Rocks fall, Everyone dies?

[ShadowFireLance]

When have you actually used the "Rocks fall, everyone dies" or a variation of it?

[Malak'ai]

I don't think I ever have.
If it get's to a point like that in a game I run, I just tell the players straight out that I'm sick of putting up with what ever it is that's causing the problems and end the game/adventure/campaign then and there.

[Rhynn]

Years ago: Two players had been arguing, and then one for whatever reason decided to have his PC push the other's PC off the edge of a chasm, and the other wanted to pull him down with him. I said "yeah, okay, you both fall down and die." The third PC had been petrified earlier (they were carrying him to a cleric).

[Cealocanth]

I've used something like it before.

Basically, the party has ventured into a cave system in order to keep an evil cult from using the magical energy of a captured Earth Spirit to destroy the world. They kill the cultists, but in doing so, release the spirit from it's bonds. It proceeds to angrily destroy all living creatures in it's vicinity as it's revenge, and the party is forced to subdue it. At the end of the combat, in a climactic tension, the spirit begins to create a massive cave in. The party managed to slay it's corporeal form before they are crushed.

One of my players describe this as "Rocks fall, everyone is still technically alive."

[Grinner]

Years ago: Two players had been arguing, and then one for whatever reason decided to have his PC push the other's PC off the edge of a chasm, and the other wanted to pull him down with him. I said "yeah, okay, you both fall down and die." The third PC had been petrified earlier (they were carrying him to a cleric).

"Got me trapped for the better part of an eternity in some ****hole goblin pit. Would not adventure with again. 1/5"

[Vultawk]

I did something more along the lines of "Orcs fill the room, and the two PCs not involved in the argument that caused it die." Two of the players had personal issues that manifested in game (stealing from the party, followed by PVP attack rolls). I decided, since they wanted to fight, that I would give them someone to fight, which was about a dozen orcs (they were all first level). Both front-line fighters died, and I basically made my point, reset time and the game resumed.

They've since worked out their differences, though I wouldn't be so arrogant to say that my orcs had anything to do with it.

[CowardlyPaladin]

I once pulled an Eclipse from berserk upon my players where they were sacrificed to an army of fiends who killed them all. I allowed them to roll though in the off chance they survived.......they didn't.

[Cerlis]

Years ago: Two players had been arguing, and then one for whatever reason decided to have his PC push the other's PC off the edge of a chasm, and the other wanted to pull him down with him. I said "yeah, okay, you both fall down and die." The third PC had been petrified earlier (they were carrying him to a cleric).

one of the few times when " And Now I must scream" is from frustration, not horror.

[Slipperychicken]

After a session of PvP stupidity, one PC was dead (disruptive chaotic-backstabber Bard. I wonder how the DM allowed it), one was tied up for questioning (secretly an evil doppelganger, attacked us. Again, no idea how the DM let that fly), another walked out of the dungeon (disruptive was her boyfriend's PC), and mine (pragmatic, unforgiving) was standing over the tied up-guy questioning him. DM just ended the game right there, he mumbled the words "rocks fall, everyone dies" while packing up the battlemat.

I think we broke the (new) DM, he looked like he was in shock. He had all kinds of fun, awesome stuff planned for the very next room, but we degenerated into PvP and ruined everything.

[BWR]

Does "we're a bunch of newbs, wander into the Shadowlands (L5R) unprepared and get killed by goblins throwing rocks on us" count?

[prufock]

Never done it. In fact, never had a TPK, but I'm pretty forgiving as a DM. Last session I had one character die, but honestly they should have ALL bitten the dust, since they were taking on things way out of their league (they accomplished a goal, but did not defeat the antagonists, so it may come back to bite them).

There was/is a running joke in my game, though, that when the cross-talk or ludicrous play gets out of hand, the DM says "Ten thousand great red wyrms descend from the sky and kill you all."

[obryn]

Sigh... It was an accident.

The basic idea was that the PCs headed below a shrine to confront a bunch of burrowing slug-people. They went to turn around and leave; the psurlons had an ally set to collapse the tunnel if the PCs tried to escape, so I set up a quick skill challenge with reasonable Athletics/Acrobatics DCs. So escape is still exciting and risky, but very possible. Or so I thought...

It turns out (almost) everyone in the party is really bad at Athletics and Acrobatics.

So, without meaning to, I basically told them, "Here, go to this massive set-piece encpunter or ROCKS FALL EVERYONE DIES." They still haven't let me live it down.

-O

[Greylond]

Of course I have. First time was in the original S1, which IIRC, is where it comes from... :)

another favorite one, not used by me but by another DM back in 1st Edition AD&D was, "You're dead, you don't know why." (Character had run into a Disintegrate effect).

[Ossian]

In a very literal way....yes. I re-enacted Armageddon (the M. Bay movie) in a Mystara campaign. Since the rock (the size of Texas) was falling, staying on it would have meant death. They didn't die, of course.

Explosives in key fault-lines, and gate away.

[nedz]

Not figuratively, only literally.

There were in a room with four doors and an NPC who told them to never, under any circumstances, open door #4.

After dealing with doors #1-#3 ...

They [that guy] opened the door — which released an insane mountain spirit — who used his Earthquake ability — which caused the roof to collapse — which did a small amount of damage, but pinned them under the rubble.

No one died, and they eventually got out.

[Lord Vukodlak]

I almost had one though the PC's share some of the blame.

The party (about 3rd level) comes upon two elves apparently dueling in the woods, one of them is very clearly of Drow heritage. Now in the description of the fight I describe how the Drow is completely outmatched while the High Elf wasn't even trying to hurt the dark elf.

One of the PC's only hears the word Drow and immediately attacks. Now his critical hit with the bow would have certainly killed the drow woman.(1st level) The problem being this wasn't intended as a combat encounter. The High Elf was a high level NPC teaching his daughter how to use a longsword. He was supposed to provide the PC's with the next adventure hook not beat them to death with his bare hands because he was 20 levels high them and they just murdered his daughter.

So instead I just ruled that because he was providing cover he could deflect the arrow even if it wasn't aimed at him. The party objected until I explained the alternative was he butchered them all for murdering his child.

[GoddessSune]

Yes, all the time. . Though I'm an old school killer DM, so it is not like it's shocking or unusual.

A classic is simply picking the wrong portal and ending up in a very hostile place.

Though often enough death is just the beginning. For example: one group failed to stop the plans of a lich to take over the valley. And they were quickly killed in the 'final battle', though they did not really get to fight. Then we advanced the game a couple years and they had to stop the lich as the children of the dead heroes. (And just to note, no they did not know the plan all along. I never do that. The whole idea that the players just ''play along with a storyline'' is lame. It has to be 'real' for the players all the time. And in the end it gives the most fun.)

[Kornaki]

I pulled it off as a player which I think should still count

We were trying to wrap up the campaign and it was getting late, and we were fighting one of the big bad evil wizards and rolling poorly. He was cloaked in flames and I had some explosive powder so I threw it at him. I missed, so I tried throwing another one. Unfortunately that one exploding set off the first one, which was close enough to set off all the powder I was still holding. We were fighting in a tower, and all the support pillars got knocked out and the tower fell, killing everyone