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View Full Version : Have you guys been in this situation?



Breaw
2008-09-02, 03:55 AM
So I'm thinking of putting an end to my current campaign, as a player. We originally were a party of 6, not particularly well synergized but simply numerous enough to do just about anything. A while back 2 players were unable to continue playing, and in the next few weeks one of our 4 remaining members will be moving away. As a result we are left with a fighter, a ranger and a bard. Yeah. Here's the situation as far as I see it:

The party as it stands is more or less incapable of accomplishing tasks at the level if significance we are used to without serious NPC assistance, this ultimately isn't that fun. Also, the party is very poorly designed for really specific missions. Only the ranger is sneaky enough for stealth unless the bard spends all spell slots on invisibility. The bard is really the only one who has any interest in spending extended periods of time in social settings. I could keep going. Ultimately the party just doesn't fit into a package well designed for anything, and I think we can all feel it. All the players really enjoy playing together, and we all really like the setting, but after a couple years of play it seems time to call it quits.

I'm thinking I will probably try to push the party towards completing one quest close to the partys heart (killing an ex party member that has fallen to dark bloodpowers... Birthright setting) and then bidding them adieu. We've been putting the pieces in place for this one for probably 6 months while seeing to more pressing matters, and I expect it will be a fitting end.

Not sure what I expect of a response, just curious I guess if others have had similar experiences.

-B

bigbaddragon
2008-09-02, 04:56 AM
My group didn't have cases like this except one time we were playing GURPS and the DM was really !@$!@$ and non cooperative (he didn't share almost any details on the setting so most of our chars were useless, he killed a character of a friend I suspected he didn't like on first session (and this was intentionally, I would bet my life on it) and he made an ass kicking NPC that he would play) so we kinda quietly stopped "attending" his game.



All the players really enjoy playing together, and we all really like the setting ...


This is what is most important here. If you are all having fun together than you shouldn't let a few "technical" problems spoil it. If I were you I'd try to talk my DM into letting the party rebuild the characters (so you can cover things you can't right now) and maybe allowing to build the new characters Gestalt. If you are unfamiliar with gestalt, that is when you advance in two classes simultaneously and you are getting all of their class features and regarding the saves, skills, hit dice, BAB you take the better of the two (this way a party of three can easily cover all the needed roles). The rules for gestalt are somewhere in Unearthed Arcana I think and here is the link from SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/gestaltCharacters.htm#buildingAGestaltCharacter).

Also you should also take into account the facts that your leaving will probably end the campaign and how would the other two players feel about it. You did imply that you like gaming with them after all :)

EDIT: And as Dode said you could bring someone new to the game. It worked for my group more than once.

Dode
2008-09-02, 04:57 AM
Uhhh... bring in a new guy?

Hal
2008-09-02, 05:23 AM
I DM'd a game for 3 people. It can work.

First, the DM will have to adjust all encounters to the smaller group and the group's abilities. This isn't unusual, but it can make things more interesting.

Next, don't be afraid to adventure with an NPC. I sent a sailor (an Expert with ranks in Profession (Sailor)) along with my players, and he worked out pretty well. He was able to contribute at a low level without stealing any of the spotlight.

And yeah, why not invite someone new to the game? If you're having fun, there's no reason to let it die.

EDIT: I should add that the game I DM'd for 3 was a party consisting of a fighter, a cleric, and a bard. The addition of the expert was largely to give them some skills the bard wasn't investing in (such as open lock) and to give them some guidance when they were absolutely stuck. Heck, I even sent the fighter and bard off on their own adventures when the cleric's player was absent. These things can work as long as the DM is willing to scale the encounters to the group's abilities.

Comet
2008-09-02, 06:03 AM
Then again, it's perfectly OK to let that particular game die and start a new one, this time specifically for three characters. New story, new tricks, the fun doesn't have to end.
This, of course, is only valid if you can bring the current story to a satisfying ending or if you really think it isn't working anymore.
All in all, you can continue the existing game if youre really having fun, but I don't think you should hesitate about starting a new one. Everybody likes a clear ending more than a slow drop of interest.

Prometheus
2008-09-02, 11:06 AM
If you wanted to play it a risky way, the DM could let your players know that you are aware of their weaknesses and is in fact, going to make it harder. If someone dies, they are the one who has to roll up a new character, and if they all die, they all roll up a new character (or campaign).

Tsotha-lanti
2008-09-02, 12:21 PM
I've been running games for 2-3 players for years. It works fine. Usually, with D&D, we just have everyone play two characters. If your games are RP-heavy, just give everyone a free cohort-only Leadership, play the cohorts as NPCs out of combat, and let the PCs play the cohorts in combat.

Flickerdart
2008-09-02, 12:28 PM
Re-roll a Wizard, Cleric and Druid. Now you'll be able to take on anything.

Starsinger
2008-09-02, 12:54 PM
The bard is really the only one who has any interest in spending extended periods of time in social settings. I could keep going.

Is this becuse the Bard is the only one with social skills? Or do social settings in general bore the other two?

evisiron
2008-09-02, 01:46 PM
It sounds like a good situation, if it is just the campaign that might end. Don't stop playing altogether if its a good group!

Maybe try a new system, like Stars Wars or a different DnD setting.

Breaw
2008-09-02, 07:58 PM
Then again, it's perfectly OK to let that particular game die and start a new one, this time specifically for three characters. New story, new tricks, the fun doesn't have to end.
This, of course, is only valid if you can bring the current story to a satisfying ending or if you really think it isn't working anymore.
All in all, you can continue the existing game if youre really having fun, but I don't think you should hesitate about starting a new one. Everybody likes a clear ending more than a slow drop of interest.

Yeah I feel the first few responses misinterpreted some of what I meant. Rereading my post I can understand why they interpretted what I said the way they did.

