Comments on: Who Ends the Game?

By: Craig Payne

Craig Payne — Mon, 26 May 2008 15:22:18 +0000

I’m personally in favour of the cliffhanger ending in such situations. The players’ only evidence to exonerate the prince just went up in flames? Well, it really sucks that his uncle has just announced his imminent execution… The heroes are trapped in testtubes after being miniaturised? Then the villains pet cat leaps up on the lab bench, eyeing the unattended testtubes hungrily…

It does present problems with shifting playgroup composition, although if the next session sees minimal changes, the cliffhanger could present posibilities for character changes when the new players character rushes in to rescue his friends.

By: Benny Boy

Benny Boy — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 23:45:39 +0000

Despite my own title, it isn’t necessarily about ending the game per se, so much as resolving the conflict or challenge. That could even be in the middle of a game. The question is a social dynamics one — who finds a graceful solution to the problem the characters are in?

The “retreat and regroup” option of ending the session and picking it up later is a good one, but unless it’s a regular group schedule there’s also the urge not to leave another game incomplete, requiring this exact same group of people to get together to wrap up. If we only played one more hour, we could finish!

By: Scholz

Scholz — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 06:45:39 +0000

What are the parameters of this scenario. I ask because in the context of an obgoing campaign it seems reasonable to find a lull in the action and break to meet again next time.
The GM might introduce a new element to get the juices of the players thinking — “As you survey your surroundings you notice the Spriff, the Evil Doctor’s pet monkey, is still in the lab licking some of the goo in the sick.”
But a break in the action gives the GM time to think about what could be added to make the situation seem not to dire, and have some solution. The vilains puts the characters in a new death trap, an ally (or enemy) calls the heroes with new information that might save them, etc..
Likewise, if you think there is adequate information and resources to solve the dilemma, you can give the addled players some time and sleep to think about it. Maybe a directed email to one or more of them might spark some ideas.
If this is a one shot, or the finale, or something with time constraints, and it is 4 am….. I am with you. Any landing you can walk away from is a good one.