Café de Nuit

As various RL box sets/Rulebooks have stated, the setting really isn't one for high level campaigns as it's harder to harness that gothic horror feel when your PC's are extremely powerful. The highest level published adventures I've seen are Thoughts of Darkness (12-15) and short quest in Children of the Night: Ghosts (15).

When do you end your campaigns? I've heard that 12 is a popular choice and I've never heard of a full-fledged RL game going past 15.

Edit: Also, what do your PC's tend to fight at the highest level?

Campaigns end?

Ha, ha. That's wonderful that your group never stopped. What does your party face off against at high level?

Epically wrote:Campaigns end?

Indeed! Our regular D&D campaign started in 1987 and is still going!

Joël of the FoS wrote:

Epically wrote:Campaigns end?

Indeed! Our regular D&D campaign started in 1987 and is still going!

Joël of the FoS wrote:

Epically wrote:Campaigns end?

Indeed! Our regular D&D campaign started in 1987 and is still going!

How often do you all play? What level are you at right now?

I know some of you were not born when we started this campaign We play with this group since 1987, but I play D&D since 1981.

From 1987 to 2003, there were two DMs to that campaign, me bringing the PCs to Ravenloft and Planescape, and another DM who brought us to various places in Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms. When our adventure ended, the other DM took control, while the former DM took a PC (that we shared). That was very cool as a DM had time to plan his next adventure while he was a player in the other DM's adventure.

We started this fantasy campaign in 1987, in 2e. We rose to level 15th or 16th.

Then, in 2003, we did a rebooth in 3.5 ed, with the same PCs, back to level 7th. Now we are again 15-16th.

At the same time, we started the 3.5 Ravenloft campaign in 2003. I wanted a full RL native campaign, instead of weekend in hell adventures like we did before. Also, high level PCs are much difficult to scare then low level RL native. The PCs in the Ravenloft campaign are now 7-8th.

So since 2003, we play two campaigns at the same time, two sessions of a fantasy D&D campaign (where I play), and two session of Ravenloft (where I'm the DM), then back for two sesions of the fantasy one, and so forth.

I'd say we play D&D a whole Sunday about 15 times a year.

Joël of the FoS wrote:I know some of you were not born when we started this campaign We play with this group since 1987, but I play D&D since 1981.

From 1987 to 2003, there were two DMs to that campaign, me bringing the PCs to Ravenloft and Planescape, and another DM who brought us to various places in Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms. When our adventure ended, the other DM took control, while the former DM took a PC (that we shared). That was very cool as a DM had time to plan his next adventure while he was a player in the other DM's adventure.

We started this fantasy campaign in 1987, in 2e. We rose to level 15th or 16th.

Then, in 2003, we did a rebooth in 3.5 ed, with the same PCs, back to level 7th. Now we are again 15-16th.

At the same time, we started the 3.5 Ravenloft campaign in 2003. I wanted a full RL native campaign, instead of weekend in hell adventures like we did before. Also, high level PCs are much difficult to scare then low level RL native. The PCs in the Ravenloft campaign are now 7-8th.

So since 2003, we play two campaigns at the same time, two sessions of a fantasy D&D campaign (where I play), and two session of Ravenloft (where I'm the DM), then back for two sesions of the fantasy one, and so forth.

I'd say we play D&D a whole Sunday about 15 times a year.

And I thought my game going 8 years was impressive!

So you do roughly 7 sessions for each campaign a year? That plus 2nd edition rules and xp would account for part of how it could extend that long and not have hit max levels/optional rules for higher levels.

Resonant Curse wrote:So you do roughly 7 sessions for each campaign a year? That plus 2nd edition rules and xp would account for part of how it could extend that long and not have hit max levels/optional rules for higher levels.

If you are talking to me I use 3.5 rules and have about a session a week. They are now 12th level.

brilliantlight wrote:

Resonant Curse wrote:So you do roughly 7 sessions for each campaign a year? That plus 2nd edition rules and xp would account for part of how it could extend that long and not have hit max levels/optional rules for higher levels.

If you are talking to me I use 3.5 rules and have about a session a week. They are now 12th level.

Was responding to joel's comment.

3/3.5 moves much faster with leveling.

Resonant Curse wrote: ↑Sun Mar 24, 2019 7:35 am So you take these probiotics for ibs and do roughly 7 sessions for each campaign a year? That plus 2nd edition rules and xp would account for part of how it could extend that long and not have hit max levels/optional rules for higher levels.

3.5 rules are even slightly too fast if you ask me. But I think people generally prefer that, right?

Boruff wrote:3.5 rules are even slightly too fast if you ask me. But I think people generally prefer that, right?

Generally the older (35+ish) crowd that started with the older editions prefer the slower pace and generally all have set homes/jobs, which does lend itself to longer campaigns that can last decades. Younger players tend to have started on 3rd/tail end of second computer games like Baldur's Gate and are used to the faster 3rd+ speed. The faster speed is better suited for the high school/college crowd that can't necessarily expect their friends or even themselves not to have moved out of the area any given semester/year.

Resonant Curse wrote:So you do roughly 7 sessions for each campaign a year? That plus 2nd edition rules and xp would account for part of how it could extend that long and not have hit max levels/optional rules for higher levels.

Since 2003, both are 3.5 ed. It depends on which campaign :

- the high fantasy one saw our level increase from 7th to 15-16th since 2003.

- the Ravenloft one (where I DM) has a much slower growth rate : from 3rd to 7-8th level only during the same time.

Battles are much less often in RL that the first campaign, I give less xp for roleplay, and I use a slow level increase table from Pathfinder.

My players were warned of that situation before we started, and they're OK with it. I explained them that RL at high level is less fun for me as they cannot be as scared, and that situation could ruin the fun of a RL campaign.

The style of games between the two on-going campaigns is very different, and switching between both styles is something the players like.

Resonant Curse wrote:Generally the older (35+ish) crowd that started with the older editions prefer the slower pace and generally all have set homes/jobs, which does lend itself to longer campaigns that can last decades. Younger players tend to have started on 3rd/tail end of second computer games like Baldur's Gate and are used to the faster 3rd+ speed. The faster speed is better suited for the high school/college crowd that can't necessarily expect their friends or even themselves not to have moved out of the area any given semester/year.

Heh... "Younger" players play 5th now. You're a bit out of date.
Generally, people tend to play what they grew up with. Switching editions is a huge undertaking and only gets worse as you get older and set in your ways.
We get a lot of 3.5/PF here because that's the edition of the last major setting. We also get some 2e players because that was where RL started. The more adventurous among us have branched into 4e and 5e, but many just stick with what they know.

(42-year-old 3.5/Pathfinder DM here... Campaign running through 28 weekend long sessions over the past 16 years, going from 1st level (3.0) to 11th (PF) so far, with no end in sight...)