How Long Is YOUR Campaign?

[Daniel D. Fox]

Longest storyline I've run is over 8 years, which came to a conclusion as of April with the characters at 16th level (between 2nd and 3/3.5 edition). We then started a new storyline with 4E, in which the highest level player is now 6th level over a period of two and a half months of gaming sessions.

Note that these all took place in my homebrewed campaign world, mentioned in my signature.

 

[Mercule]

However, I'm defining campaign as 'a series of adventures in the same fantasy world, with a continuity of stories and links (whether strong or flimsy) between each adventuring group/character)' .... We've run CHARACTERS in this world for a couple of years, then run other characters in the same world for a few years, then gone back to old characters, etc.

I think that's probably the rub. I see a campaign as being one character lifetime, sometimes less. A setting is a fantasy world and generally connected by themes and a historical continuity.

My setting is over 25 years old. There have been three generations of one family and two of a couple others played, but those were different campaigns, IMO. Even when the sins of one father came back to haunt his son (same player), that's two campaigns. Heck, that father was one of the first batch of PCs to be run in my setting and the current campaign, set 500 years later, is still based on problems created by him and his son.

IMO, Middle Earth is a setting, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings are different campaigns.

 

[Kishin]

The longest campaign I ever ran lasted about six-seven years, spanned 2E and the early days of 3E and ended when I left for college. Most games after that haven't lasted more than a year.

My current campaign has been running for about eight months, was designed to be a short term contained storyline within a new setting. (The PCs started at 7th level, and are closing in on 11th). Of course, I've reached something of a dilemma now. I'm really enjoying the game, and my players, as usual, have drummed up some fantastic characters, but we're closing in on the logical conclusion of the campaign arc. Therefore, I feel if I artificially try to extend it beyond its life expectancy that I'm committing the same fallacy Lost was wallowing in for awhile, and creating a loss of direction and quality. But at the same time, when it ends, I'll be horribly disappointed at the party's task either being complete or them having died in the effort and either way pretty much closes that chapter. Alas.

 

[Daijin]

My Dunjon Universe setting (since 1979) ended this summer 08'. Kind of did a reboot for 4th Edition and new players, etc. (Own system, 1st Edition, 2nd Edition, 3-3.5 Edition)

Was 29 years of assorted emotional events and many, many various players.
Part of the campaign was also done in Neverwinter Nights.

New Dunjon Universe doing well.
While 4E is different, its still a lot fun for everyone.

 

[The_Warlock]

That's why you give them a new task. Just because it's one campaign doesn't mean it has to have a single plot. And if they all die - that's when you put them in a planar campaign if they are amenable - resussitated by a God of Death to get a bigger, badder job done. chuckle

Of course, this from a guy who had 1 major plot for the entire 13 years with one party of adventurers.

 

[Quantarum]

My last campaign ended in September after three years and six months. The players went from 1st to 22nd/23rd level. We played once a week for 3.5-5 hours a week with several month long breaks. I've been gaming for 28 years and counting all the more serious games I've played or GMd I'd say the average was two years.
Sure, it's a lot of time, but I have so many good memories and the honor of knowing so many people I shared my time and imagination with. I wouldn't trade away one second of it.

-Q.

 

[Ltheb Silverfrond]

I typically run twice a month; So because our group meets so infrequently, we have pretty long sessions. (Usually from 10 on saturday mornings till ~8 at night) Still, I tend to double advancement rates so that the game doesn't feel so stagnant. (With PCs requiring ~4-5 encounters to level)
I have been running a 4E game since the Saturday after it came out. (Minus about 2 sessions due to player cancellations and a friend wanting to try his hand at DMing) The Party is 11th level. By my estimates (of 2 sessions a month) they won't be epic until April. (Assuming they gain 1 level each session and we can make it every session, barring most of the December dates)
That said, I like creating stuff as a DM, so it wouldn't matter how much or how little crunch D&D had in a book; as long as it gives a decent model on how to write my own, or at least sets logical precedents, I'll typically have enough stuff to run a game as long as the Inspiration is there.

 

[DeusExMachina]

Well my group is involved with 2 campaigns at the same time, playing on alternate weeks, so as to give the DM's some playing time too.

In my campaign I usually level the characters roughly every 2 to 3 sessions, each lasting 4 or 5 hours. Slower than that and I start to get frustrated with advancement. A story arc lasts about 10-15 sessions, sometimes longer, but usually not exceeding 20 sessions. After that another DM takes over with his own campaign world and such. Later I somtimes go back to my old campaign world, change it a little and then create a new storyline inside it...

It seems shorter than most people's campaigns here, but the bonus is that we do get to play in a lot of different world, different stories and with different characters...

So in my campaigns people usually don't gain more than 5 levels, but then we don't always start at level 1 either, so we've been up the whole spectrum of 3.x over the years (literally from level 1 tot level 45, one of the other players loves DM'ing epic stuff). Right now we're enjoying some low level 4e, but I'm sure we'll try some paragon and epic campaigns in about a year or so...

 

[I'm A Banana]

My last campaign ended in September after three years and six months. The players went from 1st to 22nd/23rd level. We played once a week for 3.5-5 hours a week with several month long breaks.

I am very impressed by everyone's long campaigns, but I wanted to point this post because it is textbook, and I just got that little rush that you get when a theory pans out.

(Assuming they gain 1 level each session and we can make it every session, barring most of the December dates)

How is that panning out for you? In my experience, 1 level per session (or even every other session) seemed pretty fast. The players didn't get a real chance to use most of the abilities they received. But if your findings are different, I'd like to hear how you avoid that little trap.

In my campaign I usually level the characters roughly every 2 to 3 sessions, each lasting 4 or 5 hours. Slower than that and I start to get frustrated with advancement. A story arc lasts about 10-15 sessions, sometimes longer, but usually not exceeding 20 sessions. After that another DM takes over with his own campaign world and such. Later I somtimes go back to my old campaign world, change it a little and then create a new storyline inside it...

It seems shorter than most people's campaigns here, but the bonus is that we do get to play in a lot of different world, different stories and with different characters...

This is really similar to the rate I usually DM at, mostly because I'm a setting freak and I love to explore new and different worlds and styles. Part of what lead me to the question was that I wasn't sure how much high-level D&D I would ever play (assuming I usually start at level 1), and I wonder how many people never hit the high levels simply because it takes longer than most "campaigns" (and by that I mean the individual parties more than the setting) last to get there, or at least longer than most groups are together.

It's interesting to see so many longer campaigns out there. I'm getting the sense that they are a little "sandbox style" and don't have a lot of PC death, which is an interesting correlation. I'm also getting the sense that these groups definitely get in the "habit" of having a weekly game, which is something I've struggled with a lot more, as Real Life interjects random interruptions and then momentum is lost (though I guess for me that has been mostly people moving, and that's probably to be expected in an arc that takes you from high school through college and halfway across the country ). I'm also noticing that the longer-lasting campaign usually stick to low levels only, which is interesting, too...

 

[Ktulu]

my longest game went from the beginning of February to the end of July, back a few years ago. The party leveled to 7 before we ended. I have yet to run a game that goes for more than 7 levels.

My average is usually between 2-3 level-ups before the game ends for RL reasons, story reasons, or some other reason (like, man, how cool was Saga edition?)

My current campaign is beginning at level 5 with the EXTREMELY lofty goal of wrapping up at level 19-21. I figure I may make it to level 9 before it fizzles out.

Ktulu