How to tell when your Campaign has jumped the shark

[eris404]

The campaign has something like 15 players, but there is no way to tell how many are going to show up on any given game day.

The characters of "part-time" players are given major parts in the storyline, but the players stopped showing up to game, thus forcing the DM to continue to use them as NPCs.

Three or more people have played the same character who was abandoned by the original player who simply stopped coming to game.

A particular player misses half of the games and the rest of the party conveniently forgets his or her character was ever there.

The DM introduces new a PC by having the party find him or her tied up in a box or bag.

[All of this really happened. To our group. In the same campaign, with the same DM.]

 

[neoweasel]

One of your players leaves but their character is continued by a new player and no-one says a word.

That ain't necessarily true. If a much-loved PCs player has to, for instance, head off to Georgia to get her Master's and someone continues to play the character, it can be good.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

A large egg delivers the Party's new 65 year old baby who then proceeds to age backwards.

After a long quest the party ends up at earth in the year 1980.

 

[MarauderX]

Where in my homebrew is Carmen Sandiego?

Each character has a binder with spreadsheets, maps, plans, etc. of the towns and castles they want to build, and have already thought out how to populate it...

PCs reinvent the oil cartel by seizing all oils and flasks, killing those who make it, bullying the rest to never try, and selling oil at outrageous prices.

PCs decide oil isn't enough, they decide that all fire is theirs, and people have to pay to burn things. To ensure no one is using it, they think of ways to flood the world as punishment. ahem.

Or simply when all of their ability scores, BAB, saves and AC reach triple digits... +102 to reflex save for half damage.

 

[Silver Moon]

After a long quest the party ends up at earth in the year 1980.

And the scariest thing is that will probably happen. We have a playing character who came from 1967 Earth. When they revisited his world eight years later it was 1975, time having passed equally in both places. That was four years ago character time, and they are thinking of heading back there again sometime during the next year.

Back to the list

You know that your campaign has jumped the shark when:

The players kill Mordenkainen and then decide to go look for a real challenge.

One of the playing characters is revealed to be the child of a deity.

Wolverine or Spiderman make a guest appearance.

None of the players show up and the DM decides to run the game anyway.

 

[Bregh]

Tiamat and her consorts are waiting in the alley behind the tavern to mug your party.

(This happened in a campaign in which I was once loosely affiliated.)

 

[Privateer]

You know you've jumped the shark when...

One of the characters has such a high strength that picking up and throwing things, like castles, does more damage than his normal attacks.

When the wizard character does so much damage the DM just says "Well, okay, the average roll of that spell kills it."

When "it" is Boccob.

And you cast the spell on Boccob in the surprize round and kill him.

The funny thing is, someone I know is running a campaign where all of these things are true...

 

[Saeviomagy]

You know you've jumped the shark when...

One of the characters has such a high strength that picking up and throwing things, like castles, does more damage than his normal attacks.

Actually, I think that's pretty cool.

And I know how to make one (a half-ogre warhulk/hulking hurler does hundereds of d6's in damage throwing things up to size colossal and weighing 16 tons)

 

[Privateer]

Actually, I think that's pretty cool.

And I know how to make one (a half-ogre warhulk/hulking hurler does hundereds of d6's in damage throwing things up to size colossal and weighing 16 tons)

Actually, it does make for a nice visual...

Messenger: The barbarian horde is attacking the castle!

King: Ah, but they'll never get through the barbican and all of the devious traps I have inside here. Wait, what's that shaking noise?

...but your concept uses valid class abilities. His used rules-illegal stacking of magic items (Belt, Gloves, Boots, Shirt of Ogre Strength). He arm wrestled the tarrasque and won. I think he broke its arm.

 

[Elemental]

The PC's have all been transformed into furry animal versions of themselves, and decide to stay that way...

Been there.

What's worse is that the game carried on for 7 months afterwards.....