The Arduin Grimoire and fixing the DMing issue within

It's been a few days since I reflected on the thread about how my skills have deteriorated as a DM. And in those days I've taken the time to reflect as to the whys... I mean come on, I was at the very first DexCon in New Jersey; DMing a Round Robin event where this strangely dressed 50s-ish hippy with a gnarled, highly polished walking stick, foppish hat and over-sized 70s style mirrored sunglasses sits down at my table and plays a somewhat frazzel brained wizard - at the end of the weekend I see him again and he introduces himself as E.G.G. and tells me I am one of the best DMs he's ever played with. Freakin' E.G.G. for chrissakes. Somehow I went from that to where I am now.

Reasons:

1) Distractions: (A) I play an old MMORPG - Asheron's Call - that takes up, well, alot of time. More than it should. Easily 1-2 hours a day, more on weekends that Momma (the wife unit) is working. (B) Family - when I started D&D back in the Chainmail Days, I was single, totally committed to my geekdom and our games/campaigns. Once I met the Mrs, more and more time was taken away from the Game. We went from playing every Friday thru Sunday, to only on Saturdays, and once the kids started to arrive, every other Saturday. The game started taking a back burner. (C) The Interwebs and the HDTV. I spend a silly amount of time surfing the web and watching my Sony SXRD 72" 1080p Behemoth - with literally thousands of On-Demand Options, and all of our family's favorite shows, it's difficult to keep up with everything.

2) I got old. I had a friend over (the aforementioned Bill who played Daphon the Dragonslayer from back in the day) and we did a marathon game - Up insanely late Friday night, back at it again Saturday until the wee hours. I am not 17 anymore. I am not 25 anymore. Hell, I'm not 45 anymore. That weekend drained me so much I was the Walking Dead for the better part of a week.

3) I have done it all - to the point I am redoing it all again. A few of my players have done it all with me, and are being able to read me, and my adventures like an old comfortable book. Still a favorite, but not too many surprises. A couple of my players can almost say what I am about to say before I say it. Therefore I, and my games have become predictable.

4) As #3 above, we've all been playing as long as we have, there's little mystery or challenge in the standard game anymore. We all know what all of the Monsters should and can do. We've done just about every possible hook and plot, every type of conceivable campaign, been the good guys, been the bad guys, been the mercs who couldn't care less as long as we got paid guys...

5) Along with old (above) I got lazy. It's easier time wise to "wing" the whole adventure from a sketchy outline, than to sit down and really prep. Back int eh day I would be ready for hours and hours of fun, planned, detailed gaming, winging it when needed - and doing so very well. Now it's one big fat wing-it session, and I am short changing my players.

I was so demoralized over all of this, that I realized that either I needed to step away from DMing, or from the Game entirely. I needed a break. That, or something needed to change. Well I had decided to step away from gaming, when I started to receive the texts about the upcoming game from my players - how they were looking forward to it, what time, where, what to bring, etc. Like it or not, I am their DM. They and I may not be enjoying the game as much as when things were fresh, but - I feel a real responsibility to them. Also, we have a few brand new players that are just starting to get into gaming.

So. How to finx MY issues.

The plan:

1) Cut back on my online time in Asheron's Call. Instead of everyday, for hours per day, let's see about maybe every other day.

2) The Boob Tube - do I really, no, really need to watch every movie on the Independent Film Channel's On-Demand menu?

3) Prep. When I prep, my games are better. Also I have more energy when we do stray from the beaten path and I need to improv.

4) Introduce them to something that none of them have experienced: A brand new gaming world (to them) - old as dirt to me. I have in my possession all of the old 5" by 8" volumes of David Hargrave's Arduin Grimoire's - with all of the off the wall classes, creatures, spells - which when mixed in with the normal DnD muck, will add an element of the unknown.

5) BEDTIME Early before game day! (I am old, remember?),

So whaddaya think? Is the plan doable? ONLY THE SHADOW KNOWS!

Sounds good. A piece of advice from one old (ish) fart to another: go easy on the caffeine. The distance from zinging to rattled is about one serving. I tend to drink one, maybe two canned soda, then switch to milk and juice for the rest of the night. My days of drug-fuelled all-nighters are long behind me; my goal is to remain energized and alert for 4+ hours. Eating some reasonable amount of protein helps.

Cool stuff. A little spice is always nice, and it doesn't get much spicier than Arduin.

I assume you already know about these, but figured I'd link 'em anyway...

World Book of Khaas

Arduin Trilogy

If not for you, maybe your players.

Good for you sticking to your guns Bleys.

I too have experienced similar demoralizing events in my DMing life, as discussed in Kzach's thread. So, I applaud you for your persistence and determination to fulfill your desire (obligation?) as the DM.

