Comments on: DM Tips for Restarting a Retired Campaign

By: Ameron

Ameron — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:22:32 +0000

@skallawag
A campaign blog has been incredibly useful for my ongoing campaign. Starting one up for the new campaign is an excellent idea.

I agree that clear direction is critical in the beginning. Depending on how long the game was on hold the PCs may think they remember the details and the facts, but time has blurred the truth. It’s important for DMs to keep reminding the PCs of events that happened and that their PCs would clearly remember, even if the players don’t.

By: skallawag

skallawag — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 19:22:06 +0000

A tip might be to start up a campaign blog or write a short story to go over the campaign events.

Also remember that you, the DM, and your group will be excited about returning to an old campaign. Don’t just throw multiple options/adventure paths out to the players. Give them a direction in the beginning an then open up options after a few sessions. You don’t want to lose your players at the beginning and lose sight of your overall adventure arc — once you lose them, you may never get them back.

By: Ameron

Ameron — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:20:43 +0000

@Johnn Four
These tips should prove useful for DMs regardless of RPG or edition. If even one point I’ve suggested helps, then I’ve done my job.

By: Ravenous Role Playing » Blog Archive » Friday Five: 2009-07-31

Ravenous Role Playing » Blog Archive » Friday Five: 2009-07-31 — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:34:10 +0000

[...] DM Tips for Restarting a Retired Campaign I don’t know how often a group resurrects a dormant campaign, but I’ve done this quite a few times. Sometimes after just a short hiatus, and other times it was a lengthy absence. I wish I had this article in past attempts to restart a game. [...]

By: Johnn Four

Johnn Four — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 17:00:54 +0000

“Whisper in their ear.” Nice phrasing!

I too am looking at pausing our 4E campaign and either starting a new 3.5 game or returning to the 3.5 game we left off to go play 4E. We’re actually leaning toward a Pathfinder campaign.
.-= Johnn Four´s last blog ..The Nimble Mind: Making Skills Matter in RPGs =-.

By: Ameron

Ameron — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:51:51 +0000

@Rook
Thanks. I really thought this article would generate more buzz.

I like your idea of a round-table Q&A before you get started again. By letting the players tell the story as they remember it, the DM can learn what parts of the story left the strongest impression on the PCs. It also lets the DM know which details he may need to place more emphasis on. Taking a couple of hours during that first night back to bring everyone up to speed doesn’t sound like a waste of time to me at all. If anything, I think it will get the players excited to get back to the old campaign.

By: Rook

Rook — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:16:55 +0000

All in all, a great article. Not just good tips, but a good list of things every DM needs to keep in mind when getting back in the saddle. My current group is running two different campaigns, one D&D and one Star Wars. Because of scheduling we only get together to play once every month or two. So I have to deal with these same problems all the time. When we switch back into a campaign I always start off with a short, Cliff’s Notes version of what happened last time. I then allow time for everyone to look over their characters and we do a little Q and A session to see what each player remembers about the campaign. It takes away some precious game time in the beginning, but it’s well worth it after everyone is back up to speed and ready to get back into it. .-= Rook´s last blog ..My Foray into 4E: My Iconic Character(s) =-.