What I did about burnout

Sebastian Ashputtle · Aug 25, 2004

Like a lot of you in the earlier thread, I too am finding myself burned out on D&D. Unlike a lot of you, I'm also burned out on D20 Modern/D20 Future, both of which I have simply found to be very bland (unlike D&D, which ain't bland by a long shot!). The D20 Modern classes ("Smart", "Strong") and advanced classes ("Soldier", "Infiltrator") are dull, boring, blah. I loved D20 Future...for a week. Then I realized, "Hey, there's nothing else to read here." I don't know...both Modern and Future just don't do it for me.

So I love D&D but I'm exhausted with it. I *wanted* to love Modern for over a year now, but I just can't. Future didn't help. What's a guy to do?

Here's my solution: learn a new system. So I'm picking up GURPS Fourth Edition (I really enjoyed 3rd awhile back) and I just ordered a shiny new copy of the Alternity Dark*Matter campaign setting from eBay.

Coming soon: my players will experience GURPS Dark*Matter. I'm already excited! :lol:

By the way, I mean to offense to any fans of Modern/Future. Just sharing my own experiences with the game. And objectively, I *do* think it's a superb game...I just can't get excited about it. I *really* tried. But from Urban Arcana on it's been disappointing...feels like WotC puts all their energy into D&D, and Modern gets leftovers.

Variety is the spice of RPGs, and I've found that one system (be it d20 or anything else) just isn't going to keep me happy.

Comments?

Ranger REG · Aug 25, 2004

Sebastian Ashputtle said:
By the way, I mean to offense to any fans of Modern/Future.

You "mean to offense"??? Put up your dukes!

I'm sorry you're not excited because I'm excited about d20 Modern and d20 Future. In fact, it kept me away from D&D for such a long time now (jaded because of the too-early release of the revised edition and the Complete Warrior version of the ... heh ... Samurai).

Cithindril · Aug 25, 2004

Rather than going the GURPS route, if you want to run Dark*Matter why not use the Alternity ruleset. Although it's a bit counter-intuitive after playing D20, once you learn the Alternity mechanic it's really a smoothly running, realistic system.

Henry · Aug 25, 2004

Sebastian Ashputtle said:
Variety is the spice of RPGs, and I've found that one system (be it d20 or anything else) just isn't going to keep me happy.

Comments?

Works for me.

Systems I have played when I want a change of pace:

Feng Shui
Continuum
Star Wars D6
Good Old-fashioned Battletech!

Systems when I want a change of d20:
Mutants and Masterminds
d20 Modern
Spycraft
d20 Star Wars

I've played all these in the past two years, and keep on coming back to D&D when the players are clamoring for more.

d4 · Aug 25, 2004

i don't think that plan would work for me, because my reason why i feel burned out on D&D is quite different from yours.

simply put, i don't like D&D's default assumptions and style any more. i just don't like it. so trying something else as a "break" and then going back to D&D later isn't going to help, because i still won't like what i find in D&D.

and gaming one system for a long time doesn't burn me out. i don't feel burned out on d20 by a longshot; unlike you, i'm really jazzed about d20 Modern/Future, and would love to run or play in an extended campaign using those rules. (as long as we stay away from any D&Disms, so no Urban Arcana for me, thank you.) and before d20, i played GURPS as my only system for 10 years (and before that, HERO), so i tend to be a one-system loyalist in my gaming.

Whisper72 · Aug 25, 2004

Well... what works for me, is to go back to the DnD from before d20. Nothing like leafing through the old boxed sets, the original modules etc. to recapture that feel I had when starting to play (A)DnD.

I definately dislike the new feel of DnD, too much like a game of chess / wargame and CRPG, especially the whole combat and skills/feats system (I mean really, there needs to be a feat 'contact' to simulate that the PC's know people in high places?? Why bother to roleplay at all anymore...), so I keep as much from the older editions as possible, while integrating some of the good stuff from d20 (of which there is also more then plenty)

Eternalknight · Aug 25, 2004

Whisper72 said:
Well... what works for me, is to go back to the DnD from before d20. Nothing like leafing through the old boxed sets, the original modules etc. to recapture that feel I had when starting to play (A)DnD.

I have done the same thing, though unlike you what I did was update it to d20. With D&D turning 30 I went back to some old modules and ran my group through them, using the d20 system. I got the same feeling playing the d20 versions as I did playing it under OD&D/1st/2nd.

I have just recently started taking a group through the original Dragonlance modules. For whilst D&D is 30 this year, did anyone realize Dragonlace is 20?

Turanil · Aug 25, 2004

Whisper72 said:
Well... what works for me, is to go back to the DnD from before d20. Nothing like leafing through the old boxed sets, the original modules etc. to recapture that feel I had when starting to play (A)DnD.

I definately dislike the new feel of DnD, too much like a game of chess / wargame and CRPG, especially the whole combat and skills/feats system (I mean really, there needs to be a feat 'contact' to simulate that the PC's know people in high places?? Why bother to roleplay at all anymore...), so I keep as much from the older editions as possible, while integrating some of the good stuff from d20 (of which there is also more then plenty)

I think you should get a look at Castles & Crusades if not already the case.

Kae'Yoss · Aug 25, 2004

Sebastian Ashputtle said:
Unlike a lot of you, I'm also burned out on D20 Modern/D20 Future, both of which I have simply found to be very bland (unlike D&D, which ain't bland by a long shot!). The D20 Modern classes ("Smart", "Strong") and advanced classes ("Soldier", "Infiltrator") are dull, boring, blah.

They're supposed to be boring. It's because the flavour comes from you. The 6 Base Classes (and the 12 Advanced Classes they introduce in the AdC Chapter) are to be flavourless, all about the basic abilities. It is because it's just the ruleset - you have to provide the Campaign setting, including your flavour, for yourself (or maybe get a campaign setting - AFAIK there's a "Wild West in Space being made by one of the d20F authors). d20M/F can't possibly be tailored specifically to your campaign - there's just too many things you can do with that ruleset. So you have to create your own Advanced Classes (and Prestige Classes) that suit your campaign (or, once again, get a campaign setting containing these).

In short, d20M is a do-it-yourself roleplaying game. Not everyone likes that sort of thing, and not everyone finds what he needs in the available Campaign Settings.

Even then, it is possible to get another d20 Game (D&D and d20 Modern aren't the only ones) - they offer different classes and usually contain the flavour and campaign world.

Here's my solution: learn a new system. So I'm picking up GURPS Fourth Edition (I really enjoyed 3rd awhile back) and I just ordered a shiny new copy of the Alternity Dark*Matter campaign setting from eBay.

By the way, I mean to offense to any fans of Modern/Future.

[BENDER]How dare you? I'LL KILL YOU! arghghgh, let go of me you meat bags...[/BENDER]

;-) Nah, I'm kidding, you're entitled to your opinion. Now get out

Nah, that was joking, you're welcome (come to think of it, that's more like a Flexo mode instead of Bender mode)

Hm... I'll just assume that you wanted to say "I mean no offense", not "I mean to offend"

Sebastian Ashputtle · Aug 25, 2004

KaeYoss said:
They're supposed to be boring. It's because the flavour comes from you. The 6 Base Classes (and the 12 Advanced Classes they introduce in the AdC Chapter) are to be flavourless, all about the basic abilities.

Oh, I know. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that...it just ain't doing it for me [shrug]. I love the richness of D&D's base classes: the barbarian really *feels* like a barbarian. The druid really *feels* like a druid, and so on. I don't know...maybe a classless system would work better for a Modern game.