What rpg system would you use for a 60+ session fantasy campaign?

[pemerton]

I've run multiple campaigns of 60+ sessions: early B/X and AD&D campaigns, and then two in Rolemaster, of around 300+ sessions each (both got to levels in the mid-to-upper 20s); and a 4e D&D game to 30th level (in about 120-odd sessions).

Over the past decade or so most of my games have been shorter - running to 20-ish sessions - because I have other systems I want to try! All of those games could easily keep going, though maybe not all of them for another 40 sessions.

My most current active game is Torchbearer 2e. It's 22 sessions in, with one of the PCs at 6th level. In terms of progression, that is scope for another 30-odds sessions to reach 10th level; though whether there would be player commitment/enthusiasm I don't know.

Burning Wheel would be my first choice. Probably either something humanocentric set in a fantasy historical period or an all-dwarf campaign with a Dwarf Fortress vibe. If not that, for D&D, 4e Dark Sun.

Burning Wheel is what I thought of! I've not run 60-session BW games, but I know that BWHQ like long campaigns.

I've played a bit of 4e Dark Sun, and I think it can work well, but to me - given the implicit themes of revolt, salvation etc - it actually seems suited to a somewhat shorter game.

 

[Randomthoughts]

What system would you choose for a fantasy campaign of considerable duration given the stipulations above?

I would run a FantasyHero campaign using the Hero system (most familiar with 4e). Hero has everything: robust character creation (including customized magic), incremental progression, flexible (magic) item system, base and vehicle building rules. I ran a long-term campaign inspired by Strikeforce so I know it could go the distance.

 

[TheSword]

Any chance you have a comprehensive blog or anything else detailing all that has occurred, specifically from a behind-the-scenes, GM perspective? I'm especially interested in any thoughts on part five, which looks very weak to me, to the point I suspect I would need to basically replace it with my own conclusion.

The Enemy Within is on my list of things to get to and, in the meanwhile, I am happily devouring any wisdom and ideas I can find online.

No blog I’m afraid. I can give a quick summary though.

Party consists of a Sigmarite Witch Hunter, a Rat Catcher (ex Scrier, ex Riverwarden) and a Noble (Ex Knight of the White Wolf, Ex Duelist). They have about 8000 xp each which has left all near the end of Tier Three.

I’ve played it pretty much by the books with the exception of added Night of Blood as an introduction to teach these guys the 4e rules, If Looks Could Kill to bring the party together and Oldenhaller contract to give them something to do in Altdorf. In hindsight this was a mistake and I wouldn’t do that next time. It boosted xp unnecessary which I think affected death on the Reik.

I read some of the blogs on part five being weak and to be honest I’ve found it anything but. However it absolutely depends on your party mix and actions to date. If they are murder hobos that offended the Graf, and just want to slay Skaven in dungeons then part 5 isn’t for you. For the social elements in part 5 to be really brilliant the party needs to be engaged with the Court of Middenheim and at least some interest in the sigmarite heresy.

Our party noble has successfully become the Graf’s champion and is in love with the princess. That has made the betrothal and the investigation of Wolfgang particularly ironic and poignant.

The sigmarite witch hunter is a link to the Grand Theogenist and Volkmar the from who was also an ex witch hunter. He’s also good looking so caught Countess Emmanuel’s eye at the parade. The Rat Catcher hangs around the guards, and servants and generally plays it from the other side. However I’m all cases it wad important that they be seen as heroes of Middenheim and close confidants of the Graf.

The chance to mix with the great and good of the empire is huge and moreso it’s done in a plausible dynamic way which they can actually influence. Rather than just being bystanders. The only parts I’m going to amend is to bring some of the country Skaven encounters from Horned Rat that I didn’t use into the trip to Blackfire pass. So the Ratcatcher who hates the Skaven because they killed her small but vicious dog can kill more Skaven.

I came into part 5 expecting it to be mediocre and I’ve actually enjoyed it more than Horned Rat.

 

[Cergorach]

D&D 5e 2024 or possibly Pathfinder 2e. I know, boring! But I suspect that these are the games the rest of the group would be able to stomach for 2.5 years... Support in Foundry VTT is also excellent for both. Setting: Forgotten Realms (Sword Coast) or Golarion (Kingmaker). Although I might opt for Ember when that's done (FVTT world/campaign/sandbox/adventure).

