A Gate is a TPK?

"A gate is a TPK. The Scry Gate spell can keep it from being an instant TPK but unless there's a known route back it's still a TPK."
- Willian Knowles

I'd wondered about the lack of gate usage in the past year or so of DF Felltower . . . and William Knowles commented on it. I think this is a very interesting perspective. I think there isn't a factual basis to support it, but I wonder if it is something that drives Felltower's PCs away from gates.

So let's take a look at the numbers, and the idea.

How have the TPKs in Felltower happened?

Here are the TPKs and near-TPKs that have happened in our game, per the DF Felltower Campaign Page:

Near-TPK - Mungo vs. Vryce II - not a TPK, but very close. Several deaths and only a few bodies recovered.

Effectively a TPK - Cold Fens Disaster - only one survivor, Gerry.

TPK - Eight Entered Felltower - Sterick whipped the PCs, but some would be brought back with Resurrection aided by a Wish.

Near TPK - Beholder Fight I - Only one survivor, Galen.

Could have been a TPK - Second GFS, Part IV - the PCs surrendered before this became a TPK.

TPK - Beholder Fight II - but then this happened on their second mission for their new masters, The Masters.

None of those involved a gate, except somewhat indirectly (the second GFS was a teleporter trap that led to capture, which led to a TPK.)

How did the gate expeditions turn out?

I think rather well, in some cases, and in others were a bit of a dry hole.

Olympus Gate - only two delves, but both were pretty awesome. Just an editorial aside, but these were two of my best gaming sessions as a GM in Felltower.

Forest Gate - a real toughie, but ended in victory for the PCs and some nice rewards.

Lost City Gate - lots of sessions, from this to this, were going there by gate. Generally the PCs smashed it up and looted the hell out of it.

Ape Gate - a dry hole for treasure, but it remains a place the PCs want to return. I've cautioned them that they can't go there purposeless and expect a purpose, so I'm effectively walling this off with my words.

Icy Gate - two sessions, which didn't amount to much but did get the PCs some ice wyrm tooth knives.

(Forgot this next one when I first posted)

Air Gate - the PCs briefly fled through the "air gate" to avoid Durak, the Lord of Spite. Nothing came of it, yet.


And that's it so far. Ranged from mildly positive to very positive results for the PCs.


So I think the numbers say that gates aren't TPKs. They're meant to be more dangerous (Forest Gate, Icy Gate) or interesting (Olympus Gate, Ape Gate) or convenient (Lost City Gate) and often more rewarding (Forest, Olympus for sure.) But interesting they haven't really killed off many PCs.


For Want of Scry Gate

The point about Scry Gate is true, though - without it, the PCs don't know what's beyond it. The players have right cause to suspect that gates could kill them outright, dump them into volcanos, or be one-way gates to horrid places they can't handle. But they've also been told by the GM that gates won't be instant death, they can be one-way but there will be another way back, and that they should just learn Scry Gate or buy some scrolls of it. So it should be a non-issue. There is meta knowledge and in-game knowledge to show that gates aren't just doors but they aren't death, either.


So I have to disagree with the comment, although it did occasion a fun post to write. I think I can safely say that gates in Felltower are dangerous, but aren't TPKs. Based on the history of the place, the route back is more dangerous than the route in . . . the way back has been in all but one case to Felltower.

I have to think the avoidance of gates has to be something else!