You should keep us posted about how it turns out. Whenever I am starting a new campaign, I swear off TV, caffeine, and sugar while I'm doing all of the prep work (anywhere from a few days to a few weeks). This really helps my mind settle and get me in the right place to DM an enjoyable game.

Good luck!

Bleys Icefalcon said:

4) Introduce them to something that none of them have experienced: A brand new gaming world (to them) - old as dirt to me. I have in my possession all of the old 5" by 8" volumes of David Hargrave's Arduin Grimoire's - with all of the off the wall classes, creatures, spells - which when mixed in with the normal DnD muck, will add an element of the unknown.

Click to expand...

The look on a players face the first time they lose a buttock is priceless.

ExploderWizard said:

The look on a players face the first time they lose a buttock is priceless.

Click to expand...

Not to mention the look on the priest/cleric's face when the player walks into a temple to have it Restored! ;P <plops a bag of gold on the altar> "Here's your donation. Now regrow my glorious bum!" HA!

As for the original post, sounds like you have a very thorough and well-thought out grasp of your DMing issues (I think we all, of a certain age, have encountered our own modicum of any, if not all, of what you mention!) and solid ideas on how to combat some of those challenges.

Best of luck to you and I, too, look forward to hearing how the introduction of the new elements goes over.
--SD

Bleys Icefalcon said:

4) Introduce them to something that none of them have experienced: A brand new gaming world (to them) - old as dirt to me. I have in my possession all of the old 5" by 8" volumes of David Hargrave's Arduin Grimoire's - with all of the off the wall classes, creatures, spells - which when mixed in with the normal DnD muck, will add an element of the unknown.

Click to expand...

Good plan overall. Have you considered a different genre? That would shake all of you out of your old, comfortable habits (try some Deadlands (old west with some horror thrown in) for example).

The reason I mention it is a buddy of mine went through what you are now and made a new game world that was supposedly different than his old (both fantasy). After 8 months, it morphed into the old since he ported all the "cool" stuff from the old one. While you have a strong idea of the world from the MMO, are the players going to request exceptions for their old familiar favorites? Will you be nickled and dimed back to the old habits? Just food for thought.

Regardless, good luck!

Yeah, I have found changing to completely different genre and systems really helped "re energize" me! Plus, for good or bad, it helped me discover how many awesome systems and settings are out there to play in. Good that they are there, bad that it gives you reasons to spend even more money on them!

On the TV/other game stuff. I had similar issues a couple of years ago. I sat back and asked myself, "What do I really enjoy doing the most"

For me it wasn't TV, or computer games, or even reading novels. It was gaming with friends and my kids. People have their "Poker Night", or board game night, or movie nights, etc... but for me, myself, and I, gaming is what I enjoy the most. So I cut back, even completely cut out, a lot of the other things I found less important. Couldn't completely cut them out, because even though I don't enjoy them for myself, I do enjoy them due to the fact that I do them with my family, especially my kids.

Especially now that they are at the age where they are making their first steps into becoming adults, moving out, and making their own lives. I'm running out of time! So I have to seize my time with them now, once they get out there and start living their own lives, they won't have time for "dear old mom and dad" anymore. Certainly not near the time they have for us now!

So it definitely helped me to prioritize, and hopefully it will help you too.

Plus, talk to your players. Make them at least superficially aware of what your going through. If you are interested in trying out other genre, ask them about it.

Good luck.

Oh, and Arduin RAWKS!! IF your interested check out Fight On! magazine, they have had some good Arduin material in there, and even one cool adventure I've ran!

Part of what makes gaming fun is crazy stuff, and Arduin definitely gives you that!

Sometimes you just need to take a break for awhile.

I took a short break from 85-87.

then GMed a group again out east in Boston from 88-89.

Then took a long break that went from very early in 1990 to mid-1999 or so.

Then I took up GMing again.

It took me a couple years to get back in the swing of things. I could run the new-fangled 3.0 D&D okay, and liked some aspects of it, houseruled what I didn't like. I also still run old school 0D&D and Gamma World / Metamorphosis Alpha games...

Once I got back in the saddle, I found things had changed. There are different things that are important for players in different games. I still like to run 0D&D and Gamma World, but will also run Spycraft, Fudge, Gurps, d20, Aces & Eights, as well as Traveller, and Castles and Crusades.

I haven't run a Pathfinder game yet, but I want to, and probably will before too long.

Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings - I have pretty much everything Arduin that's in print, and since our group is pretty much committed to 3.0/3.5, I have been tinkering with the monsters, making them portable. Oh, the first boss baddy - an insane Star Powered Mage named Goodgulf.

...I plan on taking them from their comfort zone TO Arduin, payback from a particularly nasty baddy they'd defeated recently. Of course one of the natures of their curse is they cannot plane shift to any other prime material plane. No getting home that easy.