Do your PCs' actions carry over into your next campaign?

[Dannyalcatraz]

It depends on the campaign, the PCs, and DM's whim.

Typically, if I'm running homebrew, it is a unique campaign for a set of players and PCs (though the exact roster of both can change).

If I'm running storebought, it depends upon whether I want continuity. I've run several campaigns in Greyhawk- 3 of which were interrelated (low, medium and high level PCs in the same timeline), ditto Forgotten Realms (including the 3 interrelated story arcs).

However, most of the time when I run a storebought campaign, I'll pick a time point and start the campaign, each like a little alternative dimension.*

*And occasionally, I've had PCs cross into those other dimensions- like the time a particular True Neutral Assassin met his Lawful Good Undead Paladin counterpart guarding a holy site in this alternative world...

 

[DragonLancer]

It's a simple question. As an example: The PCs from your last campaign managed to expose Prince John of England as being manipulated by Orcus to the detriment of the kingdom, and restore good King Richard to the throne.

In your next game, will Prince John be exposed and King Richard ruling England?

As long as theres a least one player from the last campaign, then absolutely yes.

if I start with a fresh group, then I can go back to the start and tell new tales in that setting.

 

[Gold Roger]

So far I've never really used the same setting twice, but now, that I have a homebrew I'll most likely keep using- yes, PC actions will hold over.

 

[NiTessine]

Yes. I maintain a cross-campaign timeline file on my computer that has the events of my campaigns at different times in different worlds. Occasionally, it comes to pass that the trails cross, and there will be perhaps a chance to witness the destruction wrought by characters of the previous campaign, or to stay the night at the keep they built - perhaps even meet the old party itself. This is especially significant when dealing with large-scale events, such as the Great Modron March and its consequences, or the death, imprisonment and escape of Vecna.

It should be noted that I run the D&D settings as a single continuity - Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Planescape, Eberron, Spelljammer, Ravenloft, Birthright, Dark Sun and, heck, even Mystara are all accessible to the party, if they are determined and know where to look.

 

[kolikeos]

It depends on if my new game has any of the players from the old game in it or not And i usually don't use the same setting twice.

 

[Heathen72]

But of course!

I have run three groups in my homebrew. One small game, one smaller one with a couple of story arc and one major campaign with multiple story arcs. And the events of both the smaller arcs have had quite an impact on the major campaign. And while the players don't always realize the connections, they do appreciate the depth of history to the world, and the feeling that the world is more than just a backdrop for their own adventures.

 

[Byrons_Ghost]

I voted "It depends on the players".

I use published settings instead of homebrew, so there's less reason for me to keep a "world state" going.

If we're doing something like starting a new, lower level group in the same world, then I'll have the other PCs as part of the background.

If it's an entirely new group (ie no players the same from the last time I ran in the setting), then I'll usually start fresh.

It would be good to show the players some small stuff indicating that they can have a lasting effect on the world, but I've played in too many games where the current PCs were overshadowed by what the PCs had done in the DM's last campaign five years ago...

 

[taliesin15]

I have a specific setting IMC for 1st lvl characters which I have changed (and have tweaked again for the next group) each time because of what players did and didn't do. Course if you've tweaked a particular setting enough, it might not need changes. Not that this is the gist of the thread, but major changes effected by major characters (killing the odd Arch-Lich, causing a coup in Nehwon, etc) I think alters most large epic type campaigns.

 

[Rothe]

Of Course! That is part of the fun of hombrewing to me, a stew of adventures and stories that will simmer until I'm old and gray.

The adventures and deeds of previous players become the legends and tales learned by later adventurers. Sometimes these deeds had lasting impact, other times they are just stories.

I tend to space campaigns by about 100 years or so. So the deeds always took place in the time of the current player's great grand parents, or if your an elf when a wee babe. (Elves do not live past 250 years IMC )

 

[Odhanan]

It's a simple question. As an example: The PCs from your last campaign managed to expose Prince John of England as being manipulated by Orcus to the detriment of the kingdom, and restore good King Richard to the throne.

In your next game, will Prince John be exposed and King Richard ruling England?

Provided the next campaign takes place in the same setting? Yes, absolutely. Whether the world is homebrewed or not has nothing to do with it, for me at least. World continuity is one of the fun things to work out when you run many campaigns over the years, with or without the same players. I'm always smiling to myself when some PCs hear about the exploits of some other adventuring group and the players don't know the (other) players who actually were acting these exploits out some years before in another campaign I ran.