RotRL progress

[cibet44]

For anyone interested in running RotRL and wondering how long it takes we started Burnt Offerings In late February 2010 and just started Sins of our Saviors on July 10th.

I would guess we play an average of 3 times per month for about 7 hours a session. 3 players and a DM. Its moving much faster then Savage Tide did. With 6 PCs (2 per player) the group is consistently behind the suggested level for the adventure by at least one. This has not been too bad since we do have 6 PCs. We have had 3 PC deaths (2 were raised).

I would say the only battle the group felt underpowered (they are almost always challenged) was against Mokmurian. He really did a number on them in the first battle but eventually ran low on spells and had to retreat. If he would have had even 1 minion with him I'm guessing it would have been a PC route or TPK.

[mearrin69]

You're faster than us (weekly, about 4 hours/session, 4-6 players/PCs) if I calculated it correctly. We're just starting Fortress after about five months of play - I guess that works out to about 80 hours. You're at about 3 sessions/mo * 7 hrs/session * 4.5 mos = 94.5 hours?
M

[Rogue Eidolon]

Our group is ~8 months, maybe twice a month for about 6 hours a session is maybe around 96 hours, and we're about to get to Jorgenfist proper in FotSG. So I guess we're pretty slow too. But we have had Curse and Council running at the same time for some of that time.

[cibet44]

mearrin69 wrote:

You're faster than us (weekly, about 4 hours/session, 4-6 players/PCs) if I calculated it correctly. We're just starting Fortress after about five months of play - I guess that works out to about 80 hours. You're at about 3 sessions/mo * 7 hrs/session * 4.5 mos = 94.5 hours?

M

The calculations look very accurate for my group. The party has basically stayed right on the train the entire time with no side stuff. This has kept the group at a lower level then the adventures suggest but the flip side is the speedy play and focused storytelling.

I personally think there is a sweet spot in time spent in any campaign. I think it's somewhere between 4 and 10 months. A campaign that lasts less then 4 months seems more like a one off adventure and doesn't allow much character development or planning or storytelling. A campaign that lasts over 10 months tends to wear out it's welcome as details begun to be forgotten and the recaps get intrusive as boredom sets in. This is my experience as a DM anyway. Savage Tide broke the mold but you can't do that every time.

[Elorebaen]

We play almost every Sun for 4 hr sessions. It was 2 years in January since we started and we are just finishing up HMM.

[Evil Lincoln]

cibet44 wrote:

Its moving much faster then Savage Tide did.

I would guess that having players and GM experienced with the AP format will actually speed things up a bit.

My group just finished Hook Mountain massacre and we started in August 2008. We do play pretty much weekly, but just Burnt Offerings took fully one year for us. Now that we've found our stride, it's been moving a LOT faster.

[Rogue Eidolon]

Evil Lincoln wrote:

cibet44 wrote:

Its moving much faster then Savage Tide did.

I would guess that having players and GM experienced with the AP format will actually speed things up a bit.

My group just finished Hook Mountain massacre and we started in August 2008. We do play pretty much weekly, but just Burnt Offerings took fully one year for us. Now that we've found our stride, it's been moving a LOT faster.

Burnt Offerings must have taken at least eleven sessions for our group, though when I ran RotRL for a get-together of my old group from high school, they managed to take out Nualia in two sessions, so you're right, I think, that it varies wildly based on AP experience.

[cibet44]

Evil Lincoln wrote:

cibet44 wrote:

Its moving much faster then Savage Tide did.

I would guess that having players and GM experienced with the AP format will actually speed things up a bit.

My group just finished Hook Mountain massacre and we started in August 2008. We do play pretty much weekly, but just Burnt Offerings took fully one year for us. Now that we've found our stride, it's been moving a LOT faster.

