D&D General Talking about Stepping Away from D&D?

DEFCON 1

Legend
Supporter
The other group is my in-person group with the neighborhood teens and families. I've been running for them for only about 5 months, and it's been delightful (the dragon folding boat incident, notwithstanding - even if that managed to be memorable).
And honestly, it's the neighborhood group I'm most worried about disappointing. We're fostering a teenager who desperately needs this positive interaction with his peers. My wife is having a blast.
I was planning adventures to get us to 15th level and had a second 5e campaign ready to go after that.
That group finds so much joy in the experience, and they're not jaded. They'd probably have a great time even playing an adventure I've rated 1-star.
But I hate seeing the WotC stuff. They're loving the game so much they're buying merch and wearing it to the game, telling their friends how great "D&D" is - and I find myself wishing I could redirect that enthusiasm to another game.
Then as the adult who is doing all this wonderful work for the neighborhood children and families to keep them happy and you wanting to support them in their endeavors... then at some point you might just have to... get over it. :)

It sounds like you aren't running this game for yourself so much as you're doing this for them. So at some point you might just need to put your hurt feelings aside for the greater good... and redirect your enthusiasm away from the game and instead into the people around the table.

I don't particularly enjoy playing chess, but my son is really into it so I play chess with him. And it makes him really happy that I do. So I just have to force myself to remember that just because I'd rather be playing something like Ticket To Ride... this isn't about me, it's about him. And thinking about it that way might make it more enjoyable (or at least more tolerable) for you.
 

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wedgeski

Adventurer
I suspect you're reluctant to frame this as burnout, because if one of your players suggested switching to a non-WotC system, you'd jump at it. Despite your fears, the best option (and really, this should just be stickied at the top of every D&D forum) is honesty.
 

TheSword

Legend
That's possible.
In the case of one group I'm getting increasingly frustrated and bored. I've also tried other systems to shake it up, but it hasn't solved the underlying problem.
So for that group, I'm planning on one or two more sessions to end it with a suitable climax to the campaign. And then I'm on holiday. (I've been running for them weekly for 3 years.)
The other group is my in-person group with the neighborhood teens and families. I've been running for them for only about 5 months, and it's been delightful (the dragon folding boat incident, notwithstanding - even if that managed to be memorable).
And honestly, it's the neighborhood group I'm most worried about disappointing. We're fostering a teenager who desperately needs this positive interaction with his peers. My wife is having a blast.
I was planning adventures to get us to 15th level and had a second 5e campaign ready to go after that.
That group finds so much joy in the experience, and they're not jaded. They'd probably have a great time even playing an adventure I've rated 1-star.
But I hate seeing the WotC stuff. They're loving the game so much they're buying merch and wearing it to the game, telling their friends how great "D&D" is - and I find myself wishing I could redirect that enthusiasm to another game.
My suggestion is to view D&D like the 22 episode box TV dramas of old. Yes they are rewarding but they can be a slog. Sometimes you just want to get to the point, particularly when the quality of individual episodes is ropy. A 15 level epic campaign can be like that.

There is something powerful and punchy about a 3 season, 10 episode series with a beginning middle and an end. Time enough to set it up, but without trying to be a forever campaign. Choose your level range 1-5 or 6 to 12 or 11 to 16 and do that range really well. Take on your time and enjoy it.

I hope you don’t mind me saying I think you’re a hit of a dreamer like me. I have great ideas, but somewhere between a 1/3 and 2/3 the scale of the task starts to wear me down and I get interested in another project. At that point I’m usually a slogging it out to the end and hating it, or I just call it a day (and feel bad for it). I think more manageable goals is probably the sensible remedy.

My next plan is to run Dragon Heist and buff it out with four or five heists from Golden Vault. Run it more like a Sandbox set in Waterdeep with the chance to descend into Undermountain if they like a bit (chasing specific quests rather than trying to map the whole thing.) levels 1-9 keep it snappy.

My other project is adapting the City of Ubersreik and the short adventures there into a system agnostic place I could use for either D&D or WFRP. I love the bite sized but linked adventures that can re-use some NPCs and make the place more lived in.

Other options to consider…

Adapt the Daggerdale Trilogy from 2e FR. Doom of Dagger Dale and the Randal Morn trilogy - run it levels 1-7.

