Most common ways to die in 1 round or less?

[TheCorsairMalac]

There are a variety of ways to die quickly in D&D 3.5. Death spells, banshee wails, critical hits, gaze attacks, surprise falls, etc... But which ones are the most common, and how do you counter them?

I'll contribute that blasting spells like lightning bolt and fireball have been a common insta-death in my experience. The Greater Agility Armor Enhancement, from the Magic Item Compendium, grants a +5 on reflex saves, which is a good way to minimize the risk.

[daremetoidareyo]

There are a variety of ways to die quickly in D&D 3.5. Death spells, banshee wails, critical hits, gaze attacks, surprise falls, etc... But which ones are the most common, and how do you counter them?

I'll contribute that blasting spells like lightning bolt and fireball have been a common insta-death in my experience. The Greater Agility Armor Enhancement, from the Magic Item Compendium, grants a +5 on reflex saves, which is a good way to minimize the risk.

In my experience, it is random encounters with weaklings that cause the most deaths. The DM will just roll a series of 20's on an encounter that he just assumed that we would mop, because we would totally mop it up easily, if it weren't for him having the luck of the anti-angels. It's happened too many times to count. Critical hits hit PCs critically.

A party consisting entirely of fortification or undead is the only way around it. But that is a weird group.

[Xervous]

While you experience will vary from DM to DM the greatest threat of death is usually from HP damage. At lower levels special means of dying don't show up all too often, and at later levels you'll have immunities to ward off SoDs (Though of course high OP games can exhibit strange tendencies).

I will agree that critical hits are responsible for an inordinate amount of oneshots, you don't have to look much farther than the stock falchion wielding orc from the monster manual. With an 18-20 crit range coupled to 2d4+4 damage you have a recipe for PCs going splat. A L1 fighter with 16 CON will be knocked unconscious by a crit 98.06% of the time. L2 14 con rogue with 13 health has the same odds. A L3 14 con wizard with 15 health has little better of a chance, 86.33% of the time he'll be eating dirt. And this is just a bare bones 16 STR L1 orc with a falchion. What if the DM feels like giving it power attack, or bumping its STR up to 18, or... swapping the falchion out for the x3 crit greataxe?

--Low health coupled with the unpredictable bursts of damage from crits tends to yield a lot of "oops, you're dead" moments, especially when team monster has nasty crit multipliers.

[Draconium]

In my experience, it is random encounters with weaklings that cause the most deaths. The DM will just roll a series of 20's on an encounter that he just assumed that we would mop, because we would totally mop it up easily, if it weren't for him having the luck of the anti-angels. It's happened too many times to count. Critical hits hit PCs critically.

A party consisting entirely of fortification or undead is the only way around it. But that is a weird group.

Huh, funny, I don't think I've had anyone in a group actually die from a group of mooks like that, even when we were level 1 (although we cut it close a few times). Then again, I know my DM tends to fudge dice rolls sometimes so we don't get killed off...

Anyways, the only time I can think of in my group that someone died in a single round was actually a case of PvP, when the Barbarian and Paladin got into an argument (the Paladin was refusing to move, and the Barbarian needed him to so we could set a trap for some mooks), and the Barbarian attacked with a crit and one-shot the Paladin. I'm sorry to say I was the Barbarian in that particular instance, but that was the only time I've ever done PvP.

[nedz]

I've had several near TPKs in empty rooms, normally when the Wizard tries something.

Low level mooks are also tricky - 10 level 1 Orc warriors against a level 5 party was quite bad, no one died but it was close.

Players just seem to pay more attention when there is an obvious threat.

[Âmesang]

This is making me want to pit a low-level group against a kobold encampment with traps, a hobgoblin phalanx with tower shields, or three leaping wizards… just to see how the party reacts and plans-on-the-run (ha!).

[Arael666]

Charged by an ubercharger?

[daremetoidareyo]

This is making me want to pit a low-level group against a kobold encampment with traps, a hobgoblin phalanx with tower shields, or three leaping wizards… just to see how the party reacts and plans-on-the-run (ha!).

5 or six Goblin fighters with 2WF and 2 kukri. Give them crossbows and tactics and say bye to your flatfooted level 1 PCs.