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<blockquote data-quote="MerricB" data-source="post: 9387251" data-attributes="member: 3586">One of the troubles with &quot;Old School campaigns lasted a long time&quot; is that, for the vast majority, they didn't.A very few continued. Most ended - and didn't even last a year.The more modern design of faster levelling (which is now 24 years old - yikes!) was in large part due to that observation: that groups didn't play that long together. But even so, you look at BECMI D&amp;D where the Companion Rules gives advice on the DM setting levelling rates, suggesting 3-5 sessions to gain a level if playing weekly, or 6-8 sessions to gain a level if playing more than once/week. (And these are for adventures past level 9). (Companion DM book, page 2)That weekly rate? Not all that dissimilar to the 3E progression rate. 5E is a bit quicker, but I think it varies greatly in practice.Contrast with Gygax's advice for rate of levelling in OD&amp;D (from an early The Strategic Review) - 40-60 sessions in a year to reach level 9, then 1-3 levels gained per year of play thereafter. And then you see old school folks saying &quot;We spent ten sessions at level 1&quot; or similar, and you begin the realise the divergence in play styles.Cheers,Merric</blockquote>

[QUOTE="MerricB, post: 9387251, member: 3586"] One of the troubles with "Old School campaigns lasted a long time" is that, for the vast majority, they didn't. A very few continued. Most ended - and didn't even last a year. The more modern design of faster levelling (which is now 24 years old - yikes!) was in large part due to that observation: that groups didn't play that long together. But even so, you look at BECMI D&D where the Companion Rules gives advice on the DM setting levelling rates, suggesting 3-5 sessions to gain a level if playing weekly, or 6-8 sessions to gain a level if playing more than once/week. (And these are for adventures past level 9). [I](Companion DM book, page 2)[/I] That weekly rate? Not all that dissimilar to the 3E progression rate. 5E is a bit quicker, but I think it varies greatly in practice. Contrast with Gygax's advice for rate of levelling in OD&D (from an early [I]The Strategic Review[/I]) - 40-60 sessions in a year to reach level 9, then 1-3 levels gained per year of play thereafter. And then you see old school folks saying "We spent ten sessions at level 1" or similar, and you begin the realise the divergence in play styles. Cheers, Merric [/QUOTE]

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