How do you run regular sessions without an ongoing campaign?

[Asmor]

So I've realized that right now a campaign really isn't gonna work for me. It's my first time seriously DMing (or seriously playing for that matter) and I get all kinds of great ideas and wish I'd played something different. So I talked it over with my players and have decided that I'm gonna run new games as it suits me, probably only lasting 1-3 sessions a piece. I'll save the characters and notes in case I want to come back to a game at a later time. I'll be primarily using White Wolf and D20 games, but there'll also be a BESM game or two at some point.

Does anyone else play like this? Have you got any suggestions, tips or anecdotes?

Also, most of my players are pretty new and are very unfamiliar with the whole character creation and advancement process, relying heavily on help from me and the only other knowledgable player. I'm thinking of running a game at 5th level and having them do each level individually with minimal instruction, just to give them the practice in levelling up and understanding their character sheet. Does this sound like a bad idea? Anyone ever try anything similar?

 

[Bendris Noulg]

I'm...having them do each level individually with minimal instruction, just to give them the practice in levelling up and understanding their character sheet.

This is the method I've used with new players for years; has always worked splendidly for me.

 

[marketingman]

What you may want to do is setup a charater BS session for an hour before you play that way you can getall the paperwork and socializing out of the way and then get to the main course of gaming.

Breaking sessions up is not bad as long has you have a set stopping point preset in your mind. I always like to run what I call one shots where the players know that at the end of four hours it is over.