Any chance?

[Harr]

I'll tell you the game that solved it for me. It's the game that has saved many a game-night for me when someone doesn't show up, or has to leave early, or I plain just couldn't be bothered to prepare anything at all.

It's called In a Wicked Age. It is awesome, light, zero-prep, can learn it in a single read-through, plays fast and is made to last several weeks of session, and is fun, fun, fun.

Here's the link, check it out, and yes, I know I sound like a cheap salesman, but that's what happens when you really like a game. Note that it will not replace D&D by any stretch, of the imagination. But for what you're describing? It's perfect.

 

[FullTinCan]

One Shots

One of the things I really like to do, is run one-shots. But more importantly, I like to have the one-shots continue to flesh out a campaign world. I'll either run the one shot in another DMs campaign world, but have the adventure occur outside the scope of the current PCs influence, or I'll run it my own world.

What I've actually been thinking of is running a few one-shots in 3.5 that would start to lay the ground work for my 4e campaign. I've already settled on using Eberron's Stormreach as the starting point for 4e.

Now's the time to kick around the old system, and squeeze it for all its got. Go crazy with the one-shots. Bend and break the rules.

 

[malraux]

Run a call of cthulhu game. The system is easy enough to learn that really only one person needs to buy the book. Then pick up a short adventure and run everyone through it. Its different enough that everyone won't feel like they are playing the outdated version, has a different feel to the play style, will build up some good stories of great deaths, and everyone will probably be tired of it by the time 4e comes out.

 

[Zoatebix]

Yay one-shots! Check out In a Wicked Age. Try (or buy ) The Shadow of Yesterday. Or do the same with Spirit of the Century.

 

[Sphyre]

Do you think there is any chance that as a marketing ploy WotC has said that they’re releasing the books in June but really they’ll all be ready by April/May?

Unlikely. I'd prefer though, that they actually spend that extra month(s) proofreading the books so we actually get something of reasonable quality.

 

[The Little Raven]

Our weekly sessions have degenerated into videogame playing sessions, to the point now where under half the group even shows up but rather joins online...(and it's not even an online rpg) If we don’t have a good solid reason to come back to the rpg table soon I fear it may be the end.

Play other games. Whenever my current nWoD game is missing a player for whatever reason, we don't cancel game night, we just play something else, like a board or card game.

Currently, we tend to play the Game of Thrones board game (which is tons of fun), Anima RPG Card Game (also fun), Order of the Stick (Rich Burlew is the man!), Lunch Money, Cthulhu 500, Graverobbers from Outer Space, or Exalted's War for the Throne.

It keeps everyone in the habit of showing up on game night, and keeps the group playing together.

 

[Cactot]

the order of the stick boardgame is pretty fun too. other good boardgames are always a good solution, there are so many amazing ones out there that there must be something that you and your group could find that you all would like