Campaign ends in two sessions, what do you do?

[Crothian]

Okay, you are DMing or playing in a rather long running campaign. Then, due to some outside reasons (time restraints, people moving, anything), the campaign will end in two sessions. What would you do?

Would you introduce a final plot, big ending and have the characters shoved into the world spotlight one final time?

Would you neatly try to wrap up everything to give complete closure?

If you are the player what would you like? Do you want your character walking off into the sunlight or going down in a blaze of glory?

Of course you might want to end it some other way, how would you do it?

 

[arwink]

Ask what they players would prefer.

Mine seem perfectly happy to put things on hold for a while and play the occasional game when possible.

Usually I'd go for a big finish though, if I knew I was never going to see any of them again.

 

[Crothian]

It's not that the group would break up or that you'd never game anymore. Sorry if that came across. It's just the end of a campaign that comes suddenly due to outside forces.

 

[arwink]

Ah. Actually, was put in that position two years ago. The players pretty much took the decision out of my hands and fast-forwarded the game themselves. Once they knew an end was coming, the focused all their efforts on chasing down the big-bad and going for the quick solution rather than chasing side-threads, aiming to earn as much XP and treasure as possible, and forgetting about any of the political ramifications of their plans.

 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

good question, as a player i like closer. A nice finish to tie all the loose ends up.

As a Dm, i'd probably want to do something big and nasty. The type of thing the players would remember for a long time.

 

[LrdApoc]

Hmm.. lets see.. I think as a DM I'd do this...
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(above section edited for spoilers)

As a player I'd want to leave my character in a position he could be brought easily into another game, give him a nebulous closure, but an overriding hook for future use. Provided I didn't retire him and hand him over as an NPC or iconic world character.

(For those of you in my game do not take this as a hint, it's an honest answer)

 

[Jeph]

From the posters who have responded, it looks as if this will become an out-of-place [hivemind] thread . . .

Whatever. Well, I being I, I'd go down in a blaze of glory. Charge the fortress recklessly, smash through the door, run at the BBEG, and slap him with a pointy stick as many times as possable. If i get killed by a lurker's arrow, that sucks, the goal is to be vanquished in an empowered, maxamized, energy admixed fireball. As big a scene as possable, with as many political, social, and economic ramifications as possable. I must live forever, weather it be in a slight change in trade routes, a bard's song, or a three hundred foot statue. But hey, that's just me.

 

[Crothian]

(For those of you in my game do not take this as a hint, it's an honest answer)

And while this thread was inspired by our situation, I'm not trying to step on your DM toes. I was just thinking what I would do, and thought it would be a good discussion.

And while the posters are of the Hivemind variety, I really would like to stay on topic.

As a player I really would like to be ain a situation to reuse the character if I felt I still had places to go with him. There are times when retiring the charactter, even a little prematurely is okay. It really depends on the concept and how far in the game we are.

As for the DM I'd try to give closure and a sense of ending.

 

[Emiricol]

What's all this hivemind stuff? (sorry for the hijack)

 

[Crothian]

What's all this hivemind stuff? (sorry for the hijack)

Some threads tyhat happen down in meta. If you are real curious go down there and take a look, they are something else.