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View Full Version : So... I finished my first D&D campaign



Helluin
2014-01-25, 02:53 AM
Well not exactly my first campaign since I've played in one as a guest for one or two sessions, plus a few on shots. A more appropriate phrase might be "my first complete, non-one-shot D&D campaign". Anyhow, you get the idea.

So my character, a 12th level elven wizard who started out as a lowly lvl. 1 graduating apprentice (he was pretty close to lv 13 too...), got a very satisfactory ending, as did everyone else (I'm leaving out the details because I know some of my fellow gamers might be browsing this forum too). Yet I'm feeling a little emotional about this as I've kind of grown attached to my character (whose adventure will certainly continue in my part of the imaginary world where the campaign takes place). Another reason is that I know this campaign would probably be the last game that I will play with the same group of players/DM since some players will be relocating (myself included, probably) for various reasons. So yeah.

The thing that worries me though, is that at this moment I'm feeling that, after all those efforts and emotions that I have put into my character, I'm incapable of making and becoming so attached to a new character in the future game, at least not in the immediate future. :smallfrown:

So I'm posting here because I'd like to know if any of my fellow GitPers have had the same feelings after finishing their campaigns (not necessarily the first), and if so, how long did it take you to recover from this kind of emotional state. Did that experience have any long-term, if not permanent, impact on how you play your new character(s) in a new game?

Raine_Sage
2014-01-25, 04:46 AM
Man I definitely know the feeling. My first long term campaign ended along the final days of summer vacation just before everyone had to go back to college though I do still play online with some of them.

There's just something bitter sweet about ending a character's story arc even on a high note. Mostly I dealt with any linger "Itch" by freeforming it online with some friends as we tied some of the endgame stories together. For some reason it's comforting to think retired heroes still pal around once they've all attained minor godhoods or are otherwise immortal. Mostly this took the for of skype chats going "Haha wouldn't it be funny if the two evil girls were roommates in Baator and joint-ruled their plane." because for some reason the idea of archdevils bickering over mundane things like whose turn it is to clean the bathroom is endlessly funny to me probably because I'm incredibly immature sometimes.

All I can say is the writer's block clears up once you get another "worthy" idea. I ran through a whole bunch of one shot ideas in a whole bunch of different classes before finally settling on one that I really liked. The kicker is once I found it I had nowhere to play it :P so I'm patiently waiting for another DM to show up.

Helluin
2014-01-25, 05:31 AM
[Interesting story]
All I can say is the writer's block clears up once you get another "worthy" idea. I ran through a whole bunch of one shot ideas in a whole bunch of different classes before finally settling on one that I really liked. The kicker is once I found it I had nowhere to play it :P so I'm patiently waiting for another DM to show up.

The part about making up end stories for characters after a campaign sounds really cool. I will try that if the other players are willing. Hopefully they are, though I need to say that maybe I'm the only player that got so (perhaps needlessly) attached to the characters. Perhaps it has something to do with me being a relatively new player. I don't know.

Also I appreciate what you said about new character ideas. In fact, I do currently have a few that I wanted to play (I even wrote the full backstories for two of them). But I'm afraid that right now I'm, I don't know, too emotionally drained to enjoy playing them

You could be right though, maybe when the opportunity presents itself, I would be able to readjust myself and wait for a new DM and a new campaign to come to my rescue. Thanks for sharing your advice Raine :smallsmile:

Raine_Sage
2014-01-25, 05:44 AM
Haha no problem. Don't worry though it's natural to feel a little burnt out after finishing a good story. It's not even limited to D&D, I tend to feel kind of emotionally exhausted after finishing a good book or watching a good movie. Like "Wow that was great but I think I need a break before I start the next thing."

Fortuna
2014-01-25, 06:47 AM
Also, I'd just like to congratulate you on actually getting to finish something. More than I've done in my five years of gaming. Cherish that, man.

KoboldCleric
2014-01-25, 11:50 AM
My group handles this issue by switching systems. At the end of a 2 or 3 year d&d campaign we'll switch to shadowrun or SWd20. Sometimes we'll even pick up a new system for a 6 to 12 month break from our normal rotation. We all find it's much easier to get into a new character if it's an entirely different genre.

Atmo
2014-01-25, 12:56 PM
One thing i can say is you will never substitute or replace this character. That in mind, you'll have to go on and forge a new series of them. Yes, series.

GPuzzle
2014-01-25, 01:37 PM
You know, you have just finished a major adventure. No campaign truly ends. A story lives on. Sameo, Old Man Henderson, Raz the Rogue. Heck, even Irontooth became famous! A story lives on. That villain you really hated? He's in your memory, to be kept there. That elven wizard? Was there any epic moment with him that just looked like you were in a movie or a book?

