Cover image via Guinness World Records
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A Canadian history professor has made it into the Guinness World Records for running the world's longest Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) campaign, which has been going for 43 years and counting
In April 1982, Robert Wardhaugh and three of his friends set up a table in Borden, Saskatchewan, to play a new fantasy game called Dungeons & Dragons.
Although with a stigma at the time that the game involved satanic rituals, the group continued playing, gradually expanding as more players joined with new characters for the next few months.
43 years later, the game is still running, even after Wardhaugh moved more than 2,000km away. Over the years, he has built more than 30,000 hand-painted miniatures and detailed terrain pieces for the campaign, which has seen participation from around 500 players.
Despite relocations and shifting schedules, the campaign has never paused for more than a few weeks. Today, Wardhaugh still runs the game one to two times a week.
According to Guinness World Records, Wardhaugh applied several strategies to keep the campaign consistent
He keeps the game engaging by emphasising on speed and action, moving from one player to the next as quickly as possible. Taking advice from Advanced Dungeons & Dragons co-creator Gary Gygax, he modified the game's mechanics and systems to better support the long-running campaign.
To keep everyone connected, a player takes a session report using a website that archives decades of campaign details. Some join virtually, while others travel to London for gaming sessions. Even when players take breaks, Wardhaugh tracks their characters' lives.
Decades of continuous play have allowed Wardhaugh to build a detailed world complete with its own lore, characters, and countries. Events from past storylines still influence the new ones. For example, a demon lord defeated long ago in the game might resurface years later, affecting a new generation of players.
Wardhaugh said that the campaign has achieved its original purpose of keeping him in touch with friends over the years, according to CNN
His daughter has been taking part in the sessions, and some of his university students have also shown interest in the game.
He notes that the storytelling and communication skills developed through the game have benefited his teaching. Wardhaugh plans to continue running the game for as long as possible.
