Dm Seeking Advice on How To Remotivate my self and my Group

[terrya]

[FONT=&quot]I have been playing DnD now in some form for about the last 13 years (Since my 7th Birthday). We started with 1E / 2E hybrid that was DM’d by my Father and played in by both me and my brother. Since its release we have moved over to a semi house ruled 3.5 that is played really as a more rules heavy 1E. We have always used published adventures as previously I was too young to write my own and now work limits my time BUT we do normally try to fit these adventures into our own game world which is an adapted Greyhawk as this was the setting all of my characters playing with my Father were made in and I hold a great fondness for the setting.

Lately i find however that with age the patience and tastes of the core 4 players in my group (my Self, My brother and 2 friends of mine from school) have changed quite drastically and in different directions which is leading to the game sessions becoming far less frequent and at times not that enjoyable. For a long time i felt that I as the main DM was the only one who felt this way but after speaking to my brother he has also agreed the following:

1. The best DND was played using 1E / 2E with my father Dming (which is sadly not an option anymore due to his work commitments)

2. None of us are making any real attempt to role Play or become attached to our characters for probably about a year now

3. Due to the vast amount of time we have been playing we have used up I’d say north of about 100 published adventures and many have been played more than once (Caves of chaos, Temple of Elemental Evil, Giant Modules, Dungeon Crawl Classics making up the core of the replayed ones)

4. We have a very varied taste in what we want from a game. I’ll give you a little detail below[/FONT]

• [FONT=&quot]We have 1 player who has no interest in role play and enjoys Dnd simply for the combat and winning that combat (To the extent that when I recently ran tomb of horrors for the group he near on refused to continue playing as he felt so out of place)[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Another one of our players, who also happens to be my closest friend, likes the idea of role play but is so totally useless at it and nervous about it he makes no real attempt and can find it very hard to get immersed in a campaign in recent months but will get bored quite rapidly if a campaign consists of nothing but combat.[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]My brother is a brilliant role player and in all honesty is probably the strongest player out of the three but due to his age (15 9 when we started) throws temper tantrums constantly and can grind the pace of the game to a halt when he doesn’t get his own way which is further highlighting our current reluctance to play. He also is unable to maintain multiple characters without treating them as a singular individual with no separate goals. This can be a huge problem for realism and immersion in such a small group[/FONT]
• [FONT=&quot]Then myself as a DM. I would like to think on my good day I am a great DM and I certainly have no problems putting the work in to bring a campaign together. The problem is I enjoy much more being a PC and developing a character and I find what I’m getting from the sessions is not justifying the work I have to put in to try and meet the tastes of 3 very different individuals.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]So what I’m really looking for here guys is some advice on what it is I’m doing wrong and how I can re motivate my players. We very much believe that Role play and Immersion / Realism need to be core parts of the game but at this point I’m willing to try anything to get back to a stage where I’m enjoying it again.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Thanks in Advance!![/FONT]

 

[Rune]

First of all, not that this matters, but I'm confused by your math. You said you've been playing for 13 years, since your 7th birthday and that your brother is "15 9 when we started." Is that supposed to be "19, 5 when we started?" (Which would be possible, if the OP was posted after your brother's birthday, but before yours.)

With that out of the way, I'll make a few suggestions based on the content of the OP. First, the family that plays together stays together; I recommend that you make every effort to keep that up.

Second, roleplaying is something that a player (who wants to) looks for opportunities to do. You can't and shouldn't expect--or try to force--a player to do it. You also shouldn't set up encounters with a sharp divide between types. There's no rule that says you can't roleplay in the middle of combat, nor that you must fight everything that has stats.

Finally, you have the 1e DMG, right? If you want to play, why don't you all play through a random dungeon without a DM for a change of pace?

 

[Nagol]

Well, if you are going to continue DMing, I have a couple of suggestions:

Realise that burnout happens and group interest diverges. Sometimes a change either in DM or group composition is necessary. Other times, the changes can be incorporated with compromise. Often, a great place to start the repair is to change the whole game premise.

