TPK
/tiː piː keɪ/
CommonTotal Party Kill. When every player character in a TTRPG session dies at once.
Can be tragic, funny, or both depending on how it happened. A TPK from a bad decision is different from a TPK from dice just betraying everyone.
Real-world examples4 examples
| # | Example | What it means | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | session 47 and we finally had our first TPK. the DM was crying. we were crying. | After a long campaign, the entire party died for the first time. | reddit, 2024 |
| 02 | we opened a door we were explicitly told not to open and TPKd in 2 rounds | The party ignored a warning and were completely wiped out almost immediately. | x, 2023 |
| 03 | our whole friend group showed up to the party in the same outfit. TPK on the fit check. | The entire group failed at something at once. | instagram, 2024 |
| 04 | the dragon had legendary actions. we didn't know. instant TPK. | An unexpected mechanic wiped out the entire party with no chance to react. | tiktok, 2023 |
Use it when
- Every player character dies in a single encounter or session.
- A group fails completely at something they attempted together.
- An entire friend group or team gets eliminated from something.
Do not use it when
- Only one or two characters died but the group survived.
- You mean the campaign ended by choice.
Variations and related forms
Origin and context
Tabletop RPG jargon for a session outcome where no player characters survive. The abbreviation TPK became standard in D&D communities and has been in use since at least the 1980s.
- First seen
- 1980s
- Confidence
- medium
Cite this page
Use this stable URL to reference the entry.
https://slang.fyi/tpkUpdated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0