I will keep playing with this group long after this game. We play DnD on Sundays and random board games on Mondays, that is not about to change. The most likely resolution is going to be a new campaign with a specific 3 person vibe to it. Perhaps a thievery or spy campaign, set in a different part of the same setting.

I have no intention of leaving the group, I think I'm probably just going to suggest leaving the current characters once we get them to a nice spot.

On the topic of adding a new character, I've discussed it with the rest of the players and we all agree that the soap opera that is our current game has gone on for far too long for any sane person to be interested in the backstory like we are. Without a serious number of games under their belt, I doubt I can find someone who will enjoy most of what we current do as a party, because they don't share the personal motivations. Every new plot hook would require an hour of backstory to bring the new player up to speed.

Like I said, we're all having fun with each other as players and each other as characters. I just feel that a lot of what made the group what it was is gone, and the absenses in the party are sorely felt. Not just for logistical reasons but for storyline reasons as well.

-B

Thanks for the input.

Breaw
2008-09-02, 08:02 PM
Is this becuse the Bard is the only one with social skills? Or do social settings in general bore the other two?

Ah, it's a character thing really. I play a reasonably socially distant ranger. I'm a Half-elf in a very racist setting. No one really takes me as their own. As such there are plenty of interactions in social settings, even some positive ones, but in general I would rather be out in the wild, doing some good. Another way of putting it is that I feel very exposed in city centers, and don't much like that feeling, as I am the ninja in the forest.

As for the warrior, he's just a shy guy, and too much social interaction bores him as he has a tough time adding as much as he would otherwise. He's the strong silent type. :D

-B

Colmarr
2008-09-03, 01:54 AM
If the group's main concern is that the PCs do not have the ability to adventure effectively with their existing members, the easiest option is to add another member (one player plays 2 characters or you have a DMPC).

Another option is to take the campaign gestalt, which gives you an opportunity to pick up abilities without increasing the number of PCs.

Hallavast
2008-09-03, 02:51 AM
While I haven't shared this particular brand of problem, I do have some advice for you. Give this story some finality. Most of the games I run or play in "end before the ending" so to speak. Either one or more players can't continue, or the characters die, or we just lose interest in the campaign. So you have a chance to end the story cinematically and dramatically if you so choose. Talk it over with your group, and see how they feel about giving this game a formal ending. After this last adventure the characters might decide to retire. Maybe one or more of the characters will die heroically. Maybe one of the characters will betray the other two and switch sides. The possibilities for an excellent ending are bound only by the creativity level of the DM and the Players.

Once that party's story has concluded, I would suggest starting up a new campaign in the same setting since you appear to be enjoying it. Perhaps the surviving members of the old party will become prevalent NPCs. I would reccomend building upon the setting while keeping the new campaign separate enough from the old one to keep any new players interested.

Breaw
2008-09-03, 03:32 AM
While I haven't shared this particular brand of problem, I do have some advice for you. Give this story some finality. Most of the games I run or play in "end before the ending" so to speak. Either one or more players can't continue, or the characters die, or we just lose interest in the campaign. So you have a chance to end the story cinematically and dramatically if you so choose. Talk it over with your group, and see how they feel about giving this game a formal ending. After this last adventure the characters might decide to retire. Maybe one or more of the characters will die heroically. Maybe one of the characters will betray the other two and switch sides. The possibilities for an excellent ending are bound only by the creativity level of the DM and the Players.

Once that party's story has concluded, I would suggest starting up a new campaign in the same setting since you appear to be enjoying it. Perhaps the surviving members of the old party will become prevalent NPCs. I would reccomend building upon the setting while keeping the new campaign separate enough from the old one to keep any new players interested.

This sounds a lot like what I had planned. For interests sake I'll elaborate a touch on the storyline. For those who have played the Birthright campaign setting, you will know that people who were around at the creation of the old gods gained 'blood powers'. The few who got the most became gods themselves, the rest got spell like abilities and passed these blood powers onto their children.

Our party killed one of the greater evils in the Serilia some time ago, in so doing the evil bloodpowers held by the creature got passed to one of our party members. She eventually succumbed to the powers, and became a re-occurring villain (player rerolled a new character). She is almost unkillable, and a great deal of our resources for the past 6 months have been spent on things like legend lore and stuff to figure out what to do.

The party is made up of the Dosier family, except for my character, who is a half elf who has been protecting the family for about 4 generations now. Clearly having one member fall to the Azrai (evil god) bloodpowers is a pretty big failing on my part.

One last detail: Humans and elves are at war for the most part in this setting. An elf of great power is running the 'Elven Hunt' which used to scour the land of the likes of goblins and orcs, is now running the Elven Hunt as a genocide against humanity. There is some hope of redirecting the goal of the Hunt, but not while 'The Man-slayer' as he is called is in power. The Man-slayers old second in command will be shortly be trying to make a coup for control of the Hunt.

The plan currently is to go through the next few steps to take out the Ex-party member, as we feel it is our responsability to correct the mistake we made. After which I will respectfully request a leave from a duty of protecting the family, and join the Elven Hunt. Hopefully it will be under new management. But even if it isn't I'll join it with hopes of reconnecting with the elven heritage I've never really experiences, and try to show alternatives to genocide to this group of militant elves. I know it sounds crazy but with how the story has been put forward it's not totally insane.


Anyway, that's the overall plan as it currently stands. It will probably be doable in 2 to 4 sessions depending on what curveballs are thrown our way. But yeah, I do intend to end it epically if possible.

Hallavast
2008-09-04, 02:40 AM
Trying to reason with the Rhuobhe Manslayer, eh? Yeah, good luck with that.

Seriously, though, it sounds like an awesome game you've got there. Good luck wrapping things up.