Some time ago I made the case that GMs should be ready to kill player characters. I also went into depth about how to save your players from a TPK. After all, the threat of TPK is far more thrilling than an actual TPK. For those of you who don’t …
This TPK prelude is a midnight encounter which should serve as an introduction to other goblin encounters. This is a surprise attack that turns the usually uneventful act of getting a full nights sleep, recovering HP, and gaining back spells into a story driving moment. Where the encounter should …
In case you have yet to notice I have created a TPK forum on Author Buzz. Feel free to use the TPK forum to talk about role play, being a good GM, or just to ask questions about TPK encounters. There is already a small core of keen players (mostly …
I know I said that a GM should be ready to TPK their players but that also means that, as the GM, you should have a plan to save your players. Assuming, of course, that you not playing a game that expects TPKs, you might want a few plans in place to …
One thing you learn as a GM is that sometimes you need to ensure that rolls are fixed. And that is okay. Here is why. When you transition from player to narrator (or GM), your long-ingrained sense of fair play makes fixing rolls feel like cheating. For a player, it would …
A good GM is a GM that is ready, willing, and able to kill player characters. A bad GM is one that enjoys doing so. I want to explain why a GM needs to be prepared to kill player characters and why it makes a better game for players and GM …
What happens when the party face an unexpected ambush in an otherwise tranquil scene? Can they fight off a horde of attackers long enough to survive? Who are these attackers and what do they want? This woodland based encounter can be tuned to the party’s level. Use the form at …
TPK is a collection of self-varying, auto-adjusting, curve-ball encounters for evil GMs to throw at their players. This page was generated using a seed of . Examples of saves An easy STR roll would be DC based on a STR Bonus of A moderate Will roll DC A hard Fort …
