Changing it up

[weem]

I currently run a 4e campaign for a group of 4 and play in another that has 4 players as well (all the same people in both campaigns).

I don't run my campaign if even 1 person can't make it.

The other guy will run his if 1 can't make it but not 2 (he works in reasons why they had to stay behind for something, or were held up etc - there is always advance notice when someone can't make it).

Anyway, we play almost every weekend either my game or his, but there are sometimes where we go multiple weeks without playing because more than a few of us can't for various reasons.

THE POINT

Some of the players are interested in running a game "one day", but are intimidated by the task having never DM'd before. So, I had this idea...

I was thinking (and I have seen this done before so it's not new by any means) about having everyone make one or more characters and I would start a campaign for them. However, each time we played this campaign, someone else could DM picking up where it left of last and taking it in whichever direction they wanted to. Also, the players for that given weekend could pick from any of the characters they made, etc. Explaining the potentially ever-changing combo of characters would not be something we would be concerned about - we would just start as if it were those characters there the time before.

Anyway, I'm not sure how well that would work for us so here's a few questions...

1/ Have you done this before (or something like it) and how did it go?

2/ Do you have any other ideas for these situations where not everyone can make it but the rest can get together and do something D&D-ish?


One of the other ideas was to have someone step up one weekend and simply run the characters through a dungeon (pre-made or not, wouldn't matter). Not worry about the how/why we were there - just simply plopping everyone in and saying "go".

So yea that's it - thoughts? ideas? suggestions?

PS - these players for the most part enjoy combat first, solving puzzles/mysteries second and roleplaying third (when I asked them what they like to do most)

 

[Herobizkit]

My suggestion would be to run your games as episodes rather than large and sweeping epics.

I always envision my games as TV shows, and each situation-obstacle(s)-resolution style adventure should be able to be completed in one sitting. For episodes that trail into 2- or 3-parters, have a logical end-point (or "save point") where ther heroes can return home, recoup, and prepare for what comes next.

As for rotating DMs, this works only if all players are on board and all players are willing to play fair - ie the player who DM's doesn't play a PC alongside his pals, or if he does, have the other players "police" him to make sure that the DM doesn't take advantage of his DM-ness to better his character unfairly.

 

[justanobody]

I don't run my campaign if even 1 person can't make it.

The other guy will run his if 1 can't make it but not 2 (he works in reasons why they had to stay behind for something, or were held up etc - there is always advance notice when someone can't make it).

:clap: Both are credits to DMs.

1/ Have you done this before (or something like it) and how did it go?

2/ Do you have any other ideas for these situations where not everyone can make it but the rest can get together and do something D&D-ish?

1- I don't do the rotating DM bit, and don't participate in games like that.

2- Do you want to play in these "little" games when thee are only a few people as lasting things, or could you co-DM and mentor each new person through one-shots to get them into the feel of the DM seat?

I always prefer the mentor method, and you just sit by and let them go and ask you any questions when they come up. This lets them feel the DM role without feeling like they have a mother hen sitting with them, and lets them have the chance to not make too many mistakes and feel foolish about those mistakes.

Don't forget to leave time after the mentor DM sessions, for the entire group to discuss the game so they can get a feel for the new DM, and the new DM can get ideas and suggestions from you, and the players alike.

You could also have a no-game night and sit around talking about what-if's so would-be DMs can ask why you do something as a DM, and what they should do if they are a DM in the situation and just feed them your knowledge and experience as a DM to help prepare them for the role.

 

[weem]

@Hero

I always envision my games as TV shows, and each situation-obstacle(s)-resolution style adventure should be able to be completed in one sitting. For episodes that trail into 2- or 3-parters, have a logical end-point (or "save point") where ther heroes can return home, recoup, and prepare for what comes next.

That's a good idea. I could even inject pieces of something larger into various games... like xfiles and aliens... there were plenty of episodes that had nothing to do with aliens, but you knew you were going to get back to them after no more than a few episodes.

As for rotating DMs, this works only if all players are on board and all players are willing to play fair - ie the player who DM's doesn't play a PC alongside his pals, or if he does, have the other players "police" him to make sure that the DM doesn't take advantage of his DM-ness to better his character unfairly.

Yea, I could see this being something that only myself and another guy take turns doing so maybe him and I could just work something out to share running it rather than opening it up to anyone else. We all play very fair and very well together so we're set there.

@justan

2- Do you want to play in these "little" games when thee are only a few people as lasting things, or could you co-DM and mentor each new person through one-shots to get them into the feel of the DM seat?

I'm not sure co-dm'ing would work well - the few who may want to try it one day would probably not be comfortable with that... I should ask though.

Don't forget to leave time after the mentor DM sessions, for the entire group to discuss the game so they can get a feel for the new DM, and the new DM can get ideas and suggestions from you, and the players alike.

Yea, I wish we could do this, but everyone has so much stuff to do ahead of time that as soon as we call it, it's a scramble for the door. Maybe we'll have to say "ok, we're gonna stop the gaming portion a little early so we can do some feedback time", etc.

---

Thanks for the feedback so far Looking forward to hearing more ideas from you or anyone else,

 

[The Green Adam]

I've done this a number of times but rarely with D&D. I tend to imagine this format working with a larger cast of characters who are rarely caught up in one place too long.

Superheroes and SciFi/Modern settings can accomodate this easily. In one instance I had 5 or 6 players with 2 or 3 characters each. Let's say that last week Mark, Richie, Matt, Joe and Rachel show and their characters, who are agents of the Space Rangers, are investigating a planet with an abandoned outpost. As the session draws to a close, the heroes discover alien invaders who have captured the outpost crew and art preparing to leave orbit. Now this week rolls around and Richie and Matt can't make it. That's ok because back at Space Ranger HQ Mark, Joe and Rachel's other characters get a message from the first team telling them what's happening. Just then, an emergencey distress call summons the team to evacuate a nearby spacestation.

To use this in D&D you would need a reason for a somewhat larger than normal grouping of adventurers. Barring that it should go just fine.

AD
"A commander is only as good as his crew."

 

[Zaukrie]

One way to do that would be to set it up as "stargate" for D&D. It is easy to have a 4-8 hour session nearly or totally completed in that timeframe.

An offshoot of that is to just have a large room with many portals, and each portal leads to a different area. Each area could be just oneshot locations - this gives you a chance to have a wide variety of locations/terrain/encounters, and to have them self-contained, yet can be tied together. This is what I do for my oldest son's birthday every year.

One year they went to a dragon graveyar, two ships that were fighting each other, the gargantuan blue's home, a gadiator pit, a ruined castle where orcs were and were going to sacrifice a unicorn. Each of these could be set up to run 4+hours with 4E. Each would be relatively easy to design and run.

In my campaing, I'm running a stargate like army. Characters are in the service, but the gates aren't stable. Also, you can call back characters from one world (even in the middle of an adventure) and replace them with other characters that way.

 

[Hella_Tellah]

I've wanted to do an episodic, rotating DM game for years, probably using Traveller with a "planet of the week" theme. I say go for it, if you can get a group in which everyone wants to GM.

 

[pogre]

I think Eric Noah was in a rotating DM campaign. You might hit him up for some advice.