How to Run a Decade+ Long RPG Campaign

People were asking about any advice for how to run a successful RPG campaign for as long as I've run my 11+ year #DCC Last Sun campaign. Here's what tips I can offer.
#dnd #ttrpg #osr

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[nooneofconsequence]

My Roll20-based BX campaign has been running for close to 11 years now, and still going strong. There was some player churn early in the game, but it had been stable for around 7 years now. Of the 5 current players, 3 of them have been there since the beginning.

[UncleDwalin]

Lots of good advice here!

Star Adventurer campaign update: The lads have officially acquired a ship. The space station they were on got swallowed by an unstable wormhole partially due to the psychic ronin in the part accidentally attracting a sort of eldritch phenomena called a WORM (named as such because they cause wormholes to open). They had to get to the bank to get their mortgage as time and space were slowly starting to fall apart, but they got out in time!

Last session they responded to a distress signal from another ship that escaped, later than they did. It's been some horror shit as the crew went mad and freaky stuff has been happening. They've been traversing bloodied corridors with flickering emergency lights, fighting crazed naked cannibals and such. They're currently trying to get to the broken off tail section of the ship while being stalked by 'something'. Good fun.

Unrelated DCC question? How do you deal with spellburning? Do you demand sacrifices, do you have some sort of system to limit it, or do you let them burn points at will?

[ChrisRice-yd]

I like the “Hobby Shop Dungeon” model where you just play with whoever turns up on the day. Obviously that will suit more rules lite games as chargen is quicker or you can have a load of pregens or NPCs who are ready to go.

[kgeo]

YESSS. You did it! Thanks man. I’m excited to listen :)

[simontmn]

Lots of good advice. Fits how I do it! The value of Casual players is often unappreciated.

[Rajaat]

I've been running a Dark Sun game for 6 years and a Shadowrun game for 9 years. They're both still going on.

[whangbar]

My Palladium campaign journey went like TMNT --> Heroes Unlimited --> Beyond the Supernatural --> Rifts --> and then, perhaps surprisingly, wound up for a long time in Palladium Fantasy. Robotech might have factored in because I was a fan at the time and had the books. But we just never went in that direction. We would have probably also explored Nightbane if we hadn't all gone our separate ways.

[tabletopgamingwithwolfphototec]

Here to watch & learn.

Also got ads on the video.

[tabletopgamingwithwolfphototec]

11:33 I'm Mr. Reliable in all my groups.

I play or run no less than 3 games a week ( Saturday, Monday & Tuesday ).

[juddgoswick]

Ever since I discovered 1-to-12 time play (what people call "Heroic Scale Time"), my games have really become confusing! 😆

[Fernoll]

Long campaign pro tip: Don't level up more often than once a year.

[simontmn]

I'm nervous about having more than a 4 level difference in my new Shadowdark game. Hmm. So far after 7 sessions they're all in the 1-3 range.

[docsavage]

Most games aren't interesting enough to play for a decade straight, honestly. There's nothing wrong with running a campaign for 6 months or 2 years and moving on.

[Nezzeraj]

Is the woke in the room with you right now?

[briansmaller]

The real key to doing this is having a group that stays local, nobody gets chronically ill, moves for work or family reasons, or otherwise falls off their perch. If only people prioritised gaming over jobs and family it would be so much easier.