Help a burned out DM rekindle his spark

[Insight]

I have gone thru the DM burnout thing a few times, and it almost always comes down to a few common elements:

* The storyline has gone sour, or the players have no interest in continuing to pursue it (or I have lost the love I once had for it myself)

* The PCs are in an untenable situation, and really no one can (or wants to) do anything about it. Kind of like a catch-22 or being boxed into a corner. Not real fun.

* There has been significant downtime, such that various people involved are not real gung ho about pushing forward. There is likely as much inertia as anything else, but no one seems interesting in continuing with the game.

These things happen. It's called human nature. People get bored and want to move on to something new.

The problem that DMs have is that they feel it is solely their burden to continue to entertain their friends. This is where the burnout really comes in. The thinking becomes "No one can create adventures as well as I can, so I need to keep DMing", even when burnout is in full onset.

I would suggest two parallel paths to pursue. First, let someone else DM for a while, even if its only a few weeks. You'll be surprised at the perspective you get from the other side of the screen. Second, look at your past campaigns and think about what excited you the most about those creations. Something more than 'because I'm the DM' made you want to create, and you need to discover within yourself what that is. Getting in touch with the source of your creative spark is probably the most important thing you can do at this point.

Consider alternate sources of inspiration. Read new books (even non-fantasy or non-fiction). Watch an old movie you've never seen - maybe a really bad Hercules or gladiator flick. Listen to music you don't normally consider, or maybe pick up a CD from an artist you've never heard.

I guarantee there is SOMETHING out there that will get you going again. If you ever had the urge to create, it will return given time.

 

[Voadam]

For me I took a break from DMing for a few years and enjoyed playing in a great campaign with my friends. Eventually the desire to DM again built up over time and I took over the campaign when the current DM needed a break.

 

[Mark]

I have tried to be a player but I tend to get bored quickly

I feel the same, though for different reasons. I just way prefer the DM's chair.

Have you ever thought about splitting your players into two groups and allowing them to play on alternate weeks, using the same rough timeline and competing for the same goals? They could be from competing "good" temples and after some artifacts, perhaps. Or even have one group Good and one Evil, with a final battle planned for between them when they reach fifth, tenth, or some level.

Lots of other good ideas in this thread also. Definitely DMing Advice thread-worthy, and then some. (Might be some more good ideas from that link.)

 

[derelictjay]

From my experience, the to times I "burnt out" DMing was one where the pressures of life got to me, the other was where my players were just being annoying (to put it nicely). In the case of the former, all it took was to step back and gather myself, I did this by doing something different, a battle royal where everybody made PCs and pitted them against each other was one, another was letting someone else (actually two people) run a couple of one shots. The latter, well, that was a bad situation and I ended up folding the group and not gaming again for nearly 2 very long years.

It sounds to me that your tired of your players, or rather they're play style. So I would guess you need to do something different. Since you want to stay with fantasy and D&D, try running an evil campaign or go with something whimsical like Adventures in Candyland or something like that for a change of pace. Outside of those the Co-DM, mentioned above might be good, as it could allow you to help a fellow DM into new ways of thinking, while giving you a break from time to time and a DM who could run a game more along the lines of what you would like.

The last thing you want to do is get out of gaming, because you'll miss it way to much, and I speak from experience.

 

[Scotley]

First, people use the term depression very loosely, but your posts suggest that you may be clinically depressed. If so, get help. That will change your whole perspective.

If instead you are using the term to suggest that you are unhappy with the way the previous game went then I would suggest a player survey. Find out what sort of game your players want. If they are having more fun you'll be more inspired and in turn they'll have more fun. Check out www.roleplayingtips.com for some tips on player surveys. The ideas your players give you may lead you in unexpected directions and thus get the creative juices flowing again.

I would also suggest giving someone else a chance behind the screen. Even if its bad it may motivate you to get to work. At the very least the lack of pressure to create on a regular basis will give you a chance to recharge your creative energy.


Good luck.

Scotley

 

[tonym]

Where can a burned out husk go for insperation to get back into the game?

Because you create your own adventures, you may have finally reached the point where you know exactly what kind of stuff you are likely to invent, so you're becoming bored with your own style.

If this sounds possible, buy an adventure that looks cool, customize it no more than a little, then DM it and see what happens. This may be the funnest and quickest way to stop being a "burned out husk." Worked for me, anyhow.



Tony M

 

[Klaus]

Start a new campaign in a very different environment.

For instance, if you usually play in Temperate Europe-like areas, with dwarves from the mountains, elves from the forests and the like, try running a game set in an artic region, or in a steaming jungle peninsula.

IMXP, Unearthed Arcana has tons of "refreshing" options. Even something simple like the racial variants by environment can spark a campaign idea.

 

[Droogie]

Walk away. Take a break from it all for a few weeks. Or months. Find something new to do. Join a gym. Exercise does wonders for depression.


If you still want to game, have someone else DM. For me, nothing recharges my batteries better than watching someone else Dm, especially if they suck.

 

[leporidae]

Sometimes you need to take a break

Hi, my name is Leporidae and I'm a burned out GM, and have been since a cherished campaign came to a bitter and premature end more than a year ago. My advice is to pack up your campaign notes and GM supplies and put them away somewhere you won't have to look at them. Take a break - don't start another campaign out of a sense of obligation, and be clear about this with the people who are asking you to start again (if you waffle they may think they can flatter or badger you into starting again).

