When I first talk about my interest in Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop RPGs to people who aren’t familiar with them, I give them the usual hook of the game and then casually mention that we’ve had this same story going for over a year. For a lot of DnD players, this probably doesn’t even seem that long, and most of you probably played campaigns that lasted even longer, but a lot of people who are used to board games can even find a three-hour game of Monopoly too long. So I really wasn’t surprised when my friend asked me one day: “Well, how long do DnD campaigns typically last?”
I’d hate to disappoint you, but the general consensus among the fans of this game is that there is no definite answer to this question. The campaigns are broken into sessions that typically last a few hours, but the number of sessions will depend on the length of the story. That’s why there are one-shot adventures, but also some campaigns that are still running decades later. Just recently, I read about a history teacher who has been running the same campaign from 1982 to this day. This is of course the exception and not the rule but it just shows that you can really extend the campaign as long as you want to.
Homebrew Adventures vs Premade Modules
The length of a DnD campaign will depend on whether your DM is running a story he/she created or a premade module. The ready-to-play adventures usually have a prominently-displayed playtime, but the actual one time required to complete them will ultimately depend on your party’s interest in the story, their willingness to pay attention to detail, and their habit to stray off course. You might have to steer them back to the main story since the premade modules might not have enough details to keep it going for as long as your players want it to, but there are also some incredibly detailed adventures that can take your players all the way from level 1 to level 20. If you’re looking for a long-running premade module, I have some recommendations for you!
Long DnD Campaign Modules
If you’re looking to level up your players from level 1 to 11 and know they enjoy heist-themed adventures, why don’t you check out Keys From the Golden Vault? This module includes a bunch of one-shot heist adventures that can be completed in a single session which makes this particular campaign easy to schedule. Also, it comes with map handouts which can aid the players’ immersion and help them formulate plans for breaking into places.
Another l adventure that I think is worth considering is Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel, an anthology that contains 13 adventures intended to get your players from 1st to 14th level. These stories include many different settings and interesting NPCs that can make any session fun and also offer the players numerous chances to make meaningful choices along the way.
Candlekeep Mysteries is another anthology that contains stories of varying lengths. It’s intended to level up players from 1st to 16th level and has a ton of roleplaying and exploration opportunities.
Lastly, players can level up from 5th to 20th level by completing the adventure module Dungeon of the Mad Mage. If they first go through Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, you can run this story as a full 1-20 level module.
How Long Should a Campaign Last
Even though I can’t give you a definite one-size-fits-all answer, I can give you some tips and tricks on what to consider when planning out the length of your campaign. I think the most important thing is to know your players, their interests, and their playstyles. If you aren’t sure, as a DM, don’t be afraid to ask them. Everyone will enjoy themselves more if their opinion is heard and they get some input.
If the members of your DnD group have grown-up jobs, go to school, have a spouse or kids, or just live far away, it can be hard to meet up as much as you want and not everybody would be able to make every session. In these cases, it might be smart to consider doing shorter adventures that can be completed quickly – like one-shots. That way, everyone can be there from start to finish and you won’t have to write characters off or replace them with new ones and catch those players up with the story. If you have a really dedicated and close-knit group, and enough creative juices to keep the campaign running, why not?
Why Are Some Campaigns Longer Than Others?
Campaigns have varying lengths that usually depend on the story that needs to be told. When the story is finished, the players can move on to the next one. But sometimes, a campaign ends even before players go through their main quest and there are many reasons for that.
This can be a result of real-life events like changing jobs or shifts, friends falling out or even moving away, therefore, creating scheduling conflicts. Sometimes, campaigns end prematurely because of the burnout players or the DM suffer since it takes a lot of time and energy to keep a campaign going, creative differences between the two, or even lack of interest in the campaign or the characters.
There are so many obstacles to consider, sometimes it can feel like balancing on a tightrope, but the payoff of a great campaign is truly worth it, if you ask me.
How Long Does a Session Last
Have you ever wondered what’s the longest-recorded DnD marathon? Well, the Guinness World Records database shows that a group in Ogden, Utah, played the game continuously for 209 hours (8 days 17 hours) back in 1983. That’s very impressive if you ask me.
If anybody ever told you there wasn’t a perfect session length, they lied. There’s always a sweet spot, it’s just different from group to group. Too short and the players will feel like they never get to do anything cool. On the other side, if the session is too long, the players might get bored, and less engaged and wander off to scroll on their phones. Even if you planned out a long session, if the players aren’t really feeling it that day, it might be better to cut your losses and continue next time when everyone’s rested.
Even though they can range in length, a typical session will last somewhere in the span of 3-6 hours. If your players have enough free time, concentration, and stamina, you can go for day-long sessions too, but many players would agree that 4 hours is pretty much perfect. That is the exact amount of time conventions usually spare for role-playing events.
This also depends on how often your group meets. Three to four-hour sessions are great for a weekly game, but you might consider longer ones if you only have the chance to meet once every two weeks or even once a month.
The final advantage of shorter sessions is that they are way more manageable and easier to prep for the DM. There’s time for combat, exploring, and role-playing, but not enough time to lose the players’ attention.
