Enclosed Room with uncluttered floor where there's nothing to grab on to.
Two enemy wizards.
One readies Reverse Gravity to cast after other wizard casts Prismatic Wall.
Other Wizard casts Prismatic Wall, choosing the sphere with the centre above the party's heads. Obviously choosing for the two enemy wizards to be unaffected.
The Reverse Gravity goes off.
The party rise up. No save as there's nothing to grab on to.
Going through the sphere into centre they party suffers, each layer in turn (with Dex save to avoid effects):
- Red layer, 10d6 fire.
- Orange layer, 10d6 acid.
- Yellow, 10d6 lightning.
- Green, 10d6 poison.
- Blue, 10d6 cold.
- Indigo, the restrained condition. Then makes con saves every turn - 3 successes ends condition, 3 fails results in being Petrified.
- Violet, blinded. At start of your next turn the target must make Wisdom save - success ends condition and nothing else happens, failure ends condition but banishes them.
Then the surviving members reach the centre and then continue beyond the centre back out through each layer, now in reverse, again to end up above it. So, double everything (the banishment occurs after all this. Since you can end concentration at any time, even during other turns, the RG wizard can end the concentration once the party reached the top so the party falls through all the layers twice more.
So that's a potential 200d6 damage, restrained/petrified and possibly banished, for 10 minutes. Which gives the wizards time to prepare more dangers for when the petrify/banishment ends. Like maybe they game Spell Gems so they can instantly set up a Glyph of Warding each. Or something.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond. Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ thisFAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
The issue with something like cybermind's approach is that it gives the party the impression that it's a fair fight with a way for them to win. When they die, it will feel like a failure when they never had a chance to win in the first place. I've been there before where you're just helpless and searching your character sheet for a sliver of hope as the DM steamrolls you, and there's just nothing fun about it.
I think if your narrative requires them to die, then you need to be upfront about it and kill them narratively. This is not a choice they get to make, so don't pose it as one. Or better yet, present them with a scenario where dying is the best path to their goal and let them choose it. Or if they find a way to get there without dying, let them try that too. Sometimes your players can come up with an idea better than your own.
I just want to say that this TPK is part of the narrative, they are going to come back to life, I AM NOT TRYING TO KILL MY PARTY FOR FUN!
Depends enormously on the capabilities of the parties, 16th level PCs are extremely variable. The usual rule of thumb is 'surprise them with ridiculous amounts of damage'.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond. Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ thisFAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
just this week i nearly TPKed a 6x lvl14 party with a greatwyrm without the second stage of the greatwyrm (they already fought an ancient dragen, so i one up'ed the challenge)... at the end, only the rogue was standing with 4 HP, 4 chars were doing death saves and one was already dead... so with the second stage and maybe some minions, the greatwyrm should get some nice lvl 16 breakfast...
I just want to say that this TPK is part of the narrative, they are going to come back to life, I AM NOT TRYING TO KILL MY PARTY FOR FUN!
Seems a bit weird that you're crowdsourcing ways to work a TPK into the narrative without describing the narrative...
The best solution would be a monster with a high enough CR to guarantee a TPK while still being defeatable toward the end of your campaign arc. This gives the party someone to hate and something to work toward. What that CR is depends on how many party members there are and how generous you are with magic items.
What I don't think you should do is something tricky - some broken combo that just shows how clever you are. That'd feel bad. That'll feel like they have a chance, only to find out they've been tricked, and it'll encourage them to try to find broken combos of their own which just isn't what most campaigns I've been part of are about.
I like Rat's option: a big bad they meet too "early" and now they have something to hate. That's cool.
There's also the dramatic end, if you have time to set it up.
E.g. a suicide misson / famous last stand.
It's a one-way portal, but if you don't destroy the macguffin, all is lost. Death either way, but it's save the world by dying now, or lose the world and die later. Hint there's a way to bring them back to life, if you like, then let 'em go be heroes.
Similar thing: the hordes of evil have swarmed out, about to rampage across the country. A warning has been sent, but the players will never outrun all of these monsters. They know they're dead. But if they could buy time at that bridge or pass, then hundreds of civvies will get away.
It might be a bit rail-roady, but seriously, why would the world always set up "fair" fights? Give 'em a Kobayashi Maru. (And if they're freaking out too much, it's ok to just quietly let them know they're kinda supposed to die here. Try not to, though - it's more dramatic).
The biggest problem is accounting for the many MANY ways level 16 characters might have up their sleeves to escape. Something like the one-way-death-portal might be good there, since you can say it's a pocket universe so there's no way to teleport or whatever. You'd want some folk to dispell magic too.
All of that will need some set-up time, so it doesn't look like you're pulling it out of your butt at the last minute.
To make it feel less “rocks fall, then you die” you could get some monsters themed to the campaign and then either have them be more powerful then the party or use a large number of them. If they party beats them, throw more monsters at them and, whatever you do, DO NOT LET THEM TAKE A LONG REST!!!!!!
I have to ask why the narrative requires a TPK in the first place? The "the whole party dies but gets brought back by an NPC for story reasons" plot rarely sits well with players if it occurs any time after the first session of the campaign.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Quest that involves BBEG in some way. Party gets in way of BBEG. BBEG kills party. Party is off BBEG's radar, and then they power up and beat him end of campaign?
Idk.
Like others have stated, it will not be satisfying for the players to die, especially if it's some random death that doesn't realllllllly actually fit in with the narrative.
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I just want to say that this TPK is part of the narrative, they are going to come back to life, I AM NOT TRYING TO KILL MY PARTY FOR FUN!
