D&D General How do you deal with long breaks in your campaign?

[not-so-newguy]

One of the players does not have regular and reliable access to the internet. So online play is not happening.

I understand that taking a break probably won't be a big a deal and nothing really needs to be done. I just wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help maintain interest. (I also wanted to whine a little bit ) This hiatus really stings because the last time we met was about 3 weeks ago.

 

[iserith]

Well, other than that the OP has already said online play isn't an option for that group.

And that's fair enough. For some, no gaming is better than online gaming.

VTT may be impossible for that group, but there are many groups and friends to be found in the online space and lots of quality games, as long as the OP can start or join a game with a new group. If that's possible, then I heartily recommend giving it a try. Gaming outside one's normal social circles can be very interesting.

 

[Libertad]

Welp, I had to send this message out today:


I'm grateful we got a chance to play in-person as long as we have, but I'm putting the campaign on hiatus. I said a month, but it may extend beyond that. To be clear, VTT is impossible for us.

So how do you deal with long breaks in your campaign? Do you do anything to keep interest up?

This has happened to me several times before. My gaming circle is pretty close and based off of years-long friendships, so we still keep in contact with each other on a regular basis. Generally speaking I don't try to "keep up interest" so much as find other ways of socializing. Like multiplayer games, for instance.

While there have been cases when we restarted a campaign on hiatus, more often we end up starting a new campaign anew often due to the passage of time and wanting something different.

 

[MNblockhead]

When you say taking a break, do you mean only that you want be able to play a session or that you need a break from all gaming?

I ask because my main campaign meets about once per month for an 8-hour session. Sometimes we've had to skip a month, sometimes we do more than one session in a month. In any event, it is the norm that there will be 2-6 weeks between sessions.

To keep us all connected to the game I have a lot of downtime activity built in, using a home-rule heavy system drawing from the PHP, DMG, Matt Coleville's Strongholds & Followers, the Frog God Games Tome of Alchemy, and a modified version of the EN World En5ider article on Reputation Rules. Most of this take place in one-on-one or group e-mail messages and occasional calls.

If you don't have time for even a bit of downtime activity and communication, then I think the most important thing is to set a date for the next game if possible, even if months away. Touch base occasionally and send reminder as the date get closer to make sure everyone is still available.

 

[S'mon]

One of the players does not have regular and reliable access to the internet. So online play is not happening.

I understand that taking a break probably won't be a big a deal and nothing really needs to be done. I just wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help maintain interest. (I also wanted to whine a little bit ) This hiatus really stings because the last time we met was about 3 weeks ago.

You can do some asynchronous play by post, eg Discord is great for this. Focus on PCs talking with NPCs and making plans, downtime activities.

 

[el-remmen]

Yeah, my groups only meet every 3 to 5 weeks. Right now because of the holidays we are on a 5-week break (last session for one group was Dec 4 and next session is Jan 8, the other group is an even longer break - Dec 11 to Jan 22), so I guess I am just used to it.

 

[DEFCON 1]

So how do you deal with long breaks in your campaign?

Mending spell

 

[MNblockhead]

Mending spell

Hopefully mending or revivify is all you need. Sometimes you need to cast resurrection.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Hopefully mending or revivify is all you need. Sometimes you need to cast resurrection.

I dunno... if your campaign has been dead for just under a century... maybe it's time to just let it go.

 

[MNblockhead]

I dunno... if your campaign has been dead for just under a century... maybe it's time to just let it go.

Working on a Campaign
(from Working on a Song, by Todd Snider, very little had to be changed to make it fit DM world-building angst)

[Verse 1]
My first day of worldbuilding didn't seem like much of one
Drinking 'til I'd fallen asleep out in the sun
Working on a campaign I guess I'm still working on
It's called "Where Will the Party Go Now That They’re Gone?"

[Verse 2]
When that idea first came to me I was only twenty-two
At twenty-five I'd realized it was all that I could do
To make it to the end, but then again, I always knew
If I never got it finished I could die trying to

[Verse 3]
Last night I thought I had it right here in my hotel
Faded out the further asleep that I fell
When I woke up this morning I was more than twice my age
And I had left myself this note here on another empty page

[Verse 4]
"Where Will the Party Go Now That They’re Gone?"
They said "Maybe you've been chasing a campaign too long
It's turned into a campaign about a campaign you're working on
I mean it's gone, man, come on, let it go"

[Verse 5]
But you know, giving up a dream is just like making one come true
It's easy to sit around talking about, it's harder to go out and do
But for this one last question, I'll give up on this campaign
"Where Will the Party Go Now That They’re Gone?"

[Outro]
Now that they’re gone
Now that they’re gone
Where will they go now that they’re gone?