Typicaly Play Session Length/Progress?

By valvorik, in WFRP Gamemasters

I'm feeling as if my players are making progress a little fast for the "story consumed" rate. We aim to play 3 hour sessions but often end up closer to 2 hours. Gathering Storm to the opening of Time to Mourn has been 7 sessions.

How does this compare with others' experience? Perhaps I'm just being "stingy" in my attitudes. Overall I like "continual marginal progression" of this system rather than "big jumps" in D&D for example.

Rob

We play for roughly 4 hours.

Had a talk about it a while ago with a friend. It was about why roleplaying was/had lost terrain to computer (especially online "roleplaying" games). With computer you can just turn it on and then play for 30 mins and log of... With roleplay you have to gather 4-5 people at the same day, and each has to dedicate roughly 5 hours (4 hours play, 1 hour transport). This is not an easy task, especially not with people having actual lifes they need to fit it in.

Slight spoilers....

Is your concern because you are awarding 1 exp (at least) per session and so your PCs are going to reach rank two very soon?

I immediately house ruled the exp awards and went back to 2nd/1st edition rules when 100xp equals an advance. That just gives you lots more leeway with xp awards, for instance, as standard I give out 25xp for completing each chapter, plus highlight specific xp awards (normally 25 or 50xp) on top.

So for instance in Eye for an Eye...

saving the servant from the ritual was worth 25xp, killing or stopping the demon was worth 50xp, capturing or killing all the cultists was worth 50xp, finding and destroying the chaos tomes was worth about 10xp etc etc. The adventure itself has 3 chapters so by default is worth 75xp. This kind of thing just gives a slightly slower progression than that suggested in the main rule book which suits me, if not my players!!

I can see why FFG thought an advance per session seemed like a sensible progression, but i think i wanted a progression slightly less than that. Even if you did want to keep with the rough progression that FFG defines in the rules, I'd still suggest using 100xp per advance rather than one, just to give you more options when dishing out xp values.

Yes my concern is because I'm using 1 XP/session, 3 more sessions and all will be ready to go into career transition (4 are playing humans).

I've no particular "grudge" against PC's being Rank 2 except that so many adventures to date are for Rank 1, or Rank 1 - 2, and modifying for higher level parties tricky once they start getting their 2 expertise dice from double training etc.

No knock on your XP approach but I would prefer to not get into that book-keeping etc. and keep it simpler (e.g., perhaps shifting to a 1 XP for very [3 or 4] hours of play approach).

That all said, I see monkeylite's reports have their "into the mausoleum" Mourn stage to be more or less session 7, so it's 1 less than my group (though with one more encounter as I skipped "ill wind" for reasons set out in my summary).

Hi,

I'm running the TEW campaign for my players. We usually play for 5-8 hours, several times a week - for now (unless the work or study come in our way).

I just simply divide experience listed in TEW books by 100 and now my players are sailing down the Bogen river in order to reach Aldorf (beginning of the Death on the Reik). Few more sessions (2 or 3) and all will be ready to advance into 3rd rank. Should I decrease the amout of EXP I give them sice it's our first long-term campain in WFRP 3? I think I should not.

I believe we all gonna enjoy the game even if one of my player will be the Archmage, the second will gain the title of the Grand Teogonist, and the third one will become the Prince of Thieves. I'll allow my players to achieve a high rank this time so that they can feel the great power and responsibility, but next time there will be no mercy gui%C3%B1o.gif

Cheers

Considering the standard scenario play slot at conventions is 4 hours, I think that has become the default for most things in the RPG world. Form follows function.

Our group plays tuesday nights after work about 7-11pm so it all works out :)

jh

Thanks all so far, seems to bear out my 4 hours hunch.

I think easiest way to fix it is to encourage taking some non-career advances (being avoided so far) before moving on to next career and training some skills 2nd time etc. etc.

Rob

Either that or simply don't give out Xp as often.

My game seems to be running about the same pace as yours... I'm only giving out xp for major events, not every session.

The group has played Eye for an Eye, two adventures of my own making (about 4 - 5 sessions each), and are just about to encounter the Night Goblins In TGS and they are only just reaching the 2nd level now.

old schooler here. We play for 7-8 hours every other week, usually at friday or saturday.

xp award for time played is irrelevant, what counts is the ground they`ve covered, or the progress they have made towards the story.

good gaming