HELP! I've lost the will to play...

[kenjib]

Have you looked at some of the alternate magic systems? Chaos Magic, Wild Spellcraft, variants in Occult Lore, and Sovereign Stone's Elemental Magic are a few examples. Perhaps a different game system entirely, like Ars Magica or Warhammer FRPG, is in order?

 

[Dragonblade]

Unfortunately, its not quite so simple as running a game a certain way. Changing the level of magic in the world carries massive ramifications.

Facing monsters of X CR requires the characters to have magical wealth equal to N, according to the DMG. If you strip out magical items then suddenly it becomes a lot harder for characters to survive CRs of their level.

Some of this can be remedied by adopting the Vitality system and giving PC's a defense bonus to their AC. This compensates for the lack of readily available healing and magical armor. But you still are going to have problems. Its something that needs a lot of thought and like I said before, when I put my pencil to the paper I just sigh and stare at the blank page.

Their are other games out there but I would have no one to play with. Besides, I do like the d20 system and its what I know best.

Hmm, maybe I'm just extremely lazy, but somehow I think its more than that.

 

[Shadowdancer]

Dragonblade: You might want to look at Harn d20. Harn is a campaign setting that has been around for years. It is very low magic, demihuman races are very rare, etc. -- just like what you described you are looking for. A d20 version of the setting was released recently. It might be just what you're looking for, and all of the conversions are already done for you.

Someone about a month ago, I believe it was Kaptain Kantrip, was talking about taking the Harn setting and using the magic rules from the d20 Call of Cthulu to have a gritty, realistic medieval setting with rare magic, and major ramifications for using magic. Maybe that's another possibility for you.

 

[Dark Dragon]

Some of this can be remedied by adopting the Vitality system and giving PC's a defense bonus to their AC. This compensates for the lack of readily available healing and magical armor. But you still are going to have problems. Its something that needs a lot of thought and like I said before, when I put my pencil to the paper I just sigh and stare at the blank page.

Their are other games out there but I would have no one to play with. Besides, I do like the d20 system and its what I know best.

Hmm, maybe I'm just extremely lazy, but somehow I think its more than that.

Good to hear that others have similar feelings about this. I'm now 28 and playing (A)D&D for 11 years. During the last months, nearly the same thing happened to me as Dragonblade descriped. I'm now DM in two groups, in the first for now nearly two years, and a player in a third one. I never write the full adventure down, only the important plots (as the players are completely unpredictable in their actions). But I'm getting tired of that: just sitting at the desk, staring on an empty paper, but the mind full of ideas for the next three years. Perhaps it's lazyness, but more likely, it's being too often and too long DM and there are too many RPG sessions I'm taking part (in a quite static magic D&D system, but that's just my opinion). I still like playing the game (especially with my friends from school), but as a DM, I'll be surely out for a long while.
Perhaps that would help you (in addition to Edena's and others good advices): take a step back and focus on other (new) things. Give the fantasy a rest to recover. Find new players, who do not debate on the rules (because they don't know them) and simply play the game anew, with changed rules, if you want.

 

[Shadoe's Lady]

Unfortunately, its not quite so simple as running a game a certain way.

Well, when I complain to my husband about not liking the way certain things work and how they would work better another way he pretty much always makes me run it. As hard as it is, it's not as hard as geting someone else to take an idea from your head and do it the way you would have done it. As for being 'lazy' - the question is...

Is it worth it?

If the answer is 'yes', then do it, if the answer is 'no' then let it go.

 

[jester47]

Dont game for more than 4 hours at a time.
Don't do it weekly.

When you first started playing you had probably 8 to 15 or more years of experiences and unfettered imagination. That was the fuel for the fire. Now you are out of fuel. You need to go get more. That can only be done by living a life without D&D. Some of my best ideas happen when I am rowing or climbing mountains watching movies or even havin a beer with a good looking woman. Writers have the same problem. They cant get any ideas sitting at the typewriter.

Hope this helps.

Aaron.

 

[Alaxk Knight of Galt]

I am struggling with the same stuff (I make it sound like something really serious ). I've cut the games I'm in to just one and I find myself wanting to do other things while the game is going on. DnD is just lacking something for me right now. However, I think I have decided what to do about it; switch games. I have been seriously looking into 7th Sea and I will be running something in it, not playing a PC. This has been getting my creative juices flowing again.

I think I am disenchanted with d20, from the magic, to the combat, to the way hit points are done. Hopefully a change of pace restore my love or RPGs.