D&D 5E Getting back to DMing after a break

[RoiC.]

I've been running a 5e campaign for a while now (technically two years) that we play in person, and both my players and I enjoy it a lot. COVID is not much of a thing anymore where I live, but when it was, I we had to take breaks from running the game when the lockdowns were in order (we tried playing online, I didn't like it), but I still spent a lot of time reading and planning. But for the last 3 months have been very busy and stressful for me, and I didn't have any room to breath, let alone read materials, plan or prep for my game, and now when I finally have the time to get back to it... I'm just not sure how to. I've missed DMing a lot, and iwant to do it again. It's just that I feel like I forgot a lot of stuff and I'm not sure how to, uh... DM again. Any tips on how to get back into it?

 

[DemoMonkey]

1) Remember that your players are just as out of practice being players as you are out of practice being DM, and that you all need to be kind to each other.

That's it. That's all the advice.

 

[pogre]

Your players will be grateful you are running again and will grant you a lot of grace in getting back in the groove.

I would say, "I am a little rusty. Please give me a little patience and support as I get rolling again." Not necessary, but it does give your players a heads up that you are having a little bit of angst about it and hopefully they will refrain from making an off-hand remark that might unintentionally deepen your angst.

 

[J-H]

Try prepping a one-shot with a different tone or goal (at lower levels) to give yourself an easy practice run.

 

[payn]

Try prepping a one-shot with a different tone or goal (at lower levels) to give yourself an easy practice run.

This. Take a short break from your long term campaign and doing a little stretching with a one shotter or two before you launch it again.

 

[Burnside]

Don't feel the need to pick up the threads of your two year campaign straight away. Ease back in with something simple and straightforward. Consider running Lost Mine of Phandelver if you haven't already.

 

[TheAlkaizer]

I'm in the same boat. I was running a Starfinder game with friends but had to stop eleven months ago. So we haven't played in eleven months. Here is what I'm doing:

• I reread each of my player's backgrounds. I'm going to have a quick video call with each one to go over it to refresh our heads.
• I went over the session notes from all the previous sessions. I made a quick list of every bit of foreshadowing I gave them, important characters I introduced, etc.
• I'm going to write a recap of a few paragraphs that I'll read them before we start to make sure we're all on the same page.

As for the more technical side of DMing, specifically the rules, Starfinder is much more complex than 5E, so I just went over my player's classes abilities, the core rules and my players character's sheet for what equipment they have, etc.

I'm not too worried by the act of DMing. It's like riding a bicycle, whenever I'm worried, it always rushes back five minutes after we start.

 

[aco175]

I like the idea of easing back into things. I would like a couple trial nights with a level 1-3 campaign or maybe a level 3-5 campaign. A few games where the players know that the PCs will be around only a for a month or something frees them to play something new or take chances where if they die, so what, make another next week.