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MesiDoomstalker
2015-03-28, 02:43 AM
So, tonight, I killed my first PC (as a GM)! I feel like I've passed some kind of GM milestone and need to share. It takes a fair bit of backstory, so I'll get started.

A link to an (incomplete) mock up on the setting is here (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MqpnJJG3M-kCD8NIQYHOdwvI3-TfrSxo2yZ1tj_fumc/edit). Bit of a read, but here's the TL:DR version. D20 Future game. 500 years in the future, Federation-esque government coalition between tons of species known as Interplanetary United Space (IUS). At war with a race of insectoid aliens who don't tolerate... anything really. Been going on some 40 odd years. Tech level for the IUS is being stop gapped by a super advanced vulture-man race, but has practical FTL travel (takes 2 week to get from one end of their territory to the other, about a quarter of the Milky Way). Insectiod's have FTL but not practical (takes a week or more to get between adjacent star systems).

In the introductory adventure, the Party formed and took on a mission to ship a mysterious crate for a mob-boss and told not to look in it (plausible deniability in their favor). Being PC's they looked inside. The crate contained a member of the Insectoid race, a Queen (like a Colony Queen, not actual royalty). Find out she's a deserter and, through a series of unfortunate events, a prisoner of the mob-boss who was planning on selling her to the highest bidder. They were also on an ancient earth ship (think modern NASA shuttle crafts) equipped with (now illegal, due to Vulture-People's tech strangle-hold) FTL drive. Fight off some mercenaries, IUS military shows up, they turn her over (she goes willingly), and IUS basically recruits them as legal-mercenaries.

Fast forward a few months and one more adventure later (time skips are fairly common in my games). IUS high command approaches the Party, saying their Queen friend was not answering their very important questions about her people (she is a high-profile war criminal with intensive knowledge of their society, war strategies and such). They ask the Party to go talk to her.

The party is as follows (all made up races specifically for this game). We've got the Science Officer, a weird Dragon-Thingie. The Pilot, a Lemur-man. The Tech Officer, a Squid-man who has to be in a specialized dry-suit (think reverse-scuba suit). And a Symbiotic-Mushroomman Medic. The Medic wasn't at the session today, so he missed out (and may be partially responsible for the PC death for not being able to Medic the dieing guy).

The party goes to the planet the Queen (Chell) is being held on, Verdant. Verdant is a wilderness reserve for a ton of different species home planets (since they are all space fairing species, their planets tend to have a lack of biodiversity). The only sapient individuals on the planet is a group of 6 Human Researcher's on their research facility in the high-atmosphere. The research team forbids them from taking their normal gear to the surface to prevent contamination (and poaching). The Party is there under the guise of a group of researchers (Chell's existence is very hush-hush). Told no poaching, no leaving their designated research area (about a 10x10 km square).

They fly out to their area in a tiny shuttle craft. Told they'll come back to pick them up in a week. They quickly find Chell in a massive network of funnel-web-tunnels. She explains she is fighting her instincts to terraform Verdant into a hub world. Biologically speaking, she is an army-and-terraforming-factory. She despises her nature, hating her warmongering kind, but is extremely lonely and starting to go insane from a combination of loneliness and fighting her most basic instincts. The party vows to take her off-world to some uninhabitated planet so she can terraform to her hearts content, ruffle no feathers, and start her own society of non-warbred insectoids.

The Party realizes a problem; the only way off the planet is to get back to their ship via the research station and theirs a team of Researcher's that wrinkle that plan. They decide to step outside their designated zone to get the research team to come pick them up for breaking their rules, tranquilize the pilot with the Tranq Gun's they were given (for self-defense only), return to the station, tranq the rest of the researchers and then leave with Chell in tow. However, before they can implement this they get attacked by a group of Grasshopper Insectoid's, out to collect Chell.

Fight ensues, the party learns the Grasshoppers are great at jumping (duh), can turn invisible (ala the 3.5 spell) and carry laser-carbines and a weird energy sword that has a ranged option (think the Mastersword in original Zelda). The party manages to Tranq 2 of the Grasshoppers, one lackey and the Leader. The other lackey (there were 3 of them) fled. Party changes plans slightly, deciding to take the Grasshoppers with them as captives to give to the IUS as restitution for essentially kidnapping a war prisoner.

They proceed with plan, stepping out of their area, triggering the research team to send out the shuttle. Shuttle shows up, they tranq the pilot. They leave Chell behind with the Medic (he was absent, good excuse to leave him from the action for the session). They pile the pilot and the two Grasshoppers into the shuttle and head towards the research station. Get hailed by the station, lie through their teeth saying there was an accident and the pilot needs medical attention. They also shoot up their two Grasshopper hostages with more tranq's to keep them out (rolled in secret the results).

Here's where it gets interesting. They arrive at the station, the head Researcher and the one trained in EMT waiting in the shuttle bay. Shuttle door opens, they tranq both researchers. A few Knowledge tests and they figure out the security system in the station sends out video from security camera's to an off-planet data storage facility every 10 minutes, so they have 10 minutes minus the time since the last pulse (unknown to them, 2 minutes prior to their arrival) before their faces are on camera committing treason.

