How do you keep it fresh?

[Gundark]

I've gotten to a point where the ideas for adventures are all seeming the same. I was running a FR game and was getting a little burned out. After Getting the Iron Kingdoms books I was all fired up thinking that the adventures would be all different. While the setting is different, as I was brainstorming I had the horrid realization that at bare bones the adventures are all the same. There may be some small differences (ie. guns in the IK), but really it's all the same.

I think there was a Dork tower comic about this...the group was playing in a fantasy campaign and wanted to try out a modern game. The punch line of the comic was that it was the same thing (take 5d6 fire damage from my flamethrower as opposed to 5d6 damage from my fireball).

I'm feeling that I have "been there and done that" which seems silly as there are those on these boards who have been playing the same cmapaign for years and not found it old. I guess I'm having a hard time "getting into" and idea. It's not that I can't come up with ideas....but none of them grab me as "wow what an idea"

As I write this I'm thinking that I've had this problem ever since I made the decision to quit my homebrew....I did so as life was getting hectic for me and I thought that using a published system would save time (as I was still world building). Another reason I switched was due to the fact that I would borrow bits and pieces from published settings and thought "well might as well made the switch totally over" anyhow I rambled enough

What are some suggestions....I still enjoy DMing and don't want to take a break from it...I'm looking for suggestions and "How you got over it stories".

anyhow thanks ahead of time.

 

[Crothian]

the differences are in the details and the players. I feel I can run the same adventures and the same camapgins, but as long as the players have cool and interesting characters it doesn't matter to me.

 

[Arnwyn]

What are some suggestions....I still enjoy DMing and don't want to take a break from it...I'm looking for suggestions and "How you got over it stories".

To be perfectly honest, I have no idea. Same group over the past 13+ years, play once every 2 weeks for 8 hours like clockwork, and we're still always excited to play. Must be something.

For me, maybe it's this:
1) Modules, modules, modules. These provide constant new and different adventures.

2) Play to the party's background and character goals. The adventures become different every single time.

3) Avoid sticking rigidly to the "adventuring party only" paradigm. By the time the PCs reach higher levels, politics and realm-management becomes involved. (In other words, more gameplay variety.)

I haven't the foggiest if these will work for anyone else except me, but that's all I can provide...

 

[GlassJaw]

I'm feeling that I have "been there and done that" which seems silly as there are those on these boards who have been playing the same cmapaign for years and not found it old. I guess I'm having a hard time "getting into" and idea. It's not that I can't come up with ideas....but none of them grab me as "wow what an idea"

Trust me, you're not alone. I get this feeling a lot. For me, it's variety. Not just variety of modules or settings but rulesets.

I need to balance a d20 game with a non-d20 game. Right now I'm running a standard 3.5 campaign (Dungeon Adventure Path) but I also just started a Shadowrun group as well (in which I'm playing). It's a nice balance.

If that's not an option, see if someone else in your group wants to DM something. Alternate campaigns every couple of weeks. I'll actually be doing this as well in my D&D group. CarlZog is going to be running a Skull & Bones campaign which should be a nice departure from the high-magic dungeon-delving they have been doing lately. It will give me a chance to step out from behind the DM screen as well.

If someone running another campaign isn't an option either, try approaching d20/D&D from a completely different angle. I tend to get burned out on the high-magic, spell-slinging, Ye Olde Magic shop aspect of "standard" D&D. I suggest checking out something like Grim Tales or the Conan RPG. If you're in a creative slump, those will do wonders to get the creative juices flowing again!

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Sometimes taking a break from the system you're running can help. Maybe you need a short break from d20? Years ago, I took a break from D&D for some other RPGs, only to come back to D&D with more ideas than ever.

Alternately, try letting the PCs lead. Don't plan anything out. Let the PCs actions dictate entirely what happens. As long as your decent at improvisation and winging it and they're pretty motivated, the PCs will come up with their own ideas for the campaign.

 

[BlackMoria]

Sometimes, all a campaign needs is a serious change of scenery.

Try running an all underwater campaign (look at Sea of Fallen Stars for some inspiration. I am sure others can suggest other underwater sourcebooks).

Or a water-based adventure (pirates, age of sail exploration)

Or a planar campaign (Beyond Countless Doors or Planescape are good sources of ideas)

Or an airship/sky campaign.

Or an all 'city' campaign.

Sometimes, a change of scenery is all that is needed.

A few ideas....

 

[IronWolf]

It looks like there has already been some great suggestions. Other things that might be worth considering is mining movies for ideas, sometimes it just takes a small scene out of a movie to kick off a whole new and fresh idea in a D&D campaign. Another thing is try drawing from books you may have read - again it just takes a scene that may inspire something different.

 

[Crothian]

if you really need new and interesting adventure ideas Dungeon seems a safe bet

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Well, communication is key, and then there's a little bit of light roleplaying, and maybe testing your boundaries by ... wait, wrong forum.

Honestly, if you're concerned your adventures have fallen into a rut, set yourself some rules. No dungeon crawls. No monsters of type X. No NPCs of class Y. No use of God Z.

Look into books or PDFs of different adventure types. "Crime & Punishment," "Dynasties & Demagogues" and "Love & War" all have a very different sort of focus than the traditional adventures, and if we're lucky, "Heroes of Battle" and "Heroes of Horror" will as well.

I find that when I create obstacles for myself is when I find it easiest to bust out of a rut.

 

[philreed]

To keep things fresh go to inspirational materials that are not an expected fit with fantasy games. I should just place this in my sig but:

www.davidliss.com

Go there. Read the sample chapters. Buy "A Conspiracy of Paper." The three novels Liss has written should be required reading for DMs.

EDIT: Hey, Liss is teaching a one-day seminar next month. San Antonio isn't too far away . . . hmmmmm.