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4 years ago ::
Jan 18, 2009 - 2:55PM
#1
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Date Joined:
Oct 11, 2006
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Ok. So here goes: the first TPK in the LFR setting I have heard of so far. I'm running my Dwarf Cleric, adventuring along with an Elf Ranger, a Human Warlock, and an Eladrin Rogue.
We enter the room, pretty much expecting this fight to be a breeze, as we had diplomanced our way out of the BBEG fight. We are a bit low on surges and get low initiative rolls. 2 Spitter Drakes manage to bloody the archer, and a crit from a needlefang drake swarm nearly beheads the warlock, who gets knocked prone. I try and do a shock sphere (I'm Multiclassed Wizard) and end up missing the monsters but critting the rogue. the spitters drop the ranger, who I heal, only for him to be dropped again. The warlock is pinned and I can't really heal him. the Rogue gets droopped by the spitters (who can't seem to hit my defenses). Finally I heal the ranger, who manages to drop a spitter, before the swarm, (who had just killed the lock), finishes him off. I use a power gem to recover my Heals, heal myself, and try to drop a divine glow. I hit, bloodieing one drake. I action point to Lance of Faith. That kills the spitter. Finally, I am dropped by the swarm.
Overall, it was still a fun battle, but, we got TPKed, something I have never seen in LFR.
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4 years ago ::
Jan 18, 2009 - 4:15PM
#2
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Date Joined:
Aug 19, 2007
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We've had at least two TPKs in Calgary. Nice story though. 
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4 years ago ::
Jan 18, 2009 - 8:44PM
#3
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Date Joined:
Oct 20, 2008
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Dude, just play a 4-person table with people new to LFR... instant TPK. We've had a bunch at our game day near the start of the campaign.
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4 years ago ::
Jan 18, 2009 - 10:54PM
#4
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Date Joined:
Jul 16, 2002
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Overall, it was still a fun battle, but, we got TPKed, something I have never seen in LFR.
You haven't been looking hard enough. There was at least one at Gencon when it debuted.
Sorry WOTC, you lost me with Essentials. So where I used to buy every book that came out, now I will be very choosy about what I buy. Can we just get back to real 4e? Check out the 4e Conversion Wiki. 1. Wizards fight dirty. They hit their enemies in the NADs. -- Dragon9 2. A barbarian hits people with his axe. A warlord hits people with his barbarian. 3. Boo-freakin'-hoo, ya light-slingin' finger-wigglers. -- MrCelcius in response to the Cleric's Healer's Lore nerf
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4 years ago ::
Jan 18, 2009 - 11:09PM
#5
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Date Joined:
Oct 19, 2008
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If the game day you refer to was weekend in the realms then yes, that mod was brutal.
I've only had a few other mods where I felt a TPK was truly possible if you were playing the mod at the proper difficulty (when you play high with everyone min level for a mod I expect TPK's to be possible, which is why we almost always play high) I won't say which mod but those of you who played it know what I'm referring to probably, there is a fight with a mob that tosses out a nice big ongoing 10 damage + restrain, I think there are 3 of those guys and one of the other mobs can toss out a ongoing 5 acid + blind. The mobs have a pretty decent chance of surprising you or going first and naturally the party is once again forced to start in a 2x3 grid vs mobs with burst 1 asswhooping.
Actually my biggest complaint overall about LFR mods is the standard "start here in this 2x3 optimized grid so the GM can burst 1 your entire party with any critter that goes before you" starting zone. I really want more mods that allow you to start in bigger areas, like a 5x5 start grid or 4x8 etc, or if you are in a tunnel allow you to space out like 2xx2xx2 with 10 feet between partners of 2 etc. There is no way with how many things that are dangerous out there that use burst attacks that I'd stand but up against 3-5 of my friends as we walk around. One thing I do like when we have total darkness is I tend to run up in front a bit on my Drow Rogue, and the lightsource/darklight ritual caster person with the sunrod is about 6-8 squares behind me. Perfect scouting conditions, but again, those start areas if the DM enforces them really suck for that type of party preparation.
