All good things must come to an end, and so it is that we've chosen to set our Ravenloft game aside, indefinitely, to begin a new campaign. This decision is more a result of real-life changes and availability than anything else, but Falkovnia and Drakov's Talons will surely be missed. We had a solid run of 21 sessions over the course of three years, with six characters between four players. Until we meet again...
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In any event, something I'd like to try with the next game (aside from running a more traditional setting) is making the DM screen more transparent, as per some advice I recently picked up on. That doesn't mean players become privy to enemy stat blocks and unexplored map areas, but it would involve making most (if not all) DM dice rolls public. It seems like an interesting and worthwhile challenge - it definitely forces me to up my game, in terms of getting my rolls right and not pulling any punches for the PCs. I think we'll give it a go.
Edition-wise, I'm fairly sure we'll remain on AD&D 2e for the players, and for simplicity I'll likely follow suit, rather than having to deal with conflicting class and spell details in OSRIC. While 1e/2e/OSRIC are all nearly interchangeable at their cores, 2e still provides the best class options for wizards and priests, and remains the AD&D system I know best.
Look for more information on the new game in the coming weeks. Players can start bouncing around character ideas - in that vein, I leave you with this.
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In any event, something I'd like to try with the next game (aside from running a more traditional setting) is making the DM screen more transparent, as per some advice I recently picked up on. That doesn't mean players become privy to enemy stat blocks and unexplored map areas, but it would involve making most (if not all) DM dice rolls public. It seems like an interesting and worthwhile challenge - it definitely forces me to up my game, in terms of getting my rolls right and not pulling any punches for the PCs. I think we'll give it a go.
Edition-wise, I'm fairly sure we'll remain on AD&D 2e for the players, and for simplicity I'll likely follow suit, rather than having to deal with conflicting class and spell details in OSRIC. While 1e/2e/OSRIC are all nearly interchangeable at their cores, 2e still provides the best class options for wizards and priests, and remains the AD&D system I know best.
Look for more information on the new game in the coming weeks. Players can start bouncing around character ideas - in that vein, I leave you with this.
Really crummy that life got in the way, we had a great thing going. But with jobs, kids, and houses that occasionally fall apart, what can you do?
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this campaign immensely. Matt is at his best in Ravenloft, and he really manages to bring the atmosphere to life. The scariest things in Ravenloft aren't the monsters--it's the swamps, the dark woods, the Mists (obviously) and the things that go bump in the night that you can't see or explain, and Matt really uses those tools well.
The initial trip through the swamp at Souragne remains memorable--even though nothing really happened, I was gripped by the scene the whole night. The woods outside Morningsong were also really cool (if frustrating, for not knowing what was happening or how we could interact with it), and I LOVED waking up next to a skeleton in the ruins of Morningsong after that quest. Awesome.
Aginot was one of my longest running characters, believe it or not, and I never though that playing a priest (of questionable morality) with rickets could be so fun. I've also never been at odds quite so much (in as friendly a way as possible) than I was with Sean's character, Alaric. Man, he was a drag sometimes. I hope Alaric is gallivanting around Falkovnia somewhere, wearing the mask.
I hope there's a time where we're able to get together again, perhaps with new characters, to take another romp in the Realm of Terror. Until then, I'll keep jumping into fog banks, hoping they'll transport me back to Ravenloft.
It's unfortunate that the campaign had to be cut short. Ultimately though, situations changed, players evolved, and the group's gaming needs are different than what they once were. Ravenloft will always hold a special place in my heart, and I'm glad to have players feeling that I executed it well. I'd love to pick this campaign back up again someday, unlikely as that may be.
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, I'm excited at the prospect of starting something new. If there's one discredit I have for Ravenloft it's that, to be at it's very best, a certain degree of railroading is required. Our campaign had a main track (Falkovnia), and side tracks related to playing through Hyskosa's Hexad. We didn't get all that far with the latter, and definitely not far enough to see the two come together. That, in the end, is my biggest regret with this game.
Still, 21 sessions is nothing to scoff at, as many campaigns fall well short of that accomplishment. I hope to take our collective experience running Falkovnia and use it to create something even better.