Total Party Kill
A Total Party Kill (TPK) or Wipe is the colloquial term for the demise of the entire party of player characters in a single encounter during the course of a role-playing game adventure. While many games permit other player characters to resurrect deceased comrades in some fashion, a TPK often results in all of the players making new characters (or the end of the campaign if the group is less cohesive). In roleplaying games outside of the traditional pencil and paper medium, such as video games, a TPK is usually only a temporary setback that at most results in loss of time or carries other penalties, depending on the game.
Total party kills are situations that may first appear to be only disadvantageous but can rapidly degenerate. Usually a series of small changes in situation combine to make the situation lethal. Total party kills can be symptomatic of overconfidence or carelessness, usually occurring during smaller mid-game encounters rather than anticipated climactic battles. Frequently players do not realize the severity of the situation until it is too late. The players may not appreciate the risk because of lack of obvious clues. Lack of communication is a common problem that can lead to a total party kill.
Some players consider a total party kill to reflect poorly on the game master, while others feel that a game should have some encounters where a total party kill is possible, for the sake of a dramatic narrative.
Read more about Total Party Kill: Examples
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