Ending a Campaign Gracefully?

[Retreater]

We began a campaign playing Dungeon's hardcover of Shackled City Adventure Path and had to give up on it at the beginning of the 4th adventure - it was just too difficult and incredibly frustrating to DM. Everyone liked their characters, so I just pulled them out of SCAP and put them into the Wilderlands of High Fantasy, running a converted 2nd edition Ravenloft module there.

The problem is that I'm still not enjoying the game, as a DM or player (I play on alternate weeks). I plan to quit playing very soon, quitting after more than 15 years of playing. I just can't stand D&D anymore.

So I'm wanting to end the campaign gracefully. I don't want to tick off the friends I've been playing with for the past 10 years. Any ideas on how I should do this?

A few things about the group.

The ranger just died last session. His player wants to bring in a duskblade. Even though I probably normally wouldn't have gone for it, I'm thinking about letting him do it now.

We have a 6th level necromancer whose goal is to start on the path to lichdom.

We have a 5th level monk who wants his body and mind to become one.

We have a 6th level rogue who wants to join the ranks of a theives guild.

We have a 6th level favored soul who is already in the process of realizing his goal - to create a shrine to Pelor.

So how do I tie all of this together so I can quit within a few sessions?

 

[Stormborn]

You might want to consider just telling them you want to quit and then giving them the option of continuing an abreviated campaign or just stopping. They might have more fun with a DM who was actually into the game. If the choose to continue then I suggest doing somethign that will at least let them get started on their choosen paths. Perhaps there is a temple/library/reliquery of a God of Secrets where anceint tresures and tomes have been hidden for ages. A Thieves Guild apporaches the Rogue and offers memebrship if he can retrieve an item. Along the way the the necromancer finds a tome about the process of become a lich, the monk discovers an ancient holy symbol that, should he meditate upon it, will allow him to eventually achive his goal, and the favored soul finds a relic of a saint of Pelor which would be perfect for his shrine. They dont get what they want, but they do see that it is achieveable over time. You can then do a "and in the years after..." epilog.

 

[Endur]

The party lived happily ever after, except for the Necromancer who became a Lich. The monk saw his body and mind become one. The rogue joined the theives guild. The favored soul created a shrine to Pelor.

 

[Brimshack]

I don't think you need to concoct an in-game solution to a real wold problem. The problem is that you do not wish to continue playing, so I would suggest simply explaining that to the group and asking if someone else to take over or if they would prefer one final battle. If you find someone willing to take over, then you can work out the details of transfer and any in-game consequences from there. If not, then you can hold the last battle real quick. But seriously, I think a very simple and frank discussion with the players about what YOU wish to do and not to do is the beginning of resolving this problem.

I also think you should do so soon. The trouble with D&D campaigns is that they almost always get played out several sessions after people are no longer happy with them. If you aren't enjoying the game, then it will not be much longer before your players aren't either.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

If you feel you need a finale episode, tell everyone to advance their characters 10 levels and play a high level adventure from Dungeon. It'll give them some of the fun of a long career with their characters and will feel like a finale to them.

 

[sniffles]

Brimshack and Whizbang both give good advice.

If it's just D&D that you're fed up with and not RPGs as a whole, have you considered converting the campaign to another system?

Ask the players what they'd like to do. If they're not heavily invested in their characters they may not mind simply letting the game go. But if they've been planning ahead and were really looking forward to reaching a particular goal, then something like what Whizbang suggests might work better to let them game go out on an 'up' note.

 

[BadMojo]

The party lived happily ever after, except for the Necromancer who became a Lich. The monk saw his body and mind become one. The rogue joined the theives guild. The favored soul created a shrine to Pelor.

Would a "Wild Bunch" style ending be considered "graceful"? I've always wanted to end a campaign that way.

 

[WizarDru]

We have a 6th level necromancer whose goal is to start on the path to lichdom.

We have a 5th level monk who wants his body and mind to become one.

We have a 6th level rogue who wants to join the ranks of a theives guild.

We have a 6th level favored soul who is already in the process of realizing his goal - to create a shrine to Pelor.

How does a necromancer who wishes to become a powerful undead and a worshipping spellcaster of Pelor manage to pal around?

How do you define 'graceful'? I mean, you aren't going to be able to meet characters with goals that don't pay off until 11-12th level in a couple of sessions unless you do what WD suggests and do some jumping into the future. However, I'm not sure how graceful a conclusion it will be, doing that.

You could always do something like a scorched earth ending...but you'd need player sign-off for that, and if they weren't on the same page, it would end...poorly.

Ultimately, if you find the game tedious and isn't fun to play, I don't think prolonging the inevitable, as opposed to being upfron with your players, is a good choice. Wouldn't you rather do something else together with that same time that you all enjoy? Because if the DM isn't having fun, there's a good chance that NO ONE will, and that's really not a good way to spend your time.

 

[Allandaros]

Would a "Wild Bunch" style ending be considered "graceful"? I've always wanted to end a campaign that way.

My goodness, yes! Wild Bunch endings are the ways PCs should die. Blaze of glory! The bards still sing of the day the Mad Three dove into the caverns of Ihrryk, blades in hand, determined to slay as many undead as possible before they succumbed! Yarrrgh!

Er, ahem.

I mean, you've got these PCs, who (for the most part) dedicate their lives to violence. A Wild Bunch death is the Way to Go.

Besides, then you can bring in the fantasy equivalent of a gatling gun.

 

[Qualidar]

You should get out now. You're not doing them any favors by sticking it out if you're not into it.

~Qualidar~