Bored PCs, and another PC coming soon...

[MissingDividends]

Well to start off, I'll warn you that this is my the first campaign im DMing...Ive played in many but decided to run my own. I started running my campaign last September (wow didnt realize until just now it had been so long) been holding sessions almost every wednesday, for about 2 hours...Heres the problem: I think my characters are a little bored. No one has confronted me about it or dropped out, but I think I must be doing something wrong, even if im not, i can always make improvements...

Some facts about my Campaign:
Setting: a world that i made...various inspirations, same as the standard D+D 3.0 world...
# Of Players: 5 with a 6th joining sometime soon
Lvl of characters: 3rd, 4th, 4th, 4th, 5th, 4th (the one who is going to join soon)
Classes (in same order as levels): Rouge, Fighter, Druid, Barbarian, Monk, Still working on it...(prabably bard or cleric)
Age of players (agian, in same order): 10, 10, 15, 17, 15, 14 (i think)
cant think of much else....id like some suggestions on how to get each person as much time as possible with a 6th person joining soon...

Thanks for reading/skimming all of that, and Thanks in advance for any help/ideas/comments anyone can come up with...

 

[Crothian]

First off, I'd blantantly ask them if they are bored. I've found that players can be a little hesitant with talking about the game to the DM, but they may be talking about to each other. Just ask people if they are having fun, and if they have any suggestions. Emphasis it's a group game, so everyone should be involved in what goes on and how things are handled.

Make sure each PC has something to do. By this level you should have a feel for how each character is, so make sure there is something for everyone. It doesn't have to be major. Go back over the past 8 or so sessions and make sure that everyone has had about the equal amount of spotlight time. You can't please everyone all the time, but you can try to make sure each PC has some spotlight time over a month or so.

 

[Telperion]

Well to start off, I'll warn you that this is my the first campaign im DMing...Ive played in many but decided to run my own. I started running my campaign last September (wow didnt realize until just now it had been so long) been holding sessions almost every wednesday, for about 2 hours...Heres the problem: I think my characters are a little bored. No one has confronted me about it or dropped out, but I think I must be doing something wrong, even if im not, i can always make improvements...

Some facts about my Campaign:
Setting: a world that i made...various inspirations, same as the standard D+D 3.0 world...
# Of Players: 5 with a 6th joining sometime soon
Lvl of characters: 3rd, 4th, 4th, 4th, 5th, 4th (the one who is going to join soon)
Classes (in same order as levels): Rouge, Fighter, Druid, Barbarian, Monk, Still working on it...(prabably bard or cleric)
Age of players (agian, in same order): 10, 10, 15, 17, 15, 14 (i think)
cant think of much else....id like some suggestions on how to get each person as much time as possible with a 6th person joining soon...

Thanks for reading/skimming all of that, and Thanks in advance for any help/ideas/comments anyone can come up with...

Your post doesn't give much to work with, but here some very general ideas about getting players interested in a campaign:
- portray a diverse and engaging story
- if you are running a campaign that has more than one objective, then theme your various stories according to your plans.
- involve your players' characters into the stories that you portray
- create a slowly increasing level of difficulty, which keeps the players struggling towards a higher level from one story to the next.
- give rewards and treats when earned. Don't if you feel the players haven't earned them.
- Enjoy yourself.

 

[MissingDividends]

I should prabably explained why i think they are bored better...2 (maybe 3) sessions ago, i asked them straight out if they were bored...the reason i asked them is that it was kinda slow going, they were trapped on an island trying to get off it, and before answering the kinda all were quiet for a few seconds and looked at each other, as if asking 'What should we say?', and then said no...so i might be being paranoid, but i dont want to have my campiaign end with all the players saying 'This is Boreing' and leaving...because, for many of them, this is their first campaign (the other 2 going on in town were, and still are, for experienced players only)...

sorry, was typing this when Telperion (hope i spelled that right, doing it from memory) so im writing everything ater this as part of the edit:
- my story line is (IMHO) pretty good, i accually have the PCs actions have reactions (2 of them have been to the stocks and they pissed the Wizards guild off...long story...and now they are doing a service to it as an apoligee...another long story)
- there realy isnt much of an objective...the PCs are almost acting as mercinaries currently...
- i try to use that "Wealth By PC Level" chart in the DMG alot, to make sure im giving appropriate awards...
- i make them fight "underlings" and the "not-so-underlings" and then the "boss"


BTW: does anyone have any godd ideas for weird laws (unusuall ones that have somewhat of a point)

 

[Zappo]

Not sure if this is can help, but have you considered giving more XP? Their levels seem very low for a campaign that's been running for almost six months. Many players enjoy low-level adventuring, but many expect to level much faster.

 

[MissingDividends]

Not sure if this is can help, but have you considered giving more XP? Their levels seem very low for a campaign that's been running for almost six months. Many players enjoy low-level adventuring, but many expect to level much faster.

well its been about a total of 15 sessions...i dont hold them near holidays becuase most of the Players travel....

so that would be about 30 hours of play...and about 9,000 xp per person(off of the top of my head) so about 300 xp per hour, or 600xp per session...i didnt think that was too bad, but ill take that under advisement...

 

[MissingDividends]

i just got back on to see if there were any new posts...for some reason i see mine on there like 20 times...if a moderator happens to read this, sorry for the many-post, im not sure how it happened...please delete all the doubbles...

 

[Epametheus]

A nine-tuple post. I don't even know what the proper term for that is.

But I'm impressed.

Also, your XP handout seems a little low, but I guess that's not too bad for 15 sessions.

The "normal" rate always seemed to me to be a level every 3 sessions, so I guess that works out fine.

 

[babomb]

A nine-tuple post. I don't even know what the proper term for that is.

But I'm impressed.

A <i>nonuple</i> post is indeed impressive.

When my players are bored, it's usually because they're not sure what to do. Maybe they can't decide on a course of action, or maybe the missed some of the clues. When that happens I throw something at them: a combat, a pickpocket, a dying messenger, a fire, a red herring, anything. Just follow Piratecat's Law: Think 'What is the most exciting/interesting/engaging thing I could do RIGHT NOW?' and then do that. Figure out the consequences later.

 

[Telperion]

Think 'What is the most exciting/interesting/engaging thing I could do RIGHT NOW?' and then do that. Figure out the consequences later.

I have to agree with babomb here: I think your campaign needs a direction. Mercenary work is all well and good. The party gets XP, gold, loot and sees the world abit (if you move the various missions about a bit), but aside from that it tends towards hack'n'slash, which isn't such a great storytelling tool.

So, I would suggest sitting down with your notebook/computer/etc. and sketching out a plot hook that seems cool to you. And, really, worry about the consequences later, because you'll probably get all sorts of new ideas once the players swallow your new idea. Hook, sinker and all .