Normal D&D Session

[Eltern]

Hi, just got a question for the hivemind:

How long is a "normal" D&D session for the group(s) that you play with?
It's four hours or less for me, personally.

In that "normal" session, how much do you accomplish? How many encounters? How much roleplaying?

The reason being I'm currently DMing a group in Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, and they're going so -slow-. Encounters take forever, it seems, roleplaying dialouges takes an eon, etc.
I fear that people are losing interest because of the pace. I know I am, a little.

So I want to hear from you guys.

Eltern

 

[arwink]

About for to five hours if playing on a friday night. Between four and eight hours of playing on a Sunday. Sunday games are less common at present, and usually included an hour or two break to BBQ up some lunch.

Encounters vary. When I was running a campaign in the upper levels, one or two encounters were pretty good in a six hour day. Low level games, we can usually get through one an hour.

The problem with Elemental evil is not loosing interest because of the pace, necessarily, but because there are so many of the same encounters. Again and again, you fight guardposts and temple folk, and the only real change seems to be who you're fighting.

 

[Inez Hull]

Funnily enough sometimes the best sessions are the ones where you don't achieve much.

 

[Airwolf]

I claim no membership in the hivemind.

But I will still post an answer. We usually play fro about 6-7 hours. My group might be a bit on the high side because we only get to meet about once a month.

 

[Pielorinho]

We're currently playing through the temple. After a near-TPK, we started playing very cautiously: we'll approach doors, listen at them, retreat, and plan our attack in excruciating detail. Half an hour (or more!) later, we'll launch our attack. Using this strategy, we've not had any more character deaths.

But this dungeon is draggin'. It's gotten dull.

So we've done two things:
1) We played as temple agents for awhile, coming up with byzantine, labyrinthine, vile plans to thwart our normal characters. (note to all: nothing beats playing a mind flayer! )
2) We're going to play much lower-level characters for awhile, low-level, cavalier characters whom we fully expected to get slaughtered in the temple's meatgrinder.

Just some suggestions for your particular problem . Our sessions normally start between 7:30 and 8, depending on how much goofing around we do first, and they generally end between 10:30 and midnight, depending on how much stuff is prepared and when we reach a good stopping point. We tend to play through one, or rarely two, combats in a session, and to do lots of roleplaying.

Daniel

 

[Darkness]

Five hours or more.

 

[Dark Dragon]

Depends on the day. During the week, about 4 hours (lunch time not included), because we start usually at 20 and finish at 1 or 2 hour. Weekend meetings take longer, often between 8 and 10 hours (assuming a start at 14 and ending at 1 hour).

The pace for our RttToEE campaign is also very slow: during the last two sessions only half a day has passed for the PCs. We had two difficult combats and two major non-combat encounters (involving a lot of role playing), the rest of time was needed for planning the next steps.
I don't know how many months (and sessions) have past, but still the party is in the CRM, has crippled two temples but failed to enter the island temple. *sigh*

 

[caudor]

I can only aspire to one day be part of the hivemind. However, I'll offer this response.

Our group usually plays about four hours or so. When that time comes (everyone knows that feeling) where I can feel that tangible loss of fun, I either call a snack break or end the session until next time.

During the break, I examine what I'm doing to be sure I'm not falling victum to fatigue myself. Am I keeping good track of time? Am I involving the players--describing the scene with the five senses (smell, tough, sight, etc.). Am I too tired to give them a good game if I continue?

It's a little easier for me since my players are all family members right now.

However, I imagine you can set your group's best play time with a little introspection. Also, be sure to plan in some 'real' breaks into your gaming session...and try to leave off at a 'cliffhanger place'. This often will help keep everyone fresh.

 

[Gospog]

Usually about three hours a session.

It will get a little longer in the summer, as my wife is a teacher and one of my players is a student.

 

[Arnwyn]

8 hours, once every 2 weeks.

Accomplishments vary, sometimes 6+ combats in a session, sometimes the entire session is role-playing.