They decide at this point to split up. The Science Officer decides to head to the security room to cut the transmission before it sends while the Pilot and the Tech Officer decide to go to the space elevator to grab their gear and head to their ship (also the Tech Officer needs his mech suit to be any use in combat). Tell the duo it will take 7 minutes to ride the lift to the space elevator/containment area where their gear was while the Science Officer would take 2 minutes to get to the security room. Make a secret roll, d%, to see if they get noticed on camera before. Roll poorly so the alarms start going off. Science Officer reaches security room and sees the nearest Inner-Defense Force Fleet was en route and would arrive in 17 minutes, 6 seconds. The clock is ticking!

Meanwhile, the Pilot and Tech Officer make it to the space elevator. While the Pilot gather's gear, Tech Officer hops into his mech-suit and jacks the space elevator to go super fast. So instead of taking 4 hours to get to their ship (to account for change in pressure) it takes 4 minutes. I warned them that only the Tech Officer in his mech-suit could handle the sudden pressure changes such a trip would make, so he heads up the space elevator by himself. At this point, the Science Officer notices the remaining Researcher's reaching the space elevator and outside the security office with tranq guns via the security monitors.

Quick skirmish and the Sicence Officer has killed his pursuer (he had no more tranq's left on him, so he used a pilfered energy sword). The Pilot decided to GTFO and tumbled away from his pursuers back into the lift and back down to the shuttle bay. As the lift reaches the shuttle bay, ask the Science Officer for a perception check. He succeeds and notices, on the Grasshopper Leader emerging from the shuttle, looking awfully pissed, before turning invisible. Roll initiative.

I'm going to go into round-by-round break down here, because it is very necessary. I will say at this point, I'm deciding stuff at the top of my hat, they've deviated so far from my plan its essentially worthless at this point.

Round 0/Surprise Round: Science Officer tops init, warns Pilot about Grasshopper Leader. No Surprise Round now.
Round 1: Science Officer bolts it from security room back to the shuttle bay at full tilt. Tell him it will take 8 rounds (randomly picked number).
Pilot decides to bolt to the shuttle and try to take off, makes it half way across the hangar.
Grasshopper intercepts whilst invisible, initiating and succeeding in a grapple (using his singular action point to reroll).
8 Rounds till Science Officer arrives
Round 2: Pilot tries to escape grapple, fails.
Grasshopper tries to pin and choke-out Pilot. Fails.
7 Rounds till Science Officer arrives.
Round 3: Pilot escapes grapple, rushes into the shuttle and uses an Action Point to close the shuttle's door.
Grasshopper chases, and rips the shuttle door off with a critical strength check.
6 Rounds till Science Officer arrives.
Round 4: Pilot runs to the cockpit, taking all his actions booting up the shuttle to try and jet out, but making himself Flat-Footed in the process.
Grasshopper grabs him from behind in a chokehold.
5 Rounds till Science Officer arrives.
Round 5: Pilot jerks the yolk to the side, and uses the sudden shift in the shuttle to throw off the Grasshopper. Passes his Balance check to stay standing, (Grasshopper doesn't) and 5-ft scurries towards the door.
Grasshopper jumps from prone (friggin' grasshoppers man!) and tries to grapple again (and fails).
4 Rounds till Science Officer arrives.
Round 6: Pilot bolts out the door and picks up his Tranq Gun he dropped round 1.
Grasshopper doesn't give chase, instead goes invisible and takes the helm of the shuttle craft, turning it towards Pilot.
3 Rounds till Science Officer arrives.
Round 7: Pilot jumps onto the nose of the shuttle, shimming up far enough that he won't be the meat of a shuttle-and-wall sandwhich.
Grasshopper pushes the throttle full forward, seeking to plaster Pilot against the wall. Call for a strength check to hold on, Pilot passes. Feeling merciful, I let him take a reactionary action to avoid splatting. He wants to roll up the nose of the shuttle, off to the left and swing underneath the wing and out of harms way. I tell him it will be 2 difficult Tumble checks, one for rolling up the nose and another for swinging under the wing and he'd have to roll the first before I tell him the DC's for the check. He agrees and rolls the first check, a 27 (16 on the die). The DC for the first was 20 while the second is 28 (17 on the die). He rolls the second, same result (27). I remind him he can re-roll with Action Points (the party tends to forget about them) but also informed him that if he failed by 5 or more (12 or less on the die) he'd have a worst failure than his (current) roll. He opted to keep the failure, as he's not taken any damage as of yet.

He rolls over the nose but slips on his bound off the plane. Instead of swinging off the wing, it slams into his lower spine. 12d10 and a DC 18 Fortitude save. He takes 67 points of damage (out of his 68 max, I swear no dice fudgery). Rolls 15 on Fortitude and gets partial paralysis from the waist down (including his tail). Shuttle crashes into the wall.
2 Rounds till Science Officer arrives.
Round 8: Pilot starts crawling towards his (again lost) tranq gun. Makes it about halfway crawling on the floor.
Wreckage starts moving.
1 Round till Science Officer arrives.
Round 9: Pilot reaches his tranq gun, aiming it at the rubble (readied action fire).
Wreckage reveals Grasshopper, with a lame arm. Hops at Pilot and hits with Claw attack. Dropped his HP to -9 (again no fudgery).
Science Officer arrives.
Round 10: Science Officer (whose been at the top of the init this entire time) uses the pilfered energy sword's ranged mode on the Grasshopper, crits and cleanly kills him.
Pilot rolls his stabilizing rolls. Missed by 1. Re-rolls with action point. Missed by 1, again. -10. Dead.


