Miscellany: A Different Kind of Campaign Trail, Part 8

Most RPG campaigns end with a bang - a final showdown with the main villain, or perhaps a major disaster that can only be averted with quick action and a little luck. It makes sense dramatically, and not just for games. After all, many classic novels and films have ended in climactic finishes, conclusions where the heroes are pushed to their absolute limits.

Such is the case with my campaign, "Sparks of Fate." The next session will be the final session, win, lose, or draw.

The thing about an end-of-campaign showdown in a pen-and-paper RPG is that all gloves are off. You see, the DM usually works carefully to make sure fights are balanced and that the party is never quite overwhelmed. That's because if all the player-characters die during a fight, everyone loses - you can't play any more. Your connection to the game world is severed immediately.

But the final session is a special animal. The DM can let loose with all his firepower, since the censure following a TPK is removed - the campaign is ending anyway, so no one gets mad if they die. The next few fights in my campaign will be VERY challenging - players beware!