Rocks fall, everyone dies.
The caster in the group loses control of their magic due to [reasons]. 30ft cube of xdy force damage.
There's nothing about the narrative that would suggest anything about this TPK? It could be literally anything and that wouldn't change your plans?
Want to start playing but don't have anyone to play with? You can try these options: [link].
Enclosed Room with uncluttered floor where there's nothing to grab on to.
Two enemy wizards.
One readies Reverse Gravity to cast after other wizard casts Prismatic Wall.
Other Wizard casts Prismatic Wall, choosing the sphere with the centre above the party's heads. Obviously choosing for the two enemy wizards to be unaffected.
The Reverse Gravity goes off.
The party rise up. No save as there's nothing to grab on to.
Going through the sphere into centre they party suffers, each layer in turn (with Dex save to avoid effects):
- Red layer, 10d6 fire.
- Orange layer, 10d6 acid.
- Yellow, 10d6 lightning.
- Green, 10d6 poison.
- Blue, 10d6 cold.
- Indigo, the restrained condition. Then makes con saves every turn - 3 successes ends condition, 3 fails results in being Petrified.
- Violet, blinded. At start of your next turn the target must make Wisdom save - success ends condition and nothing else happens, failure ends condition but banishes them.
Then the surviving members reach the centre and then continue beyond the centre back out through each layer, now in reverse, again to end up above it. So, double everything (the banishment occurs after all this. Since you can end concentration at any time, even during other turns, the RG wizard can end the concentration once the party reached the top so the party falls through all the layers twice more.
So that's a potential 200d6 damage, restrained/petrified and possibly banished, for 10 minutes. Which gives the wizards time to prepare more dangers for when the petrify/banishment ends. Like maybe they game Spell Gems so they can instantly set up a Glyph of Warding each. Or something.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
The issue with something like cybermind's approach is that it gives the party the impression that it's a fair fight with a way for them to win. When they die, it will feel like a failure when they never had a chance to win in the first place. I've been there before where you're just helpless and searching your character sheet for a sliver of hope as the DM steamrolls you, and there's just nothing fun about it.
I think if your narrative requires them to die, then you need to be upfront about it and kill them narratively. This is not a choice they get to make, so don't pose it as one. Or better yet, present them with a scenario where dying is the best path to their goal and let them choose it. Or if they find a way to get there without dying, let them try that too. Sometimes your players can come up with an idea better than your own.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
One word.
Lich.
That or Kraken
DruidVSAdventure
Check out my Homebrew Class The Evoker
Depends enormously on the capabilities of the parties, 16th level PCs are extremely variable. The usual rule of thumb is 'surprise them with ridiculous amounts of damage'.
Two words: Lich Convention.
Three words: Krakenriding Lich Convention
Well that escalated quickly.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
From the Deadliest Abomination Possible thread, I recommend the ochre tarrasqualich.
1. A party member steps in some Brown Mold
2. The Party is teleported to the Fire Plane
A good book and a cup of tea.
Homebrew| Bard: College of Composition
Feedback Appreciated!
just this week i nearly TPKed a 6x lvl14 party with a greatwyrm without the second stage of the greatwyrm (they already fought an ancient dragen, so i one up'ed the challenge)... at the end, only the rogue was standing with 4 HP, 4 chars were doing death saves and one was already dead... so with the second stage and maybe some minions, the greatwyrm should get some nice lvl 16 breakfast...
Seems a bit weird that you're crowdsourcing ways to work a TPK into the narrative without describing the narrative...
The best solution would be a monster with a high enough CR to guarantee a TPK while still being defeatable toward the end of your campaign arc. This gives the party someone to hate and something to work toward. What that CR is depends on how many party members there are and how generous you are with magic items.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile.
What I don't think you should do is something tricky - some broken combo that just shows how clever you are. That'd feel bad. That'll feel like they have a chance, only to find out they've been tricked, and it'll encourage them to try to find broken combos of their own which just isn't what most campaigns I've been part of are about.
I like Rat's option: a big bad they meet too "early" and now they have something to hate. That's cool.
There's also the dramatic end, if you have time to set it up.
E.g. a suicide misson / famous last stand.
It might be a bit rail-roady, but seriously, why would the world always set up "fair" fights? Give 'em a Kobayashi Maru. (And if they're freaking out too much, it's ok to just quietly let them know they're kinda supposed to die here. Try not to, though - it's more dramatic).
The biggest problem is accounting for the many MANY ways level 16 characters might have up their sleeves to escape. Something like the one-way-death-portal might be good there, since you can say it's a pocket universe so there's no way to teleport or whatever. You'd want some folk to dispell magic too.
All of that will need some set-up time, so it doesn't look like you're pulling it out of your butt at the last minute.
A 2000 metre drop into magma, that has an anti-magic field the whole way down.
To make it feel less “rocks fall, then you die” you could get some monsters themed to the campaign and then either have them be more powerful then the party or use a large number of them. If they party beats them, throw more monsters at them and, whatever you do, DO NOT LET THEM TAKE A LONG REST!!!!!!
I have to ask why the narrative requires a TPK in the first place? The "the whole party dies but gets brought back by an NPC for story reasons" plot rarely sits well with players if it occurs any time after the first session of the campaign.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
Quest that involves BBEG in some way. Party gets in way of BBEG. BBEG kills party. Party is off BBEG's radar, and then they power up and beat him end of campaign?
Idk.
Like others have stated, it will not be satisfying for the players to die, especially if it's some random death that doesn't realllllllly actually fit in with the narrative.