How many sessions does it take for your group to complete an "adventure"?

[Jhaelen]

Do some modules list how long they are supposed to take? I've never seen this. . .

Some do. It's more common in modules not written explicitly for D&D. Most at least have a paragraph in the introduction indicating how long it should take. IIRC, the 'Mega Modules' like the Expedition series also have a section explaining how to reduce/extend the adventure depending on the number of sessions you'd like it to last.

I've also played several of the 'Cliffhanger' and 'Original Adventures' series from the WotC site. The former are intended to be played in a series of short sessions which have clearly indicated start & end points which we've never been able to match in our games...

 

[Pbartender]

We play once a week, four hours at a time.

Using D20 rules in almost any genre, our typical "adventures" take between 3 and 7 session to complete, depending on the length of the adventure... Most take 4-5 sessions, on average.

At this rate, a standard "campaign" takes us about a year to a year and a half to complete, usually ending with the characters in the "pre-teen" levels (10-13), having usually started the characters in the "pre-schooler" levels (3-4).

 

[Silver Moon]

We've played continuously since 1982 and just had our 1053rd game night. We are on our 145th module, so that averages a little over 7 games per module. Of course, few were actually that length, with around two-dozen one-nighters and several epic-length modules, our longest running 52 games.

 

[Nifft]

We've played continuously since 1982 and just had our 1053rd game night. We are on our 145th module, so that averages a little over 7 games per module. Of course, few were actually that length, with around two-dozen one-nighters and several epic-length modules, our longest running 52 games.

I'm impressed by both your record, and the fact that you maintained it.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Lanefan]

We've played continuously since 1982 and just had our 1053rd game night. We are on our 145th module, so that averages a little over 7 games per module. Of course, few were actually that length, with around two-dozen one-nighters and several epic-length modules, our longest running 52 games.

If that's all in one campaign I am in awe! I mean, I thought *our* campaigns went long...you have shown us as the minnows we truly are!

Still, you've got me thinking...how many adventures have I run/played since 1982? Run: Telenet 61, Riveria 64, Decast none complete yet, one-offs maybe 3...so, about 125-130. Played: Dafan maybe 25, Hobbitika about 11, Beory 15, NewDafan 5 and counting, other games maybe 10-12 total...so let's say around 65-70. Note that in both cases things were often running side by side on different nights of the week.

As for sessions, I didn't start counting until Riveria; it went 782. I'd guess Telenet was good for maybe 600-650. I've no idea how many sessions I've played in various games but it's a rather large number that, come to think of it, I might be better off not knowing...

Lanefan

 

[S'mon]

I voted 6-7, but Lost City of Barakus took 35 sessions!

 

[Soel]

I voted 4-5 sessions as the average time. I always expect it to be 1 or 2 sessions, but the players are really tedious & thorough when adventuring & we goof around a lot out of game. So it always takes longer than I expected.

This. Exactly.

Trying to figure out how to change this back to the old days of finishing an adventure in a night...

 

[Silver Moon]

If that's all in one campaign I am in awe! I mean, I thought *our* campaigns went long...you have shown us as the minnows we truly are!

Most of it is a single campaign, around 60 games played off-and-on from 2003 to 2006 were a second campaign set in the Wild West (using hybrid D&D/Boot Hill rules) and in the early years we also had three or four unrealted one-shot games, but the other 990 or so games have been the original campaign. Each player has four to eight characters in that campaign which we alternate. Two of the six characters being played in the current module began on our very first game night.

 

[S'mon]

Currently I'm running Into the Wilds, 5 sessions so far including the first that was mostly character generation, probably about 3 hours actual play per session. I'd guess maybe 3 more sessions, which would be 8 for a 32pp module, or 4 pages per session. Hm, if I'd guessed at the start I'd have expected 5-6 sessions for the module.