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

johndesmarais · 2026-03-04T02:11:28+0000

I don’t think I understand the question? What does finish mean? (I have a Forgotten Realms campaign that’s been going since 1988).

titus171 · 2026-03-04T02:36:43+0000

AstroArtificer said:
Yeah, you're exactly right. I think that's really what the main problem is. How are you supposed to find out who's compatible with you without first playing multiple sessions with them in the first place? We have vocab for what we want to play (systems, setting, logistics, etc.), but I think we are pretty bad at communicating how we play (our playstyle). I've been building something around this problem...

I've come up to a solution to this as well! I actually built my game system around it. What are you working on?

zarionofarabel · 2026-03-04T02:38:22+0000

titus171 said:
You're right, but one could argue that as the GM, it's your job to cater to your audience and give them the game they want.

Not even for one moment. Do GMs actually run games they don't want to run? Does that actually happen? I don't know about others, but you could never convince me to run a game I don't absolutely want to run. Why would I use my happy fun time to engage in an activity that won't be fun and won't make me happy? Seems like a weird way to approach the hobby IMHO. Then again if that's a normal thing maybe it explains why there are so many RPG horror stories, because GMs are often forced into doing something they dislike, and thus put minimal effort into running said games. Yeah. Weird take IMHO. To be honest, even as a player I wouldn't want the GM to run something I liked but they didn't because that seems unfair to the GM and I would always wonder if they are bothering to put any real effort into the game. GMs aren't service providers, and players shouldn't expect them to be.

Bill Zebub · 2026-03-04T02:45:03+0000

I just told my players that we are canceling my MERP, AD&D, OSE, Mork Borg, Aliens and Shadowdark campaigns so that we can all start over with Pumpkin Spice.

titus171 · 2026-03-04T02:48:35+0000

zarionofarabel said:
Not even for one moment. Do GMs actually run games they don't want to run? Does that actually happen? I don't know about others, but you could never convince me to run a game I don't absolutely want to run. Why would I use my happy fun time to engage in an activity that won't be fun and won't make me happy? Seems like a weird way to approach the hobby IMHO. Then again if that's a normal thing maybe it explains why there are so many RPG horror stories, because GMs are often forced into doing something they dislike, and thus put minimal effort into running said games. Yeah. Weird take IMHO. To be honest, even as a player I wouldn't want the GM to run something I liked but they didn't because that seems unfair to the GM and I would always wonder if they are bothering to put any real effort into the game. GMs aren't service providers, and players shouldn't expect them to be.

You're right too. Apologies if my statement sounded like it applied to everyone. It's definitely a case-by-case basis. In my case, I made most of my spare money in college running games for paying customers at my local hobby store. It was honest work, brought business to the store, and I really did have to learn to cater to the players. In that case, the facilitator is both a GM and a service provider and it did have an influence on the mindset I developed on GMing.

You do have every right to refuse to run a game you are not interested in running, and if you're in a position to be surrounded by people who love the games you also love to run, then you're in great company.

MGibster · 2026-03-04T02:53:10+0000

Dannyalcatraz said:
1) sometimes, the campaign has no set ending point. This is especially true of homebrews.

This was my typical high school experience with gaming. We'd play for a few sessions and move on to something else.

Dannyalcatraz said:
2) sometimes campaigns suck

I've ended a few campaigns because they were going so poorly. In once case, I cancelled a Star Wars game that used Unisystem because it was the least Star Warsy game ever. It wasn't the systems fault it's just that nothing clicked. I've cancelled campaigns because none of us wanted the same experience so it made it unfun for us all. I've also cancelled campaigns because we decided the rules were terrible (I'm looking at you Fantasy Flight's Rogue Trader).

Dannyalcatraz said:
3) people’s work/school demands interfere with their gaming hobby

It happens. I've had to drop out of campaigns because of other obligations and I've had players do the same.

Dannyalcatraz said:
4) people’s OTHER hobbies interfere with their gaming hobby

Are wives and kids hobbies? I kid. I kid. But, yeah, time if finite and sometimes you've got to make choices.

Dannyalcatraz said:
5) people move away

The move away, die, or are otherwise unable to game.

Dannyalcatraz said:
6) people run afoul of the law, get sick, get divorced or some other major change in life

I told the police I was just LARPing a bank robbery but I still did seven years.

Dannyalcatraz said:
7) something new comes along, and people would rather play THAT than continue what they’re playing.

I find that happens quite a bit with DMs. We sometimes get itchy and want to play something new or different.

Dannyalcatraz said:
8) sometimes, players aren’t engaged enough with the game, diminishing the enjoyment of the GM

Yup. Been there, done that, and I bought the t-shirt.

Dannyalcatraz said:
9) GM burnout

That's happened to me. It usually happens when I'm having trouble with the group not being all on the same page when it comes to how we want to run the game.

Lanefan · 2026-03-04T03:11:34+0000

There's two types of failed/unfinished campaigns IME.

The first type (failed) is that which never really gets off the ground in the first place: three or four sessions in, if not fewer, it's clear this thing has no future be it due to apathy, player-GM misfit, scheduling, arguments, or whatever. The metaphorical RPG beaches are littered with these wrecks.

The second type (unfinished) is that which is never in fact intended to "finish" at all, i.e. it doesn't have and never had a hard or pre-defined end point. Instead, the intent is that it keeps on keepin' on as long as players want to play in it and the GM wants to run it, thus it could last for years or even decades. What IME eventually kills these is a combination of a) running out of ideas and-or inspiration and b) long-term accumulation of problems and headaches with the game system itself.

(edited for clarity)

prabe · 2026-03-04T03:35:25+0000

AstroArtificer said:
Yeah, I'd have to agree. Real-world responsibilities don't stop because you want to run a session. But, interestingly, you mention that bad table chemistry happens, too. Do you personally have any stories about that?

I've been at a few tables where there were people I didn't enjoy TRPGing with, yes. I have a couple of really good friends who TRPG that I will not TRPG with--we are just fundamentally incompatible at the table.

prabe · 2026-03-04T03:38:31+0000

Whizbang Dustyboots said:
I think it's also worth noting that not all campaigns have an end that can be reached.

If most D&D campaigns are homebrew affairs, as WotC has previously told us, there often isn't some linear story with a beginning, middle and an end.

If your campaign is just "well, we'll play whatever adventure looks good for whatever level the characters are at now," how do you know when the end is? When they hit level 20? When they run out of interesting adventures?

Yeah, those campaigns "fizzle out" but they also didn't have a set end point, so there wasn't any finish line most of them could reach at all.

I think there are homebrew GMs who think their stories need the resolutions pre-written, and I think there are homebrew GMs who are inclined to allow the stories that emerge from play to resolve in their own ways and times. A campaign that doesn't have a planned end-point can still resolve, in some way that isn't consistent with fizzling out. I know, I've done it.

Whizbang Dustyboots · 2026-03-04T04:04:53+0000

prabe said:
A campaign that doesn't have a planned end-point can still resolve, in some way that isn't consistent with fizzling out. I know, I've done it.

I concur. I don't think that's how the majority of games go, though.