Wizard Dad: Resurrecting Old Solo Campaigns

I think we have all been there. You are playing a campaign and it is going really well, then a new idea hits, or life sideswipes you, and next time you play you pick up another game instead. If you are like me, maybe you even say, I will get back to this next week, or I will alternate between games.

Before long though, that bright little gem of a campaign is at the bottom of a stack of notes that have been piled on top of it and you aren't sure how to reconnect.

I go through this all the time, but lately I have been pouring through old notes with a bit more determination to get back to games left behind. Not out of any feeling of obligation, but because the were blooming fun games!

Below, I am going to outline the techniques that have worked for me to find that old spark; no better, make a new spark that will have that old campaign up and going better than a an MGM Frankenstein.

Whether it is from pouring through notes or just having a fond remembrance of a past campaign and it tickles your fancy, take a moment and think whether it gives you something you aren't getting from your current campaign. If the answer is yes, be it a beloved setting, character, or loose end that is bothering you, then I strongly suggest you take a bit of time and bring the old game back to life, or at least resurrect the part that is calling out to you. Above I mentioned three reasons you may want to do this: love of a character, niggling loose ends, and love of a campaign. Each of these have a different way to jump back in.

1. Beloved Character. 
1. This is probably the easiest fix. Just take out the old character sheet and scan your notes of the last couple of game sessions. If you are like me, the old character sheet is probably pretty cluttered. Transfer all the essential elements that make the character from the old sheet to a new one. Any minor ability that you never use, or item you can't remember the origin or importance of simply don't transfer it. Or if you feel you really need to, just jot it down with an asterisk and put the cluttery bit on an index card or a note attached to the character sheet. The point of this is to focus down on what it is that you love about the character. Cut out any dead weight. Get down to the core of that character. 
2. After you have cleaned up the character, so that a glance at the new character sheet tells you all you need to know, look down at your notes from the very last adventure. Ask yourself "Do I want to continue this or start fresh?" I strongly suggest starting fresh, but not leaving a flapping lose end. If you have such a lose end to wrap up, make a list of questions for your Oracle that can bring the situation to a close. I suggest 3 to 5 oracle questions just to let you know where things stood at the adventures end. 
3. We are almost to the finish line. Go through any list of NPCs, locations, and plot hooks you have accumulated for the character. Scratch out anything that doesn't have a strong fun memory for you. Just take the best forward. Make new lists from what remains.
4. Lastly jump the character forward 1 large unit of time (in some games that would be a season, in others a decade), and start a fresh new game with your older experienced character. If you want use one of the many down time generators such as BOLD ($3.00), to fill in the blank space, more power to you.
2. Dangling plot lines. Maybe it was a mystery or a dungeon crawl or some other dramatic moment, but alas cut short by circumstances. Perhaps you actually liked the plots but weren't really into the game aspects. There are dozens of reasons why a plot line could be left dangling, but if you are like me, this can be a source of stress. If you tried to pick up the old game where it left off, just to wrap up and found you just couldn't quite manage, give this a try.
1. Close your notes and jot down all you can recall about the plot. 
2. Then glance through your notes for anything important that was missed. There probably won't be much, because the driving theme that you want to complete is center stage in your mind, you can leave the subplots and niggling details on the wayside. If you do find a glaring necessity, add that to your synopsis as well. 
3. Next, make lists and notes as you use in your game out of the elements in the synopsis. There are a couple routes you can go from here. You could resume playing with a fresh scene (and maybe refreshed character outlined above). Just do a 1 roll oracle check to close what ever scene you were involved in (Do I come out ahead?, Did I win the fight?, Do I find the thing?), but give yourself some favorable odds.
4. Finally, start a new scene with your synopsis, lists and characters as if it is the first scene of a new session. Just leave all the unimportant bits on the cutting room floor and get on with the game.
3. Retrieving Whole Campaigns. Sometimes it isn't the character or the plot of a particular game you love, but it is the whole world of imagination. The good news is jumpstarting an old campaign isn't as hard as you may think.
1. Start by jotting down what you liked the most about the campaign. Keep it short and punchy. Just the high points. These are the most important bits to resurrect.
2. Next, write down all the details that stand out from memory. These are the people, places, and scenes that deserve the most attention.
3. Then read through your notes for key elements you may have overlooked. Also check if the PC (if you desire to keep using the PC you had) was left in a bind or a cliffhanger. If so, note it so that you can go back and use the techniques above to wrap that up.
4. Taking all of the information above write yourself yourself a new elevator pitch for the setting (and quest if you were in the middle of one). Using these new notes populate lists, cards, or whatever tools are appropriate for your GM Emulator.
5. Finally have a look at your primary character. Are you still into it? If so go back up to the character refresh section and follow those steps. If you want a new perspective on the campaign, maybe make up a new character that is more or less on par with the one you are retiring, and tie them into some pre-existent portion of the setting. This will firmly root them. 
6. Lastly use your usual method of generating a first scene or adventure and jump back in. 

I can say with total confidence that these methods work for me, but if you have tips or even whole systems to get an older campaign out of the closet and onto your game table fill me in on them in the comments section. I am always up to learn something new, and it may help you your fellow players too.

W.D.