WotBS 4E - Sessions Per Book of WotBS?

[SiderisAnon]

As my player base may require me to start running 4E, I've decided that breaking into such a different system should be done with a published set of adventures. I liked the 3E versions of War of the Burning Sky, so that seems like a good place to start.

Can anyone give me an estimate of how many session I'm likely to get out of each of the books if we're using 4E? Assume 4-5 players for 4 hours. I just don't know how to estimate how much material will take how much time in 4E like I could in 3E due to zero DMing experience in the new system.

Thank you.

 

[Morrus]

Yikes; people play at such different rates that it's impossible to say.

It takes me 6-8 four hour sessions per module. I don't know how typical I am, though.

 

[Blackbrrd]

Firstly, DM-ing 4e is very close to 3.x, the biggest difference being how you build the encounters. Which you won't have to do. I would suggest running a single session with encounters from "Keep on the shadowfell" (available for free from wizards). This should help you and the players get familiar with the new system. Oh, and try to run a skill challenge so that you know how you want to run them. I usually run them quite a bit looser than combat, not exactly by the book.

I would also look up the threads on how to speed up 4e combats, since they typically last 5 rounds instead of 2 rounds which is typical for 3.x. In time they can take just the same amount of time, but that depends on your players deciding their actions before it's their turn among other things.

I used five sessions with a total of about 25 hours of time spent playing on the first module. About the same time (24-32 hours) as Morrus spent.

 

[Jdvn1]

I used five sessions with a total of about 25 hours of time spent playing on the first module. About the same time (24-32 hours) as Morrus spent.

I just wanted to point out, for SiderisAnon's sake, that you had a party of 7. Whether that lengthened or shortened the play time, though, is at least partially dependent on how you adjusted the combats.

 

[Bercilak]

Group of 4. 9 sessions played, and we are about 2/3 done with the second adventure. Took us 5 sessions to finish adventure one, and is looking like 5-6 for adventure 2.
Berc

 

[Blackbrrd]

I just wanted to point out, for SiderisAnon's sake, that you had a party of 7. Whether that lengthened or shortened the play time, though, is at least partially dependent on how you adjusted the combats.

Combats probably went quite a bit slower, but there is a lot of role playing involved here. I am guessing that it would have taken about 20 hours with 5 players instead of 7.

 

[SiderisAnon]

Thank you all for the information. I do appreciate it. It gives me a better idea of how much playtime will be covered by the current five converted modules in the series.

 

[Revinor]

I have skipped few encounters, but done some extra social stuff, so it probably evens out.

Took me 3 10-hour sessions for first module, 1 10-hour session took us to 1/3 of the second module - so it seems that it takes around 30 hours per adventure for my group.