Dangers and Rewards of Time Off

As I have said in earlier posts, my current work schedule prohibits me from playing every week as I had once been accustomed to. So far it has forced me to take two consecutive weeks off of gaming out of every six. This is not bad, and frankly was better than I expected, but it does present some difficulties, as well as some unintended benefits.

The difficult thing about having to take breaks is that it gives the players (and often the DM) the opportunity to forget things about the story. This is particularly a problem if the current plot is an intricate one, with many hints and twists. By being forced to take multiple weeks away from the game, the DM runs the risk of having those twists lost, or overlooked. Because of this, a summation of the game at the beginning of each session is essential. With a proper summation, a DM can keep things fresh in the players minds, even if it has been some weeks since the last game.

The other difficulty, and one that I am notorious for is changing interests. People can be fickle, both players and DMs. When the game takes too long a break it increases the likelyhood that someone is going to either lose interested in their campaign, or current character. This can prove disruptive to the game, particularly if it is the DM that begins to lose interest. I combat this by attempting to work on things for the game, even during periods when we are not playing. This can be something simple as some background info, or even create full-blown adventures. Just do something to keep your mind engaged with the current campaign.

The unintended benefit of this type of break is that it has given me more time to put together my plot and adventure ideas. By following the above suggestions, I have been putting together adventure ideas a few weeks ahead of the actual game progression, allowing for me to slowly unveil them. It lets me be more prepared if the Players go off the beaten track, as I already know what's out there.

Taking an occasional break can be good for both the players and the game, but it is the DM responsibility to help maintain the excitement level for both himself, and the players during this time, so as to not have the game drift apart. The DM must use the time off wisely, and come back strong to re-engage his players attentions, and keep the game moving after such a break.