If you're not having fun as a player either, don't play. This sounds harsh, but you'll end up resenting the other players (and possibly pissing them off if you're still bitter and sulky).

The problem is that gaming, and especially gamemastering, fills two essential needs - for social interaction and a creative outlet. Suddenly losing these can definitely make one depressed. If you're down and out, the first step is to get up and do something (clean your domicile, make plans with non-gaming friends/family). If you're depressed to the point where you can't ever shake the dark moods, or take pleasure in normal activities don't be afraid to ask for help - Depression is a serious illness.

Once you're off the couch and functioning look for other creative and social outlets.

If games are in your blood (and I suspect they are) eventually you will start feeling the itch again (don't worry that you aren't a 'real gamer' if this takes a while). Start small, play the campaign you least dislike and see how it goes. Maybe it won't be so bad, maybe the things you dislike about the game will inspire you to start your own campaign, (if neither, take another break, but only after making an honest effort).

I'm currently at the stage of learning to enjoy playing again, who knows, maybe I'll be up to participating in the Dungeon Master's Foundation by GenCon time.

Thanks for listening, and take care of yourself.

 

[scourger]

D&D burn-out cures

I've been there, so I'll offer my solution. The short version is to take the W*O*R*K out of the G*A*M*E and just P*L*A*Y.

This lesson really hit home for me eariler this year watching one of my gaming buddies DM. He didn't really know the rules or spend a lot of time preparing. He just ran the game and had fun doing it. I was coming off a year of not wanting to DM weekly due to some player boycotts. I called it my DM embargo. I was running an alternate game on weekends and playing weekly. I had the best of both worlds.

Then, I lost 3 gaming friends. One moved away, effectively killing the weekend games. One quit our group. The other took a "hiatus" (essentially quitting but trying to leave a foot in the door). I decided I had exactly two choices: game or not. I chose to game on. I wanted to do something different but based on the D&D rules. I also had few reliable players. The options were dwindling.

I knew Judge Dredd d20 would work for 2 or 3 players, but I couldn't figure out how to run a D&D game for 2 players (the third lives out of town and is sometimes sketchy about showing up). Then, one of the players suggested that each of them could run 2 characters. That brilliant suggestion led me to envision The Shackled City adventure path with human judges, jedi and mutants mixed in with the standard D&D races/classes and aasimar paladin for good measure. I knew the first adventure is good and tough. I made it a condition that they had to play one "alternate" character and had the option to then play one standard character or alternate as their second. Also, I told them they were the good guys. Period. I didn't think the players would go for it.

But they did. It's been a great few months of gaming. Attendance has been good, and we even brought back another player who had dropped out some time ago (not one of the 3 mentioned before). I don't worry too much about the rules, conversion or preparation. I do as much (or as little) as is fun for me and then just show up every week and have fun running the game. It's been great. I'll continue for as long as it lasts.

So, my advice to you is to do the same. Buy Dungeon. Better yet, get a subscription. The Shackled City was developed in that magazine over the last couple of years. They have a good little 3-part series going now. Get issue #94 on paizo.com or eBay so that you have the awesome Omega World mini-game. It is based on D&D but presents an awesome d20 version of the classic Gamma World game. Its best feature is that it is only about 40 pages. It is from this game that I sprinkled mutants into my current game. You should be able to import any adventure you want or easily make your own with the couple of pages of DM advice in the game.

If that doesn't get you there, pick up Judge Dredd d20. Again, it is based on the 3.0 D&D rules, but it presents a very cool, established world for some great gaming. I use the judges from this game in my current D&D game. There are 4 published modules available plus one I found on the Internet and one presented in the publisher's magazine over 2 recent issues. The published adventures are good enough to run for a fun, mini-camapign.

If that fails, get the Star Wars revised core rule book and download a bunch of free adventures from wizards.com. I would love to do this for an all-jedi campaign, but there just isn't enough time. Maybe one day.

Otherwise, get Mesopotamia. It is a great D&D camapign book and module in one. I would use the variant human races and gods to run a great bronze-age game that would be as much like the stories of Robert E. Howard as I could make it.

Lastly, I'll recommend The Giant's Skull. It's a nice one-off with a twist that can then be incorporated and recycled in a regular campaign.

If I were at a standstill, that's what I would do. I find reading new material that puts a new twist on the old game of D&D puts me in just the right mood to DM. When my current game ends, I'll likely turn to one of the above options to keep on gaming. And there's more on deck...

I'm looking forward to Slavelords of Cydonia. It's almost here. There is a thread about it in the d20/OGL section. It looks like it could be awesome. You might look at Grim Tales, too, since the publisher produced SoC for it (but I have passed on GT since it looks too much like d20 Modern for me). I'll get it and see if it is as good as it might be. If so and if I can run it in a system already familiar to me, then it gets to stay on the shelf.

Similarly, Mongoose is retooling their line of Slaine modules to make them useable for a standard D&D game. Those adventures looked good, but I loathed the Slaine game for various personal reasons. I will pick up those modules to read and explore. If they are as good as the reviews say, then it could be the basis for my low-magic Celtic game; probably all-human with barbarians, bards, druids, fighters, and rogues (and maybe rangers).

There is just too much great material out there that is easy to run. There is no reason not to DM.