D&D General DMing Hard Stop

[gamerprinter]

Actually, I've been DMing so long (decades) that the few times I've tried to play, I don't have it in me, to limit myself to a single character. I've spent too many years operating the entire opposition, the monsters, the NPCs, the stories, that managing a single character is so incredibly boring and limited for me, I cannot do it. In order to get more game prep activity in me, I've become a third party publisher. I really enjoy being a 3PP...

 

[Yora]

No, I have not.

But I assume that was a rhetorical question.

 

[GwaihirAgain]

The demotivating part for me was the fact that as I left I heard a lot of unhappiness and dissatisfaction from players, and realized the situation is getting worse rather than better in spite of steps taken to improve the atmosphere at the table.

Scupper the B plot? Bring it on. That's the Joy/Challenge of DMing.

Thanks for the feeback
G

 

[Baldurs_Underdark]

That table either needs a reboot, or at least a new Session Zero. You need to sit down with the group and check what kind of game everybody wants to play.

Players tend to start sabotaging a game when they are dissatisfied with the game. Find out what's up. Find if there is a gap between the expectations of the various players.

If you prepare this Session Zero as a set of open questions (what, where, how), but not the "why" which is judging, and let these questions go around the table and give every player a chance to answer, you may salvage the situation. Top tip: Ask one of the more mature players first so this person can set an example.

If that fails, the campaign might end or continue with a change in the players.

 

[Stormonu]

I've had some burnout in the past, but it's usually after a campaign has ended - I just feel like I need a mental/physical break because it can be very taxing to organize the game, set up encounters and keep the various personalities involved properly engaged. In most cases, sitting on the player's side of the screen for a while has re-energized me to try my hand again.

Haven't had a case though, where I was ready to drop a game right in the middle of a game, thankfully.

 

[Lanefan]

Have you ever had a moment at your table, where almost like a light switch, You decide, Im Ok with not DMing anymore.

Playing a long time campaign last night, adventurers on a B plot where they are trying to recover a necromantic crown from a tomb. Circumstances i.e traps, separate the mage from the party, he enters the tomb, loots the crown. Then helps to free the rest of the party from a couple traps and tells them he doesnt have the Crown. Much tense roleplaying and interpersonal chaos ensues. Finally the party snags the backpack from the mage, who has been acting suspiciously, and he misty steps away and says " I'm done with this party"

So the player just roleplayed his mage right out of the party. That's cool - the player is being true to the character wherever that may lead. Kudos!

I had much the same thing happen in my game, only the character stayed with the party: she had found a Crown that the party didn't yet know it was looking for, stowed it away in her pack, and soon afterwards (unknown to anyone else) was taken over and possessed by said Crown. For the rest of that adventure and nearly all of the next where they and several other groups were actively seeking the Crown she carried it around in her backpack, until at the end of that adventure it took over, forced her to leave the party and made her give the Crown up to the opposition. (the party then wiped out said opposition, so all ended well)

Player has been had a long time independent streak and there have been many real world frayed feelings over the years.

Yeah, what happens in-character has to stay in-character.

Otherwise,

Anyway, I'm sure Ill pull it together in a while and keep DMing this campaign, but currently lacking any excitement or initiative.

Personally I sometimes find it easier to DM when a party is arguing with each other, as I can more or less sit back and watch until-unless I have to referee an in-character fight. Any situation/adventure/etc. prep I've done can always be used next week...

 

[Blue]

Just as another thing with burnout - when the OGL stuff was churning hard and heavy, I was just very demotivated to do anything with RPGs. I have a playtest I organized I let just slip to the side, I cancelled a game I was running when we were down one when normally our rule is down two, I missed a game I'm in. I'm doing better now, but that whole environment greatly added to my RPG burnout during that period, and now I'm feeling better.

So when looking at DM burnout, also look if you are stressing out in other parts of your life. It may be that what you need is a hiatus to let that other stuff pass and for you to recharge, not actually to close down a game.

 

[DMZ2112]

Finally the party snags the backpack from the mage, who has been acting suspiciously, and he misty steps away and says " I'm done with this party"

So... they're not welcome back, right?

This is the very definition of a "don't let the door hit you on your way out" situation.

I agree with most folks in the thread who are saying this is not dungeon master burnout. Dungeon master burnout is usually a dissatisfaction with the system or a loss of investment in an ongoing campaign.

This is having a player who needs a stern talking to and possibly a robust yeeting. It's just a game, sure, but it's also a substantial time investment on behalf of everyone involved; mustering the basic social niceties involved in cooperative gameplay is a pretty minimal expectation.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Thankfully, I've never had any true DM burnout. The closest I've come was late last year. We've had a lot of skipped sessions over the past couple of years, as in it's now uncommon for us to have two back to back sessions anymore. Some of those have been on me, and I recognize that. But most of them have been because of life events for the players. It got to the point where I began to worry that, after almost five years of play (though only one player has been present for the entire five-year span), my players might be losing interest. Their reasons have always been perfectly legitimate ones, but the rate at which they've come up had become concerning.

Of course, then we had a couple of back-to-back sessions where the players were super engaged and motivated, and even the relatively quiet player got noticeably more active, which assuaged my concerns. They're still in it to "win" it (inasmuch as "winning" is possible), it's just been a rough couple of years.

 

[Oofta]

Funny thing is, I was the PC in kind-of-sort-of similar situation. Our group had been doing a quest equivalent of the rod of many parts, except that instead of a rod it was a crown. Anyway, when we nabbed the last piece my wizard grabbed it mentioned that he thought he was the best person to keep it safe and teleported away.

The PC was true neutral and, in a word, arrogant. But the important part of all of this is that I never tried to hide that I was absconding with the last piece when I left. Although I had never hinted to the other players until the moment that I would do this, I had discussed it with the DM ahead of time. In addition, I had no expectation of that PC continuing with the group. I accepted that I was going to cut ties and we were going our separate ways and that the PC had become an NPC should the other PCs decide to pursue him.

So I think something like this can work but the player of the PC has to accept the consequences of their actions. Also I think that while it was a surprise reveal, it helped that I didn't try to hide what I was doing and it didn't harm the group directly.