Blah blah blah
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4 years ago ::
Jan 19, 2009 - 1:02AM
#6
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Date Joined:
Jul 20, 2006
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Actually my biggest complaint overall about LFR mods is the standard "start here in this 2x3 optimized grid so the GM can burst 1 your entire party with any critter that goes before you" starting zone. I really want more mods that allow you to start in bigger areas, like a 5x5 start grid or 4x8 etc, or if you are in a tunnel allow you to space out like 2xx2xx2 with 10 feet between partners of 2 etc. There is no way with how many things that are dangerous out there that use burst attacks that I'd stand but up against 3-5 of my friends as we walk around. One thing I do like when we have total darkness is I tend to run up in front a bit on my Drow Rogue, and the lightsource/darklight ritual caster person with the sunrod is about 6-8 squares behind me. Perfect scouting conditions, but again, those start areas if the DM enforces them really suck for that type of party preparation.
I feel your pain. If possible I encourage my party to spread out when expecting contact with the enemy. I have had GM's actually move miniatures closer together for no other reason than "the mod says they won't attack until your party goes here". If an ambush goes off and only gets one PC acting as scout them he has done his job, and the rest of us are ready to pull his butt out of the fire.
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4 years ago ::
Jan 19, 2009 - 1:02AM
#7
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Date Joined:
May 24, 2007
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If the game day you refer to was weekend in the realms then yes, that mod was brutal.
I've only had a few other mods where I felt a TPK was truly possible if you were playing the mod at the proper difficulty (when you play high with everyone min level for a mod I expect TPK's to be possible, which is why we almost always play high) I won't say which mod but those of you who played it know what I'm referring to probably, there is a fight with a mob that tosses out a nice big ongoing 10 damage + restrain, I think there are 3 of those guys and one of the other mobs can toss out a ongoing 5 acid + blind. The mobs have a pretty decent chance of surprising you or going first and naturally the party is once again forced to start in a 2x3 grid vs mobs with burst 1 asswhooping.
Actually my biggest complaint overall about LFR mods is the standard "start here in this 2x3 optimized grid so the GM can burst 1 your entire party with any critter that goes before you" starting zone. I really want more mods that allow you to start in bigger areas, like a 5x5 start grid or 4x8 etc, or if you are in a tunnel allow you to space out like 2xx2xx2 with 10 feet between partners of 2 etc. There is no way with how many things that are dangerous out there that use burst attacks that I'd stand but up against 3-5 of my friends as we walk around. One thing I do like when we have total darkness is I tend to run up in front a bit on my Drow Rogue, and the lightsource/darklight ritual caster person with the sunrod is about 6-8 squares behind me. Perfect scouting conditions, but again, those start areas if the DM enforces them really suck for that type of party preparation.
I hear you brother, this is the reason why, when I DM, I try to give the players a bigger starting area, or the ability to spread out. The only problem is some of the maps just don't allow for a bigger starting area.
After playing a couple of runs of a certain module with a one-eyed orc who has a brutal AoE spell that knocks you prone. I simply got bored with every party being knocked on their collective backsides. Then being swarmed by brutes, who blocked the 2x2 tunnel they were all lying in.
It was just plain nasty!
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4 years ago ::
Jan 19, 2009 - 4:31AM
#8
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Date Joined:
Jun 18, 2003
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Actually my biggest complaint overall about LFR mods is the standard "start here in this 2x3 optimized grid so the GM can burst 1 your entire party with any critter that goes before you" starting zone.
Obviously, those zones are not put there for that reason. Those areas are put on the map to show the generally area/direction that the PCs might approach the encounter from. If we don't put them there, more times than not the DM looks at the map and doesn't know where that is. No DM should force the PCs to stand in those exact squares unless there is a very good reason to do so--like PCs are teleported into squares, for example.
Shawn
LFR Global Admin
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4 years ago ::
Jan 19, 2009 - 5:09AM
#9
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Furthermore, those maps are just the general surroundings of a fight. A DM should really not fear to add more tiles or draw a bigger map on the battlemap. Just because one fight at a warehouse only shows the warehouse, does not mean you cannot add the streets surrounding it.  Pieter Sleijpen RPGA LFR Global Administrator, who has seen at least three TPKs in my own area.
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4 years ago ::
Jan 19, 2009 - 6:50AM
#10
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Date Joined:
Jul 16, 2002
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But... you don't go off the edge of the map! There be dragons there.
Sorry WOTC, you lost me with Essentials. So where I used to buy every book that came out, now I will be very choosy about what I buy. Can we just get back to real 4e? Check out the 4e Conversion Wiki. 1. Wizards fight dirty. They hit their enemies in the NADs. -- Dragon9 2. A barbarian hits people with his axe. A warlord hits people with his barbarian. 3. Boo-freakin'-hoo, ya light-slingin' finger-wigglers. -- MrCelcius in response to the Cleric's Healer's Lore nerf
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