It was intense. I wasn't trying to kill him. But I couldn't stop. The Grasshopper Leader wouldn't stop, so neither did I. Pilot's player wasn't mad, he was excited his first character death was that awesome. I feel... accomplished. Is that bad?

BWR
2015-03-28, 02:54 AM
If everybody had fun, you did it right. As simple as that.

themaque
2015-03-28, 03:06 AM
It sounds weird, but I think character death now and again, especially in a big loud noisy story appropriate way is really GOOD for a group.

Soon as you get the feeling you CAN'T die, the action starts to loose it's edge.

Esprit15
2015-03-28, 04:10 AM
My group has come to expect someone to die in the final battle of the game... Though none have been that good. In one, the Crusader died because he tripped in front of the BBEG, mounted on a sabertooth. In another, our scout... I don't even remember. Failed some save and then got ganked.

Some of the best moments in the games, honestly.

Maglubiyet
2015-03-28, 07:05 AM
No, that was not bad -- that was awesome! What a way to go!

Extra points if the Science Officer did the "don't you give up on me!" speech as he tried to help the Pilot. Then, when he realized the guy was gone, stood and shook his fist with a "curse you, Grasshoppers, you will pay!"

Seto
2015-03-28, 07:30 AM
Nice story ! What matters is how the group (and the player) handle it.

I killed my first PC last session, so I can relate. But I mostly felt bad, as the player looked sad (he's a newbie and it was the first time he died) and it was really because the opponent got lucky (both were at 4HP, the guy rolls a natural 20, confirms, crits*4, and proceeds to roll just high enough to put the character at -11HP).

MesiDoomstalker
2015-03-28, 10:26 AM
No, that was not bad -- that was awesome! What a way to go!

Extra points if the Science Officer did the "don't you give up on me!" speech as he tried to help the Pilot. Then, when he realized the guy was gone, stood and shook his fist with a "curse you, Grasshoppers, you will pay!"

He had some points in Treat Injury, but had no med kit on him. He had to get the paddles from the knocked out EMT and by that point, Pilot was long gone. But now they have a new problem; getting off world and out-system before the Interior Defense Force gets in and kills them before they can pull strings in the IUS.

Esprit15
2015-03-28, 02:15 PM
Nice story ! What matters is how the group (and the player) handle it.

I killed my first PC last session, so I can relate. But I mostly felt bad, as the player looked sad (he's a newbie and it was the first time he died) and it was really because the opponent got lucky (both were at 4HP, the guy rolls a natural 20, confirms, crits*4, and proceeds to roll just high enough to put the character at -11HP).

Aw, poor guy. Losing your first PC is pretty much never fun, especially if you're a newbie and it was to dice luck. :smallfrown:

Zyzzyva
2015-03-28, 02:57 PM
So, tonight, I killed my first PC (as a GM)!

That's a pretty good PC death, as these things go.


Nice story ! What matters is how the group (and the player) handle it.

I killed my first PC last session, so I can relate. But I mostly felt bad, as the player looked sad (he's a newbie and it was the first time he died) and it was really because the opponent got lucky (both were at 4HP, the guy rolls a natural 20, confirms, crits*4, and proceeds to roll just high enough to put the character at -11HP).

Poor guy. :smallfrown:

My first PC kill was in the very first game I ever DM'd! ...Of course, I learned to DM from Paranoia, so it was closely followed by second through fifteenth PC kills and first and second TPK. Good times, good times. :smallbiggrin:

Pex
2015-03-28, 03:00 PM
It's not a terrible thing that everyone had fun, circumstances happen, and a PC was killed in a fair manner.

The incidence of fact that a PC was killed in your game is not itself something to be proud of as a glorious accomplishment of DMdom. It's not a shameful thing either, just not itself something to crow about what it means to be a great DM.

Seto
2015-03-28, 04:11 PM
Aw, poor guy. Losing your first PC is pretty much never fun, especially if you're a newbie and it was to dice luck. :smallfrown:

Yeah, I felt kinda bad. But, since he's a Paladin, the Church of Heironeous is going to provide a priest and pay most of the money for his resurrection, and he was happy to hear that :)

Luminestra
2015-03-29, 02:20 AM
That sounds like an amazing fight. I would have loved to have my character die like that.
Most of my character deaths come from my wife getting a crit on me and killing me. They are usually pretty funny and we all laugh.

The one that comes to mind was when my lizardfolk barbarian was oneshot by a hobgoblin wielding an axe larger than itself. The party hung the axe behind a statue of my old character and named it 'Lizardbane'. I thought it was pretty awesome.

TheCountAlucard
2015-03-29, 11:06 AM
Cool story.