Greetings, 3WD-verse! DM Chris here. As we love to say, schedules are the BBEG. Especially if you’re running a larger group. Unexpected life events, sickness, and the struggle for work-life balance can create large gaps in your campaign. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but also forgetful. How do we use the often lengthy time between sessions to keep the momentum going?
In our current Lord of the Rings Roleplaying campaign, we’ve experienced month-long or even longer breaks in play as schedules play out. The challenge to keep the players engaged during downtime is a big one. You don’t want to have to spend valuable time at the table having everyone rediscovering their characters.
Through the years, we’ve come up with some tips to help to keep the momentum going when we’re not at the table. Recently, I’ve leaned into these to help to keep the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying game on point and on schedule (or at least, mostly on schedule).
Teasers
Even when schedules align and we’re playing regularly, sending out a pre-game teaser a day or two before the session is a must. Our lives are chaotic, with many different things to occupy our mind besides how things are going with our PCs. Getting the text (or other medium if you choose) before the game not only helps to refocus everyone, but it’s also a great way to build the excitement. Plus, it reminds everyone of the day, time, and place.
Another good idea with teasers is to add some images or lore. Humans are visual creatures and a little splash of color doesn’t hurt. You’ve hopefully gotten them excited about the upcoming session. Try dropping a bit of ancillary lore about the world and take the opportunity to help them re-immerse themselves in it.
For the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying campaign, I try to send a couple teasers during every break. I’ll grab an image from the internet, or generate one with AI, and use that as a banner for the teaser. Sometimes I’ll add a bit of lore or special details to pull them back towards where we left off. Then I just make sure that I have the day, time, and place listed and send it out to the party.
Narrative Side-Quests
We’ve spoken and written about the narrative side-quest before. With a group of players that are comfortable exploring their character’s backstories, they can really enhance the player’s relationship with their character, as well as the DM’s. Plus, they really help to keep the momentum going during downtime.
The narrative side-quest can be anything from what the character is thinking, for when a session ends in a place that doesn’t allow for more, to a brief excursion where the character finds out something more about their story. They’re the perfect places to give out bits of lore that you want to have them organically bring to the party. And finally, they’re an opportunity for you, as the DM, to learn more about the character and what they’re after.
One of the really cool things about the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying is the concept of Fellowship Phases – the time between adventures. Rather than gloss over it, as we normally would, these give you the chance to dig into the characters and help them, and you, to discover more about their story. I have the players write a sentence or more about what their character has been up to during the break, and often reply with additional details or lore that I want them to deliver themselves.
Mini-Retrospectives
As a DM, you want to connect with everyone at the table. It’s equal opportunity fun, right? Let your players know they can talk to you about what they like/don’t like, but more than that just listen to them. They’ll let you know if they’re unhappy. And a break from the action is a perfect time to reassess and make sure you’re hitting the right spots for everyone.
Keeping communication open is key. The break can give you the chance to make the minor tweaks that will help to raise the enjoyment of everyone at the table. Obviously, you can’t solve every problem, but a little flexibility goes a long way.
During the current campaign, I’ve had a couple of the players reach out when they didn’t feel like they were having a good time. Luckily, these occurred over the breaks, so I had the time for a few slight adjustments to make sure that everyone was getting a chance to shine.
Recharge Your Batteries
We place so much pressure on ourselves as DMs to make sure that our players are having a great time that we can forget to include our enjoyment. While this tip doesn’t use downtime to keep momentum with your players, sometimes the best thing you can do is be the best version of yourself.
Take some time away if you feel like you need a break, or find some inspiration in books, movies, etc. if you feel like you need a creative lift. All the campaign momentum in the world isn’t going to help if you aren’t relaxed and engaged. You’ll find that there is usually enough time to take care of yourself and still have time to use a couple of these tips to keep the momentum going.
One of my favorite things to do, when possible, is to put away my campaign materials for at least a week after the session. It acts as a natural reset, allowing me to relax and refocus myself before getting back at it. I’ll also watch some of my favorite movies, or find some new ones, to help recharge my imagination. By the time I get back to campaign tweaks, teasers, side-quests, etc., I’m back to feeling fresh and excited.
Final Thoughts
Schedules can be a drag, but turn lemons into lemonade by keeping the momentum of your campaign going with these simple tips. Let’s start to look at the time between sessions as an opportunity to keep the fun going. These tips are ones we’ve used before to help with downtime, but what are some of the ways that you’ve been able to keep your players engaged over long breaks?
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