Why do so many campaigns never finish? Genuinely curious what others think

Toe Knee Nose · 2026-03-08T08:52:25+0000

Thomas Shey said:
Yeah, that'd just be too short a time frame for me. I don't think I've played in games that didn't run at least six hours as a default, well, ever.

Wow. Really?

Then again, I'm chronically a VTT player, so, 6 hours is a REALLY long time for that kind of play. I find that 3 hour sessions are about as good as it gets. We have occasionally done 4, but, most of the time it's 3.

Lanefan · 2026-03-08T09:17:12+0000

prabe said:
That's why I've found every-other Saturday (and/or Friday) to work really well. People have half their Saturdays (or Fridays) for whatever other things they want to do. I'm also running tables of five and six players, and if one person is out we run their character by committee.

I've run on weekdays, and the big problem I had was getting home from work and stuff, then getting ready to run at a reasonable time (so we could wrap at a reasonable time).

I've been running on Sunday nights for what seems like forever, with second games on Mondays (a long time ago) or Fridays (more recently but pre-covid). I'd run on Saturdays except the other primary DM in our crew has had Saturdays for his game (which I'm usually in as a player) forever.

Sundays are good in that nobody works during the day. Sure people have to leave early-ish most weeks, but most months have a holiday Monday in them, which makes those Sundays just like Saturday.

Thomas Shey · 2026-03-08T17:20:00+0000

Toe Knee Nose said:
Wow. Really?

Really. I'm aware I'm not typical here. It probably doesn't hurt that I tend to want games with a lot of mechanical engagement, so most games that would make for a decent three hour play time would just not interest me at all.

Toe Knee Nose said:
Then again, I'm chronically a VTT player, so, 6 hours is a REALLY long time for that kind of play. I find that 3 hour sessions are about as good as it gets. We have occasionally done 4, but, most of the time it's 3.

We've been doing nothing but VTT play for six years now. Only reason I don't say we do 8 hours is because between th dinner break and sometimes being slow getting started and what all, we probably only get in six hours of actual play.

cranberry · 2026-03-08T17:28:04+0000

IMO, with newer players it's probably expectations (e.g. Critical Roll) vs. reality. With older players it life getting in the way.

For DM's, it definitely burnout. I lost count of how many times the DM just didn't want to put in the effort anymore. due to losing creative steam, cost of adventures, lack of player engagement, or dealing with problem players. Of course life gets in the way for them too.

GrimCo · 2026-03-08T22:39:24+0000

Wow. TBH, i'm a bit jealous. Last time i played in 6h long session was back in university days. On the other hand, 6-8h in front of a screen, after spending 30+ hours a week staring at screen for work, sounds like torture. I always viewed TTRPGs as screen detox hobby. That's beauty of these boards, each of us has it's own views and preferences.

TwoSix · 2026-03-09T01:10:53+0000

Toe Knee Nose said:
Ten sessions/level? That's a tad slow, but, not out of line. Again, let's be clear about what I am talking about. Someone who is playing literally several hundred if not into the low thousand of sessions and is only 15th level. At your pace, you're looking at 150 sessions to hit 15th level. For me, that would be about three years of play. A bit slower, but, again, hardly out of line and I do consider my group to be leveling kinda slowly (typically about 6-8 sessions/level) compared to other groups.

I don't understand how anyone can play 20+ sessions between level ups. I don't get how that can work.

It’s always wild to me how different people’s play preferences are in this regard. I can’t even imagine a game going for 100+ sessions; the longest game I’ve ever done just wrapped up after 41 sessions. And that was going from levels 1-15 over about three years.

And even 40 sessions felt way too long! 12-18 sessions is around what I feel is the sweet spot to tell your story and then get out and onto the next game.

Thomas Shey · 2026-03-09T02:28:17+0000

TwoSix said:
It’s always wild to me how different people’s play preferences are in this regard. I can’t even imagine a game going for 100+ sessions; the longest game I’ve ever done just wrapped up after 41 sessions. And that was going from levels 1-15 over about three years.

And even 40 sessions felt way too long! 12-18 sessions is around what I feel is the sweet spot to tell your story and then get out and onto the next game.

I'll probably have had about 60 sessions total in my 13th Age game by the time I'm done (42 arcs, but not all of those got done in one session, and it took more time as we got up to the upper levels).

TwoSix · 2026-03-09T03:03:47+0000

Thomas Shey said:
I'll probably have had about 60 sessions total in my 13th Age game by the time I'm done (42 arcs, but not all of those got done in one session, and it took more time as we got up to the upper levels).

I know lots of people do it, I just don’t get how you don’t get bored.

prabe · 2026-03-09T03:26:15+0000

TwoSix said:
I know lots of people do it, I just don’t get how you don’t get bored.

Some of it will come to personal preferences about campaign length, but a lot of it is not doing things you find boring. That's not intended as an attack--obviously you personally should run things the length you find most enjoyable;