Chronic Character Boredom Syndrome (Need Help!)

[Darklone]

Hmmm

Since I don't know your group... can't say much. If you look for examples and inspirations how to include players into a campaign...

I can only give an old advice. Read the storyhours. I like Old Ones most. The way he incorporates his (admittedly very good) players fascinated me from the very start. Perhaps it gives you some clues how to start a story and how to keep it going, how to interest the players in their characters motivations. Or how to build character motivations.

 

[Deadguy]

I feel your pain. i get really excited about a character concept, write a huge history on him, and draw a picture of her. An, wouldn't you know it, 2 sessions latter I am mindlessly rolling dice.

I've seen this one before, and it's hardly suprising that you've gotten bored! You've done all the work, created the entire character out of whole cloth. There isn't anything left to do with the character now! Playing is just confirming the details.

In this circumstance, you need to sit back and leave the endless screed of what happened to the character for every month f his life, and instead look at what drives him/her. Less "he adventures to seek revenge against the demons of the Darkhold Keep who slew his entire family, neighbours, family pets, acquaintances, ...", than "he adventures because he loves the adrenaline rush of putting his life on the line".

Leave plenty of blank canvas so the character can come to life as you play. I promise you, it's possible for a character to come to life and reveal facets of his personality that you never realised! You should expect your character to be a little nebulous early on, as you get a feel for him. As time goes by and you interact with others, it slowly comes into focus. Oh, and whilst backstory provides plothooks, it also precludes some creative re-engineering to provide new plothooks; if you know what he did every day for his adolescence and early adulthood, unexpected elements are really hard to add.

(Just to be clear, this isn't attacking you SonOfLililth, it's just using your comments to make a more general point.)

 

[kkoie]

Have you tried running two campaigns at once? That is doing campaign A one session and B the next?

Have you tried running an RPG that is totally non-D&D? You might be getting bored of the system.

K Koie

 

[Eryx]

* character always overshadowed by another character who is better in the same field.

This isn't so much a character issue as a player one. Not every player creates/plays there character in the same way. This is invitable if more than one player creates the same type of character.

* Character doesn't have any "stake" in the campaign world.
* What a character does, doesn't seem to make any lasting impact on the campaign world.

Both of these have to be earnt IC, and it's my experience (as a player and early in my DM days.) that it gets handed out far too easily.


My advice to the DM is simply, make the campaign interesting. Whatever backstory runs the game, make it appealing to the players. Simple as that.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Reading Deadguy post, another possiblity: Don`t let the players design their characters.
Build up characters for them (perhaps especially designed for a certain player, but perhaps better not ), and than hand them out.
"Okay, here are the stats. Give him a name now, and make details later. The campaign starts NOW!"

We did something similar, and really had some fun with the characters. We really grew accustomed to the characters, and begin to develop some details about them...

 

[Quickbeam]

Our group has implemented several concepts to safeguard against this very problem:

-- There are three DMs (including myself) amongst the seven players in our group, and we all take turns running different campaigns concurrently. That keeps us fresh and perpetually interested in all of our character creations.
-- Roleplaying awards, in the form of XP bonuses, are granted almost every session for the player(s) who make the greatest effort to stay in character, and develop their PC.
-- Players are encouraged to design minor flaws or quirks in the characters, and rewarded with extra skill points at 1st level for doing so. These PC personality traits make the game more entertaining, and give the DM another tool for keeping players involved.
-- We keep the lines of communication open within our group, and if the majority isn't having fun we try to make change. Perhaps Ravenloft doesn't suit the group tastes; or we've gotten bored of exploring the Outer Planes; or we're always in cities and towns, and the vast frontiers are left unexplored.

I wish you the best of luck, and rest assured that yours is a surmountable obstacle.