Too Near a TPK for Comfort.

Yesterday (the 26th) we did a long 10 hour session of Castles & Crusades. Four players, one CK. It was a blast and we watched one of those peculiar incidents that make these games so crazy and not a little bit bizarre. 

This group, sailing down the Mist Bane River (in the world of Aihrde or on World Anvil), was hammered by 5 wyverns. A random encounter almost TPKed an 8th level, fully healed, spelled up and equipped party.  One of the players rolled five nat ones, was paralyzed twice and dropped his weapon three times. Two of the others were paralyzed at one point or the other and the gnome divine knight (Adventurers Backpack) had to use all his mana to keep the party functioning. He raged at the table for a few good solid minutes. His frustration at being the only one unwounded and unparalyzed was wild! The battle went on for round after round after round. It was exhausting to everyone.

They staggered out of the grueling battle by the hair of their teeth - and I did offer to just kill them all so they could start over, the rolling was so bad :) - to meander down the river.

Many hours of play later that involved some town adventures, more river travel, some more encounters, they finally climbed the steep cliffs that brought them to the Coven's Meadow, their destination. Here they encountered a death knight of tremendous power (unbeknownst to them the actual object of their journey). There was some hit and run between them, but by the time they all gathered around the death knight, the undead high lord unleashed a mass harm and knocked 3/4s of the party to 4 hit points. They went from fully healed to nearly wiped out in one melee round.

Nightmares of the wyven encounter from earlier rapidly surfaced. But undaunted they carried on.

Then.....the epic....

Winning initiative the next round they hammer f#*&@ that death knight, dealing 60 hit points of damage in that round alone. A few nat 20s and back stab and a stunning spell use crippled the knight to less then 4 hit points. The creature missed his swing and was obliterated in the following round.

It was pretty stunning and we all surmised that the dice held their luck until unleased during the battle that counted, wasting none of it on the wyverns by the river. 

Another wild ride.

Art by: Nikolai Karelin