We're at the final battle of my group's take on The Dragon of Icespire Peak. It was the first game any of us have played, and we're about a dozen sessions in, with the characters at level 5, starting from 2 (which in retrospect I wish they had been about 7 just for growth's sake and to keep interest, but again, first time ever playing). I think we've all had a ton of fun, but we now have some other campaigns going and I think the players are really enjoying how those differ, and I am plenty happy to step into being a player in those worlds as opposed to DMing this one. In addition to being at the main boss fight, I think the gameplay has drifted towards the "find the next button to push to keep it moving" as opposed to wanting to explore much more about the characters or dive into the clues I was trying to seed into the next chapter. I would like this to feel like it's a satisfying triumph and that we can put this campaign on the back-burner for a while, and come back to it later if everyone's really missing these characters.
So what do you think I need to have to make sure this feels like a fulfilling conclusion? What elements have been successful for you all in wrapping up a campaign?
One thing I like is an epilogue. If you have any plot threads the PCs didn’t resolve, make up an ending and tell it to them, like, since you guys never got involved, that one dragon I told you about destroyed a small village and rampaged until someone else killed it, they were appointed lord of the town, but it turns out they’re not a nice person. Something that leaves you with a hook if you decide to pick up the campaign again. And also ask the players what they do. Go around the table and have them tell where their characters go from here. It’s lets them decide what their happily-ever-after is. And If you decide to pick it up again, it gives you a starting point for getting the band back together. Or, if you want to carry on in this world with new PCs, you have an idea of where these characters are. It can be really fun for players to run into an old character, who is now a high-level NPC giving out quests instead of doing them.
Wrap up any loose ends, and ask the characters what they want to do after their quest is over. Ex: Retire and buy a house near the beach, marry another character/NPC (only if the character/NPC agrees), continue adventuring in that area, etc.
I always ask myself why a campaign has to end. It really doesn't if written well. There is much more going on in the world. I feel that having an ending just seems like a linear game. I'm more open world where there is a lot going on everywhere and players choose to intervene or not. Which changes the world. There are like 9 bbegs in my world and players know of them all.
They can't do it all. But they can do one at a time. Though if it takes a week in game to take out one bbeg then the others advance in their plans. So players have to pick and choose their battles. My players like it and not every player will like that style of game.
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We're at the final battle of my group's take on The Dragon of Icespire Peak. It was the first game any of us have played, and we're about a dozen sessions in, with the characters at level 5, starting from 2 (which in retrospect I wish they had been about 7 just for growth's sake and to keep interest, but again, first time ever playing). I think we've all had a ton of fun, but we now have some other campaigns going and I think the players are really enjoying how those differ, and I am plenty happy to step into being a player in those worlds as opposed to DMing this one. In addition to being at the main boss fight, I think the gameplay has drifted towards the "find the next button to push to keep it moving" as opposed to wanting to explore much more about the characters or dive into the clues I was trying to seed into the next chapter. I would like this to feel like it's a satisfying triumph and that we can put this campaign on the back-burner for a while, and come back to it later if everyone's really missing these characters.
So what do you think I need to have to make sure this feels like a fulfilling conclusion? What elements have been successful for you all in wrapping up a campaign?
One thing I like is an epilogue. If you have any plot threads the PCs didn’t resolve, make up an ending and tell it to them, like, since you guys never got involved, that one dragon I told you about destroyed a small village and rampaged until someone else killed it, they were appointed lord of the town, but it turns out they’re not a nice person. Something that leaves you with a hook if you decide to pick up the campaign again.
And also ask the players what they do. Go around the table and have them tell where their characters go from here. It’s lets them decide what their happily-ever-after is. And If you decide to pick it up again, it gives you a starting point for getting the band back together. Or, if you want to carry on in this world with new PCs, you have an idea of where these characters are. It can be really fun for players to run into an old character, who is now a high-level NPC giving out quests instead of doing them.
Wrap up any loose ends, and ask the characters what they want to do after their quest is over. Ex: Retire and buy a house near the beach, marry another character/NPC (only if the character/NPC agrees), continue adventuring in that area, etc.
There is no dawn after eternal night.
Homebrew: Magic items, Subclasses
I always ask myself why a campaign has to end. It really doesn't if written well. There is much more going on in the world. I feel that having an ending just seems like a linear game. I'm more open world where there is a lot going on everywhere and players choose to intervene or not. Which changes the world. There are like 9 bbegs in my world and players know of them all.
They can't do it all. But they can do one at a time. Though if it takes a week in game to take out one bbeg then the others advance in their plans. So players have to pick and choose their battles. My players like it and not every player will like that style of game.