Kid activities and work activities are sending me on at least a 3 week break from GMing and Playing. So what to do with a paused campaign?

For myself, I prefer a cliffhanger if it fits in with the story and time. Cliffhangers, or any pause while in the midst of play, can be difficult for a couple reasons.

• You may need to pick-up in the middle of a fight. That means remembering turns, positioning, resources, and all the other little things that flow during a confrontation, but might get lost during a break. Bookkeeping for lack of a better term.
• Waiting more than a week can cause momentum loss for the story. Players forget the little things that caused them to make decisions on way or another, and they will lose the focus that happens while the game is going on.

However, there are a couple reasons to stop on a cliffhanger.

• Tension can be memorable. Unresolved events can keep the players involved and thinking about the game while they are away.
• Sometimes both you and the players need a pause in the middle if a fight or other dramatic scene. If things aren’t going the players way, they’re frustrated, confused, even bored. A cliffhanger gives everyone time to regroup.

Alright – so what was the cliffhanger from last week…