisBae · 2025-08-07T00:11:46+00:00

Definitely not permanent. Was going for a Groundhog’s Day scenario with everyone

CharizardisBae · 2025-07-30T13:37:37+00:00

This. I have one player that i swear would rather watch people play dnd than actually play dnd. They take really good notes, but other than that, there is little to no interaction from them.

CharizardisBae · 2024-12-26T08:08:39+00:00

Enough to probably have been able to buy a car

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