It’s a new year! Time for resolutions (I don’t do those, BTW). Time for fresh outlooks on life. Time to plan some goals (I do make goals for the year, BTW). Time for some fresh starts. These fresh starts can come in many forms. New characters. New campaigns. New games. New Systems. New gaming groups. New you! Let’s talk about that for a bit.
Characters
If you feel “stuck” in your current game, maybe it’s time for a new character to come into play. This can be a replacement character for your current campaign if you’re a player. This can be a new, very important NPC for the group to interact with if you’re the GM. Changing things up can really introduce new energy and vitality to your ongoing campaign.
However, don’t rattle the cage too hard. The overseers will hear you and come down with their stun batons. Make the change smoothly and in flow with what’s going on in the campaign.
As a player, if you feel you need a new character to introduce new passion into your gaming, talk about it with the table. Not just the GM. The entire table. See what everyone has to say about your new character concept and how well it’ll mesh with the current party of characters. You definitely need the GM’s permission to swap out characters. You don’t need permission from your fellow players, but you should at least get their buy in. Get them all on board with the chemistry change to their adventuring party.
As the GM, throwing in a new, important NPC can be jarring unless that NPC is somehow related to something else that already exists in the material you’ve presented to the players. Make it a relative of an existing NPC, even if it’s a minor one. Introduce another NPC’s boss and/or subordinate. Show how the new NPC is related (not necessarily by blood) to an existing frame of the campaign. The NPC can be there to help or hinder the PCs. Heck, the new NPC can be there to grant a new mission/job/quest/goal to the PCs, but make sure the NPC is presented as a trustworthy fellow to avoid the PCs from doubting the new job’s sincerity or validity. You can do this by tying the new NPC to ongoing events or other NPCs.
Campaigns
Sometimes (especially after the rough scheduling of holiday break), it’s time for a new campaign. If you can, plan for this. No one likes a surprise “new campaign” at the new year because it was hard to get the group together for the last two months. Yeah. I know this advice is coming a bit late since the holiday season just passed. Keep this in mind for the end of this year. If you can wrap up the current campaign around mid-November in plans for a long hiatus as the multitude of holidays hammers into your family life, you can return after the new year refreshed and ready for a good start on a new campaign.
This isn’t necessary, but it might be easier to launch into something new instead of asking, “Where were we two months ago?” Of course, if you have a good scribe in your group that tracks events, dates, characters, and game status at the end of each session, you should be able to pick up where you left off with relative ease.
Genre/Systems
If you’re going to change up campaigns, maybe it’s time for a new genre and/or system! Maybe. It depends on your group. Most gaming groups encounter the dreaded monster known as the “Long Hiatus” between November and December, and it’s finally releasing its grip on the group in early January. Of course, for those of us in the northern hemisphere of Earth, January and February (and sometimes March) can bring some pretty miserable winter weather, so that Long Hiatus might increase its grip on the group at random times.
If you are prepared and thoughtful enough for the Long Hiatus, you might have a chance to start an online conversation (email, Slack, Discord, etc.) along the lines of, “What genre or system do we want to tackle next?” Obviously, if everyone is happy with what you currently have, this conversation isn’t necessary. If you need a change of scenery from epic fantasy to something else, then mid-December through early February is a great time to bring up this topic.
Conclusion
Regardless of what you might need or want to change at the new year, make sure you communicate your desires with the rest of your group in an open and honest manner. Don’t surprise folks with a new genre or system or campaign at the start of the new year. Don’t ambush anyone (especially the GM) with a fresh character to integrate into the group just because the Gregorian calendar ticked up a number in years. I guess the point I’m trying to make is collaborate and communicate with everyone at the table on any “fresh start” you want to bring to the table.
Happy New Year!
May your 2026 be wonderful!
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Author: 360 Technology Group