Anything else is just so unrealistic that it's not worth mentioning. There's a TON of other games that I would like/love to run, but for significantly shorter then this, and if such an experiment would run for 60 sessions it would be a truly surprising miracle.

 

[TheSword]

Color me curious how far you’ve tweaked the mechanics to suit the world, and/or the world to suit the mechanics. (I say this after having spent a toor-early morning thinking about the Realms with psionics rather than magic.)

Hey, so I’ve done a bit of both really.

Magic required the most changes so now all wizards in Waterdeep are split into specialities - pyromancers, seers, spiritualists, alchemists etc. which is easy enough to do.

I captured the dangerous chaotic risks of Magic using a magical anomaly linked to Undermountain and the illithids. I’ve made a few threads on EN world as the ideas progressed.

However I’ve created a lot of items, spells and changed how NPC priests work in warhammer to make them more like wizards and to fill out the miracles.

This talked about converting things to WFRP.
[+] Golden Vault/Dragonheist/Dungeon of the Mad Mage conversion to WFRP 4e [Spoilers]

This was the original idea expanded with more ideas around the heists and how they would fit into Waterdeep

D&D 5E (2014) - Keys from the Golden Dragon Heist (With a little Undermountain) Mash Up Spoilers

This is the actual play of the first few sessions with ideas using Curse of the Crimson Throne as well …

WFRP 4e - Year of Splendors Burning - Waterdeep-Heist-Mad-Mage-Golden-Vault-Crimson-Throne-Shattered-Obelisk Mashup

I think the mash-up combination is excellent though and I’d love to run this in D&D with a different group now I’ve done a lot of the Foundry leg work. I’ll probably be running this as a paid campaign sometime next year.

 

[Enrahim]

My first thought went to shadowdark or draw steel depending on level of combat potency suitable. But I realised these are a bit too opiniated in style for my tastes for sustaining a long game. My mind then went more to BECMI that has an in-buildt style progression. But I fear the arcaic qualities of some of the systems would feel tiering after a while now that I have tasted more streamlined games.

Most games I can think of has a too steep progression curve out of the box, and are too tailored to one type of experience to make how I would envision an optimal 60+ session campaign. As such I feel my answer must be to start out freeform, and drag in aproperiate systems as we go - maybe change out components as the campaign develops. This feels like cheating, but that is the only way I can see making a system really stand out for me for a 60+ session campaign compared with all the merely decent options mentioned so far in the thread.

 

[TwoSix]

They aren't really the same question. "60 sessions" requires a game to probably be functional over extended play, but it still may not be usable in unlimited play (about the only game systems I think really work for the latter are ones with baked in diminishing returns).

Yep. The engine or game style I would want for a 1-2 shot, a game of a dozen sessions, a game of 60ish sessions, and a functionally unlimited one (at least 100+ sessions) would all be very different.

 

[Old Fezziwig]

Burning Wheel is what I thought of! I've not run 60-session BW games, but I know that BWHQ like long campaigns.

I've played a bit of 4e Dark Sun, and I think it can work well, but to me - given the implicit themes of revolt, salvation etc - it actually seems suited to a somewhat shorter game.

I got the same impression about BWHQ, though I also have the impression that they do a lot of small series of sessions with the same characters in the same continuity (e.g., the Si-Juk actual play).

You make a good point about Dark Sun. I think I've mentioned my old group's 4e games before somewhere on the boards, and one of those games was a Dark Sun campaign that foundered for a variety of reasons. I guess I just feel like I have unfinished business.

 

[Elvish Lore]

D&D 5e 2024 or possibly Pathfinder 2e. I know, boring! But I suspect that these are the games the rest of the group would be able to stomach for 2.5 years... Support in Foundry VTT is also excellent for both. Setting: Forgotten Realms (Sword Coast) or Golarion (Kingmaker). Although I might opt for Ember when that's done (FVTT world/campaign/sandbox/adventure).

Anything else is just so unrealistic that it's not worth mentioning. There's a TON of other games that I would like/love to run, but for significantly shorter then this, and if such an experiment would run for 60 sessions it would be a truly surprising miracle.

Remember, it’s a hypothetical. Assume any game you choose has really good VTT support so don’t make it a consideration.

You dismiss some other choices as unrealistic, but I’m curious… What are they?

 

[Autumnal]

Thanks, @TheSword !