There are more games than D&D variants. The GM should determine what he finds interesting and the group would like. Is there a comic book, TV show, movie, or book you think makes a interesting situation you'd like to explore?

Pick a system that covers the genre, power level, and table-play aspects the group can agree to enjoy. The change may be reinvigorating and may allow people to explore different avenues of play.

 

[terrya]

First of all, not that this matters, but I'm confused by your math. You said you've been playing for 13 years, since your 7th birthday and that your brother is "15 9 when we started."

The numbers i Quote for my self is the age I was when I started playing full stop. The ages quoted for my brother are the ages since we started playing with this current group. Apologies should of made that a little bit clearer. I do have the 1E DMG it has bits in there about running a game with no DM?

 

[Janx]

The important thing is you've been playing for quite a while with your friends. None of you are "old" but there might be maturity level differences.

There certainly are varying style preferences.

When you do get your mojo back, always make sure you take into account the style preferences. Try to roleplay some, but don't get overly picky with the guy who likes RP but sucks at it. Talk to your brother about how he handles not getting his way outside of the game, but in game, be mindful of things that set him off. The combat guys is almost easiest to please.

As for getting your mojo back, I think that's a matter of finding a campaign idea that inspires and motivates you. I sometimes base mine of TV shows like Babylon5 or Lost. Take the initial premise and then shuffle everything so its different.

If you guys are happy with a certain ruleset, stick with it. It's cheap, you own it. New rules and settings are just other ways to spice up a gaming group. The core of it is getting together and playing together.

You might also look to bring in fresh blood. Propose a campaign YOU want to run, then seek out players. Not everybody from your current group will be interested. That's OK.

 

[Rune]

I do have the 1E DMG it has bits in there about running a game with no DM?

Appendix A (really, all of them, but start with A).

 

[terrya]

You might also look to bring in fresh blood. Propose a campaign YOU want to run, then seek out players. Not everybody from your current group will be interested. That's OK.

I live in the middle of Wickham on the south coast of England. My access to gaming groups is very limited. I know of only one other group in the area (and im being very generous with the travel distance here) which is run by Morrus. Which was great fun but is very hard for me to attend due to work comitments. Other than that i would have no clue of anyone in my local area who would be intrested.

 

[Janx]

I live in the middle of Wickham on the south coast of England. My access to gaming groups is very limited. I know of only one other group in the area (and im being very generous with the travel distance here) which is run by Morrus. Which was great fun but is very hard for me to attend due to work comitments. Other than that i would have no clue of anyone in my local area who would be intrested.

Sorry to hear that. Maybe [MENTION=1]Morrus[/MENTION] has some local advice for you on that.

I'm gathering that you're about 20 years old and your friends are similar, with your brother a bit younger. Thats a time when people move apart for jobs or college.

Hopefully, you can get your friends to understand that they should play together in a common game because it acts as a central means to keeping in contact.

I feel this is important, from my own experience. I am still in close contact with friends I've known since I was 8 (30 years ago). We all started gaming 20 years ago together. In some ways, despite the distance and changes, gaming gives us a common hobby and focal point. We annually travel 1500 miles to game together for a weekend, talk gamingg on the phone all the time.

Gaming is just an excuse to hang out with your friends. But I've found it to be a useful tool in maintaining lifelong friendships. If you and your friends let gaming preferences get in the way, you lose that opportunity.

I don't think you're looking at anything drastic or dramatic. But I'd hate for you all to drift apart over a silly reason.

 

[Swedish Chef]

Why not just play something different? Try one of the new board games by WotC. Or any new boardgame from another company. Settlers of Catan, Game of Thrones, Axis and Allies, etc, etc, etc. Or try card games. Munchkin is a fun one.

Just take a break from RPGs. I've found that when I take a break, I come back more excited about playing again, and the things that used to bother me either no longer bother me, or are no longer even there to bother me. Either way, everyone wins.

 

[S'mon]

You sound a bit burnt out. I like to take a break now and then to refresh the DMing battery, usually about 3 months is good. Take the time to mull over ideas, maybe consider trying a shorter campaign in a different world, even a different ruleset. Zombies or something.