Goodman Games

So i'm curious with DCC modules how many DM's have had parties miserably fail far enough into the module that it doesn't seem right to start up a new party to start the module? I ask because i'm prepping my campaign in that event of trying to run an adventure with the after-effects of their failures.

Any tips ideas, or personal stories of games you've run like this would be great to hear.

I ran my younger brother, his (adult) son, and his son's (adult) girlfriend through Sailors on the Starless Sea to introduce them to DCC earlier this year. They died.

But they had enough fun to try it again, so I decided that another party went up the next day to check on the first. They died. Well, they had one survivor.

So, because they had enough fun to still want to play, we got together one more time. So, a week had passed, and I had the beastmen leave the tower to be at the ceremony down below. The PCs got to the shores of the sunless sea....but didn't want to commit their best characters to the ship. So, they sent their second-stringers to the island.

Now, at this point, I am imagining that the subsequent flood will destroy the best characters (still waiting behind), but as it turns out, the PCs use the censor to placate the Chaos Leviathan and then fall in battle against the cultists and their newly-arising Chaos Lord. They fail.

The remaining PCs creep quietly out of the cavern. I tell them that, with the Chaos Lord arisen, things are going to get uncomfortable in this part of the world. My brother says, "Hey, at least we got some loot, and maybe we can face him in a future adventure" or words to that effect. And, as we all live far away, asks how we can do this more regularly.

All in all, the game was a success even if the PCs failed.

Very cool, I am admittedly rather poor at coming up with my own campaign but it's my goal with the campaigns i'm running that if they miserably fail to try and keep the world going. So I may have to come up with something now that lets say the Chaos beast has arisen and is ruling this part of the world etc...


Very cool I have been fortunate enough to be a part of a few games where the DM successfully kept things going no matter the outcome of our adventures. Those seem to lead to some fantastic adventures when done properly.

One rule of thumb that I like to use is this: If you cannot live with the consequences of the PCs failing in an adventure, don't use those consequences in an adventure.

That quote is seriously Gygaxian in nature! I love it. Just as an aside, your blog and write ups have been instrumental in my recent foray back into the Judge's seat.

Very kind of you to say so.

Very true sometimes we as DM's forget that we have to live with the consequences too so we should be prepared to face them if we will include them.

Very true. Character death can be a real part of an adventure or not at all a part of the adventure, depending upon the demographic and dynamic of the group. Some of my groups have enjoyed the "live or die" aspect of role playing while others prefer a "you are knocked out" rather than death. Sometimes it's a function of age of players, often a gender thing.

In any case, the definition of success and failure should be considered by the group. When I used the old Milton Bradley HeroQuest board game as a RPG tutorial, I taught that if anyone succeeded the whole party succeeded so that players were willing to sacrifice their characters if that's what it took to get a team victory.

In the DCC campaign you can stress that unless there is a TPK the adventure goes on. Surviving members can recruit new characters to go with them and help carry the torch on to the conclusion. Having a few characters die along the way does not have to imply failure.

Just my two coppers.

The book suggests that even a TPK shouldn't stop you -- now the characters get to fight their way out of hell!

Indeed the very premise is to keep it going... I have a lot of respect for those that do it well. From reading most of your Barrowmaze PbP RavenCrowKing I believe you sir have the the skill to keep that puppy going no matter what happens. I hope that my Sailors on the Starless sea turns out to be just as good as it progresses further and hopefully into other modules.

Thank you very much. That is kind of you to say.

I would suggest that you consider very strongly where that underground river emerges into the light ahead of time, even if only to have some names ready. Frex, "You drift a long time through darkness, and you must have fallen asleep, for when you wake up, there is sunlight shining on the water. Ahead, on the left bank, is a small fishing village. Folks on the shore stare at the dragonship with open curiosity and not a little awe. A few fishing boats draw near to see who you are, and if you need aid in bringing the boat to a docking slip. They tell you that hideous monstrosities, half-beast and half-man, have been seen washing downstream all morning, and they feared the worst before they saw you were not more of the same. The fishing village they identify as Ilmarrin."

RC

Thank you very much. That is kind of you to say.

I would suggest that you consider very strongly where that underground river emerges into the light ahead of time, even if only to have some names ready. Frex, "You drift a long time through darkness, and you must have fallen asleep, for when you wake up, there is sunlight shining on the water. Ahead, on the left bank, is a small fishing village. Folks on the shore stare at the dragonship with open curiosity and not a little awe. A few fishing boats draw near to see who you are, and if you need aid in bringing the boat to a docking slip. They tell you that hideous monstrosities, half-beast and half-man, have been seen washing downstream all morning, and they feared the worst before they saw you were not more of the same. The fishing village they identify as Ilmarrin."

RC