D&D General When you continue playing after a multi-month break (tips needed)

[Baldurs_Underdark]

So I am the DM of a campaign that has stopped during the summer months (DM and players were all on holiday). It's a relatively new campaign we play: We will play session #6. (Homebrew campaign, newbie players, btw).

I want to start up the game with a little recap:

• First players say what they remember, and what their characters are doing (which they may not remember because nobody takes notes).
• Then I'll summarize the storyline (because I did take notes after every session), and end the summary with a description of the location where the PCs find themselves.

Any other tips how to get the story going again smoothly after a long break?

 

[Norton]

Feel your pain. Happens to me frequently. If there's a lot to cover, try keeping your summary to only the key points. They'll get lost all over again if there's too much to review. You may find that they start filling in and laughing about things they're starting to recall, so expect a longer start that might actually be a fun time.

If you really want to go all out, print out the outline so they have it for reference and maybe include a glossary of NPCs. I did a page and a half PDF that I sent them the night before so they could do a quick review prior to showing. With any luck, they'll hit the ground running and you'll get more actual playing time in.

Good luck!

 

[iserith]

I think looking to the second season of a TV series coming back after hiatus is informative here. Provide a succinct recap of what came before, with particular emphasis on what will be relevant in the current session. Then off you go. I don't recommend giving people any reading to do or homework outside of the actual session.

 

[Oofta]

I would do a really quick review first to jog people's memories before you ask them what they remember and what they're doing. Ultimately it's really more of a conversation - you may or may not need to remind people of details and what-not.

Beyond that I wouldn't worry about it too much. You may need to remind people of some things as you go along is all. Good luck!

 

[Retreater]

Jump in with the action and have fun - no one wants an hour-long recap. Depending on how you originally ended before the break, maybe even do a small time-jump.

 

[Stormonu]

“When we last left our heroes” with a short recap of pertinent events is a good thing to do.

Having the players do the recap is really beneficial, more so than the DM, as it lets you know what details they were tuned-in to, and you can then fill in gaps they need to know (but keep it brief). If there’s more relevant info they need, put it on a bullet-pointed sheet of paper they can refer to as the game goes on.

The big thing is not to do an info dump off the bat and lose all the excitement of getting back together. A fun thing to do is to open with some sort of immediate hook (a fight with returned enemies from the past or terse verbal encounter with a belligerent NPC questioning their prior deeds), that lets you remind the group of past events while still having present action.

 

[Jmarso]

Yeah, after each session make a note of where the characters are and where the situation stands. Of special import is the 'small things' that will eventually slip the mind- like the note one character found and slipped into his pocket during a time crunch without reading it, stuff like that. Then when the group meets again, have the whole 'And there they were...' recap, spiced with those little reminders: "And oh, Hyacinth the Rogue, don't forget you swiped that note off the table and have it in your pocket, unread..."

I try not to break sessions mid-stream when there is 'stuff' going on, but sometimes the clock ticks down to zero on a session and you can't help it.

 

[TheSword]

I’ll be honest, as a DM it’s been responsible for ending more campaigns than any other cause. Once you go beyond two months it’s very hard.

I’d almost treat it as a first session again. Try and capture what the campaign means in that first session back. Establish a good feel for the group ands get the play resumed. Maybe follow up with another session soon after make your first session back a double length one to up the engagement.

Good luck with it. We got our odyssey face to face campaign going after four\five months of lockdown and once we got that first session back out of the way it was great.

 

[aco175]

I start with a fight. This way the players get to feel out their PCs once again and recall all the bits that the spells and powers do and know that game is starting. Then, you have a bit of recap as to why the goblins are attacking and to recall you were traveling to the secret cave for the NPS guy and that the BBEG was gathering goblins in the next valley.

 

[Faolyn]

We rotate DMs, so there are usually several months between games. Recaps are fine.