Intended Length of the Campaign at the Beginning

[TarionzCousin]

I plan for 5-10 years (60-odd adventures)

Really? How many "normal" adventures?

Is there a PayPal account for that or...?

I'm working on it. In the meantime, please send cash.

 

[Piratecat]

I have heard that your players are taking up a collection to have your head put in a jar so you could [-]live[/-] DM forever.

Oh, that's why my wife has cleaned off the mantelpiece!

 

[Umbran]

And then you'll kill all their characters, right? Isn't that how it's supposed to happen in the Undead West?

The original Deadlands core metaplot does have a problem like that, but I'm not using it.

And, in Deadlands, if I'm going to kill characters, I want to do it well before the end of the campaign, because being dead is interesting

 

[knightemplar]

I have run a FASERIP MSH game based on the Avengers since 2001 playing about once a month. I have had D&D games go for a couple of years.


I have a base framework that I wrote up just giving me an idea where I am going. I then try to plan for 1-3 sessions in advance. I try to listen to the players while they talk with each other and start writing notes about who they are talking about. I then see if it would be possible to work in their ideas any time soon, if not then I write it for me to revisit later.

It is not the first time my plot for the adventure has been modified during the game by a players remarks or my rewriting an hour before game time, because I had a better idea for the adventure just come to me.

It gets a lot harder once the characters have accumulated a ton of experience. To bring some one with the power of a Omega level superhuman back to team up with spiderman just doesnt work well in the rules or in the theory. The characters will just overpower him seriously.

 

[the Jester]

I start my campaigns at first level and run them until there is a TPK or until the party retires.

 

[Rel]

Oh, that's why my wife has cleaned off the mantelpiece!

Kiznit called and said to tell you "blub-bloop". He said you'd know what he meant.

Our group as a whole generally likes campaigns that run between 6 months and a year. We've done shorter stuff but generally shorter than that and the players don't get terribly invested in their characters. Longer than that and we're probably ready for a change to a new system/setting/set of characters.

In other words I'm going to get to run WAY more campaigns during the course of my life than our esteemed Piratecat.

I normally don't plan more than about 2 sessions ahead in terms of specifics. But I do keep my eye on longer term developments as to what the NPC's are planning and that might turn into a climactic moment for the campaign somewhere along the way. Mostly I just toss out lots and lots of plot hooks, half of which I don't even know what they mean. Eventually I'm able to weave all these disparate threads into what I'll call (out of respect for Eric's Grandma) my "Tapestry of Bullcrap". Making the Tapestry come together without too many of the seams and patches showing is probably my biggest strength as a GM.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Oh, that's why my wife has cleaned off the mantelpiece!

Now you can DM for all eternity.

 

[Barastrondo]

For D&D in particular? I tend to "plan" for about five-level arcs. So, for instance, once I know what the particular game's going to be about, I set up a few situations in motion (evil schemes, intrigues, incursions, etc.) that could theoretically provide an interesting, climactic set piece five levels down the road. So, for instance, if one of the big situations is a malevolent baron who's targeting or has wronged the PCs, then I make notes that he could probably be confronted at (starting level +5) with good success.

After we've done an arc about that length, it's up to the players to see if they want to keep going for another arc or so, or if they'd like to try something new for a bit.

I could theoretically plan for longer (like, say, an entire tier) but I figure it's best not to be too optimistic. Life happens, and I'd like to make sure that there's an opportunity for some closure after a tidy bit just in case.

 

[Lanefan]

Really? How many "normal" adventures?

Absolutely none. No normality allowed here.

And if any sneak in I'm gonna turn the dogs loose on 'em!

Mostly I just toss out lots and lots of plot hooks, half of which I don't even know what they mean. Eventually I'm able to weave all these disparate threads into what I'll call (out of respect for Eric's Grandma) my "Tapestry of Bullcrap". Making the Tapestry come together without too many of the seams and patches showing is probably my biggest strength as a GM.

You have no idea how familiar this sounds.

Or maybe you do.

Lan-"I love it when a plan comes together, even more so when it wasn't planned"-efan

 

[Alasomorph]

I used to plan campaigns to last from level 1 all the way to 20 with one over-arching story theme or objective.

It took me a couple of years to realize this just doesn't work. People get bored, real life gets in the way, players come and go. This approach can also be inflexible and ultimately restrictive. Worst of all is when the DM gets bored with his own story!

I still write the 'grand story arc' but it is never more than a couple of sentences.

Levels 1-2 is always an intro adventure to let the players bed into their new characters, and switch them if they wish. Nothing story intensive happens here. A few plot hooks and background information, but nothing that really ties individual characters to the general story arc of the campaign.

Levels 3-4 is when the story gets thrown in. Lots of NPC's, history and investment in the characters.

Levels 5-10 are planned to have 2 or 3 story arcs that get resolved throughout this bracket (think motion picture trilogies). No planning for the next block of 5 levels until they are almost upon me.

Levels 11-15 are normally when campaigns run out of steam so this is when you crank it up. 2 or 3 more story arcs arise as a consequence of the players actions in levels 1-10. I aim to finish the campaign around the end of this bracket. If the players want more then great, good job! If that's the case you get to build on the story so far and fall back on that 'grand story arc'.

Another good thing about this modular design is that there are natural break points to play other games then come back (again think motion pictures, TV series finale's and novel trilogies).

Alternate your DM's or even campaigns (maybe set in the same world where the outcome of one campaign arc effects another). Play rather than DM for a bit. Where players are concerned absence normally makes the heart grow fonder of their characters.