First player deaths...

[Valdur]

So last night in our game we had a major NPC and two regular players die in an encounter with 15 wargs and the big named warg from the book. We all had around 30 experience but were road weary and had an encounter before the ambush so we hadn't healed. I have to say this was probably the saddest moment in playing a role playing game I have ever had. My character survived but his two best friends and his brother were torn apart at that end of the encounter. Maybe it's because death is final or maybe it's because we have been playing for around 9 months (6 years game time) but this was seriously depressing. I never thought of Tolkien's world to be overly dark, I guess because of all of the hobbits comedy, however it is a dark and scary world for role playing. Anyone else experience this feeling ?

[Elmoth]

Did you find that a fitting end? That is the important part.

[Woodclaw]

I wouldn't define the Middle-Earth as dark - there are a lot much darker setting out there - but it surely is darker than most people expect.
In my experience one of the things I can credit TOR with is the ability to create a sense of danger with the encounters. In many D&D games I run I had the impression that the players played instead of roleplayed their actions. Often they took needless risks and choose combat over stealth simply because they figured that their opponent weren't so dangerous. So far in most of my TOR demo games and my campaign it's the opposite, the player recognize that even the humble wolves are a danger to be recon with. They don't try to rush through the enemies Leroy Jenkins style anymore.

[Mim]

Did you find that a fitting end? That is the important part.

This is a sorrowful moment Valdur, & it's never easy to face the loss of your heroes. That said, however, mortality should be a part of every RPG, & Elmoth & Woodclaw raise great points about the epic feel.

Your heroes went down valiantly fighting their foes, & it sounds as if you did everything you could to present a challenging but fair battle. Wargs are tough foes - they should be - but especially the one from the book.

I hope this sad experience doesn't turn you away from gaming in Middle-earth. Perhaps you can give your players some time & then play the game again, or play another game in between & return to ToR afterward?

[Valdur]

I am a player in this particular game so I guess i should have been clearer on that. However those who survived are all pretty shocked on how it went. We are careful for the most part and have fled from combat on numerous occasions. We were shocked but it was really cool end for some good characters and the ones that died jumped right back in with some new PC's later. It was Epic though!

[Corvo]

So last night in our game we had a major NPC and two regular players die in an encounter with 15 wargs and the big named warg from the book. We all had around 30 experience but were road weary and had an encounter before the ambush so we hadn't healed. I have to say this was probably the saddest moment in playing a role playing game I have ever had. My character survived but his two best friends and his brother were torn apart at that end of the encounter. (...)

If that beast is what I think, this is matter for epic songs

[foomonkey]

My group and I have had moments where 1 or more PC have been close to death or been in a situation whereby had we not chosen to spend hope earlier on in a series of rolls, at least one of us would have died.

In our last game, we had to consult with a cold drake. This meant that upon any slip up of conversation, the gm would have killed off one or more of us without hesitation due to the cold drakes contemptment for some of the party. This event of my characters life will be inscribed onto his helm of awe with many a story to tell in future assuming we survive the remainder of the task at hand.

[Rich H]

So last night in our game we had a major NPC and two regular players die in an encounter with 15 wargs and the big named warg from the book. We all had around 30 experience but were road weary and had an encounter before the ambush so we hadn't healed.

Good lord, that's a deadly encounter. Well done that any of you survived it! Perhaps the GM no longer wants to run TOR and he was trying to end the campaign on a Blake's 7 'high'!

[DavetheLost]

Wow! Those are tough odds. Looking at Middle Earth now I realize that it is darker than I thought. The Shadow is long.