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Resuming a Campaign
A long time member of my gaming group is set to return from AIT in the middle of the month, allowing us to continue a campaign that after nearly three years, approaches its conclusion. While this is very exciting, it can also be daunting, as it has been several months since any of us has played that game, that world, or even that system.
In honor of this upcoming event, here are some tips for resuming a campaign that has been on hiatus.
Group Memory Jog. Get as many members of the group together sometime before the game, and simply discuss the game. Good topics that will help jog the memory include character biographies, stories over how items came to be with the party, and goals that characters had. All of this will help get rid of some of the cobwebs and get peoples’ mind going about the game.
Role-play Before the Game. Set up a basic premise which will cause the players to role-play their characters, both with each other and a small cast of NPCs. This can either be part of the game or a separate exercise to help people get started. This gives people an additional chance to get used to their characters skin.
Hang-out Without Gaming. If the group has been apart for long in addition to the game being on hold, not only does everyone has a lot of catching up to do, but they may need some time to get reacquainted and used to each other again. Make sure everyone is comfortable around everyone else again before you try resuming the game.
Pre-pare a “Best of…” By preparing a best of list for each of the characters, you’re reminding everyone not only of the things that made the characters great and their greatest accomplishments, but also of what the characters were like and what had been important to the storyline and the game. Make sure to prepare a good selection which both demonstrates the past experience of the game, and prepares everyone for the experience ahead.
Field Questions. Before the game starts, open up the floor to questions for everyone. These questions can go in any direction - player to player, player to narrator or narrator to player. These last minute clarifications can prove invaluable.
Start Off Slow. No matter how much preparation you put into it, things are likely going to start off a little slow. If this is the case, you simply need to allow for some time for the game to once again pick up momentum. Sometimes this can take one or two sessions, but usually by the middle of the first session the game seems to be in full swing again.
What do you do to resume a game that’s been on hold?
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