One year for BO? With weekly sessions? Wow. At your schedule that's over 50 sessions for BO alone! I'm sure your group is enjoying it but there are so many APs out how are you not chomping at the bit to try them? At least at a six month per AP rate you can do 2 a year and get to experience a variety of the great stuff Paizo publishes.

Lets see, at your groups rate you will complete RotRL in April of 2013!! Paizo will have released 4 more APs by then!
Your RotRL campaign will see three U.S. presidential terms, maybe by three different presidents!
If your child was born when you started the campaign he/she will be in kindergarten when it ends!!

[Evil Lincoln]

cibet44 wrote:

Lets see, at your groups rate you will complete RotRL in April of 2013!! Paizo will have released 4 more APs by then!

Your RotRL campaign will see three U.S. presidential terms, maybe by three different presidents!
If your child was born when you started the campaign he/she will be in kindergarten when it ends!!

At the same time, part of the appeal for me and my players is that this game has been going so long. I've tried to fill out some sections with side quests and special attention to the character backgrounds. It now holds the record for the longest (consistent) campaign any of us has ever played, and I'm quite proud of that.

However, once we're into chapter 4 (this week!) things should go by pretty quickly. I know my players and once they have assessed there is a threat to be dealt with at the source, they won't take very long to stomp through Jorgenfist and Runeforge right up to to the Runewell. I expect the last three volumes will take less than a year of gaming. That's twice as fast as the first half, and I'd guess three times faster than B.O. took on its own!

[Tangible Delusions]

The group I am GM'ing for just finished #5 at our game last week. We play weekly 4-5 hours, and that was our 54th gaming night. We are taking a break until a week after Gen Con, so we will all be chomping at the bit to finish!

[Guthwulf]

I'm running my 79th session this Tuesday, and they just started the 5th book. My players are really enjoying the game.

[gigglestick]

We started BO back in September of 09.

We took three weeks off for assorted non-game things, three weeks as a pre-game (Into The Haunted Woods...which I placed just south of Wolf's Ear), Two weeks to palytest the APG characters, and three weeks for a side quest between BO and SSM.

With all of that, BO took us about 20 weeks and we are now 6 weeks into SSM and

Spoiler:

the party is in their second week of Foxglove Manor, though they entered through the well and are working their way bottom to top..

They should be done with this part of SSM next week and the Magnimar adventures I expect to take them 3 more.

Mind you, this party does a lot of delving and side trekking of their own accord, including fighting the SPD, fighting giant crabs, exploring crashed ships, and exploring romantic involvements.

[TBA]

1 year in and ~25 sessions done and we're about to start FotSG.

Sessions are roughly every two weeks, about 5 to 6 hours a pop.

I think that the way we're going, the last three books should be a little quicker, should finish in the spring :)

[cibet44]

cibet44 wrote:

For anyone interested in running RotRL and wondering how long it takes we started Burnt Offerings In late February 2010 and just started Sins of our Saviors on July 10th.

I would guess we play an average of 3 times per month for about 7 hours a session. 3 players and a DM. Its moving much faster then Savage Tide did. With 6 PCs (2 per player) the group is consistently behind the suggested level for the adventure by at least one. This has not been too bad since we do have 6 PCs. We have had 3 PC deaths (2 were raised).

I would say the only battle the group felt underpowered (they are almost always challenged) was against Mokmurian. He really did a number on them in the first battle but eventually ran low on spells and had to retreat. If he would have had even 1 minion with him I'm guessing it would have been a PC route or TPK.

For those interested: since July 10 my group is now heading off to Xin-Shalast after the Vekkers cabin. So from July 10th to Sept 13 we did all of Sins of our Saviors and 2/5 of Spires.

[Blue_Hill]

First campaign took app. eight months from start to epic ending. At beginning we had 2-4 sessions per week thanks to summer holiday but then it changed to 1-2 sessions per week when school started. Second campaign will have anniversary next month and we are starting Sins of the Saviors. We have one session per week. Sessions last 4 hours, I don't gm shorter sessions.