Run City of the Spider-queen buffed out with more roleplay and more weird underdark communities.

Run Night Below’a first chapter (the evils of Haranshire) but finish it off with a single aboleth/Mindflayer dungeon beneath rather than a huge trek through the underdark.

Convert Shadows over Bogenhafen or Death on the Reik or Power Behind the throne to stand alone adventures. All three would make a good three or four session encounter adventure - longer if bulked out a bit.
 

EthanSental

Legend
Supporter
There's definitely no talk about stepping away from D&D with the groups I'm playing with. One group has briefly stepped aside to try Masks and maybe another game or two (a chunk of the group is relatively new to RPGs), but that was decided before the OGL debacle. And the other group, well, when the OGL issue came up, a common sentiment was actually "Good!" As much as they do enjoy playing D&D, they haven't been fans of how the OGL has affected the 3pp market over the past 20-odd years.
I might be misunderstanding the last part….fans of how the OGL has affected the 3pp market over the last 20 years. What’s the viewpoint of the con of the OGL for 3pp being able to make products ad nauseam since 3e?

As far as @Retreater, not sure what to tell you as I’ve never been that impacted by a company doing something I disagree with, or at least none come to mine in recent history. That neighborhood game based on what you said is important so what about a 5e based game but an adventure or campaign from a 3pp? When you’re looking at the books, it’s not a dnd book…maybe the adventures in middle earth 5e or other campaigns?
 
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aco175

Legend
And honestly, it's the neighborhood group I'm most worried about disappointing. We're fostering a teenager who desperately needs this positive interaction with his peers. My wife is having a blast.

I don't particularly enjoy playing chess, but my son is really into it so I play chess with him. And it makes him really happy that I do. So I just have to force myself to remember that just because I'd rather be playing something like Ticket To Ride... this isn't about me, it's about him. And thinking about it that way might make it more enjoyable (or at least more tolerable) for you.
Sounds like this sums things up. I do not want to neglect feelings of burnout which may have long term consequences, but if the problem is with Wizards mostly, then just deal with it. Your wife is happy and plays D&D with you as well as your mentoring a foster child who may need this more than you know.
 

cranberry

Adventurer
I just dropped a big hint "Hey, Humble Bundle is selling Pathfinder stuff", and provided a link.

I got a couple thumbs up in response, and slowly, everyone except one person in the group was at least interested in looking into PF.

The one holdout was no surprise. He's explicitly stated in the past that he doesn't like crunchy systems.
 

Retreater

Legend
As far as @Retreater, not sure why to tell you as I’ve never been that impacted by a company doing something I disagree with, or at least none come to mine in recent history. That neighborhood game based on what you said is important so what about a 5e based game but an adventure or campaign from a 3pp? When you’re looking at the books, it’s not a dnd book…maybe the adventures in middle earth 5e or other campaigns?
Well, we are currently playing (and almost finished with) one of the Goodman Games Original Adventures Reincarnated titles. From there the plan was to go into something from Frog God Games and then into another Goodman Games adventure - so already we were using 3PP adventures for this go-around.
 

BrokenTwin

Biological Disaster
My main group hasn't played WotC D&D for a while now (plenty of D&D 5E based 3PP stuff like AiME though). We were debating doing an actual WotC campaign after our current Witcher game finishes, but with the OGL kerfuffle happening we've decided to try PF2 instead.

Depending on how long your current campaign has left, it might be better for you with your group to just be upfront and ask them if they'd be willing to try playing another system once the current campaign resolves. Either another fantasy system, or trying something completely new.
 

TheSword

Legend
Well, we are currently playing (and almost finished with) one of the Goodman Games Original Adventures Reincarnated titles. From there the plan was to go into something from Frog God Games and then into another Goodman Games adventure - so already we were using 3PP adventures for this go-around.
Razor coast was a lot of fun. Get your foster child to watch the Pirates of the Caribbean films first and he’ll have a blast.
 

Retreater

Legend
Razor coast was a lot of fun. Get your foster child to watch the Pirates of the Caribbean films first and he’ll have a blast.
I'm sure it's great, but we're currently doing a pirate-based campaign and wouldn't want to revisit those waters so soon.
I hope my Kickstarter Goodman Dark Tower OAR arrives soon enough to be a possibility. He's trans, so seeing the representation would be very affirming for him.
 

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