The paladin that stayed behind so that the nun and the baby can escape? The rogue/warlock that made a personal sacrifice to freed himself from the demon he had sold his soul to? The cleric that said "I don't care anymore if I live or not. I just care that you are going to live." as his dying words to the group just after he killed the BBEG in a 1v1 fight?
They are going to be remembered in my memory.

A character is a man, and a man does not die when he has been stabbed, blown up, drowned, suffocated or even killed by an uncurable disease.
A man dies when he's forgotten.

inexorabletruth
2014-01-25, 10:59 PM
Nothing beats your first… especially if you were able to bring it all the way up to lvl 13 from lvl 1. My first character's campaign ended at lvl 5, but I still remember when swapping old war stories with my nerd buddies.

This is… you'll get better at building; you'll get better at playing; you'll even get involved in more epic campaigns with deeper twists and richer environments. But the game will never be as fresh or wondrous.

But that's ok.

The other games still have a chance of rockin' your socks off. Keep on playing. There are more kingdoms to save--more loot to find. :smallbiggrin:

Jay R
2014-01-25, 11:10 PM
I understand. That's how I felt at the end of more than one campaign, when I finished the last chapter of the Lord of the Rings, the Chronicles of Narnia, the Harry Potter nooks, watched the last episode of Smallville, M*A*S*H, The Fugitive, Happy Days, Babylon 5, Star Trek: TNG, etc.

But it's not like breaking up with a girlfriend. This relationship isn't broken; it's just completed.

Start another game, book, TV show, etc.

And save the character. You will use him or her as an NPC in a game you run some day.

Helluin
2014-01-26, 04:03 AM
I'm unable to quote every single post, but thanks to all that responded. I know this experience will be a unique one and one that I'm going to hold dear. I guess maybe that's part of the reason that I'm not entirely willing to let it go. But again, it seems to offer me even more reasons to LET it go... hmm :smallconfused:

Also yeah, I'll definitely be looking for new groups and new campaigns. Though joining a long campaign is going to be kind of difficult since I'll probably be moving around quite a bit in the next 1-2 yr for work reasons. So again, another reason that I'm feeling a little emo about the fact that our group is parting ways.

Also I saw some great advice regarding honouring my character. I think that's definitely something that I should do. I'm slowly editing my wizard's backstory to include his adventure with the party so that I can update my character sheet. Maybe I'll eventually upload it and start building my own character collection.:smallamused:



I understand. That's how I felt at the end of more than one campaign, when I finished the last chapter of the Lord of the Rings, the Chronicles of Narnia, the Harry Potter nooks[...]
But it's not like breaking up with a girlfriend. This relationship isn't broken; it's just completed.

Start another game, book, TV show, etc.

And save the character. You will use him or her as an NPC in a game you run some day.

Obligatory quote for LotR and Harry Potter. I had the feeling that I would never be able to become so emotionally invested in a book as I did in Harry Potter the moment I finished the last page (at 8:00am - I started reading the evening before at 8:00pm). And I was right - I am still not able to do that after seven years. I do hope this is not going to happen to all of my future experience with D&D in the next seven years :smalleek:
Also the NPC idea sounds cool. I will try that if I do pick up DMing.

Again, thanks to all:smallbiggrin:

inexorabletruth
2014-01-26, 07:29 AM
Though joining a long campaign is going to be kind of difficult since I'll probably be moving around quite a bit in the next 1-2 yr for work reasons. So again, another reason that I'm feeling a little emo about the fact that our group is parting ways.

Your group doesn't have to part ways. The internet has provided us a global village; take your game online.

You guys can play by video-conference or IP phone conferencing (like Skype), or by instant message systems (like Steam), social networking systems (like Tumblr) or even message board systems (like this site or Myth-Weavers).

I play most of my games on the Playground in the Play-by-Post forums, because I don't have a D&D group where I live. I've gotten pretty fond of the style too and actually prefer it now over live sessions. So, the game doesn't have to end here. You and your group just need to change how you meet up.

Helluin
2014-01-31, 09:39 PM
Your group doesn't have to part ways. The internet has provided us a global village; take your game online.


That's true. The entire group seems to be aware of the existence of quite a few gaming tools though we've never attempted to use any of them. However I'm not entirely sure if everyone that was a part of this campaign will still be interested in playing another (online) game instead of looking for rl groups/stop playing games all together for a while. That being said, I'll definitely ask around to see if anyone's interested. Thank you.:smallbiggrin: