How do you leave a gaming group?

[Ferox4]

"It's not you, it's me ..."

"I just need some space - some time to find myself...... I'll call you."

 

[Silver Moon]

"I just need some space - some time to find myself...... I'll call you."

"We can still be friends....."

Seriously, lots of good advice above. I'd say be honest. After my wife and I were married we moved further away to be closer to where we workd and then left my first gaming group primarily due to it being a very long commute (around 75 minutes each way). Didn't seem long going there, but coming home at 2:00 AM got old fast. Some hard feelings, as the host was one of the bridesmaids and another player an usher, but they got over it.

Over the years players have left my other gaming group and I always appreciate the honest approach. My other advice is to make this change at either the end of a module or at a good place to transition a character out. It's not fair to the rest of the group to have to drag along your character as an NPC.

 

[Ferox4]

Seriously, though.

I've been gaming with the same core group for a long, long time. We've had some new players come and go, and had some pretty disastrous fallouts. Whatever you do, don't get personal. Don't get goaded by the others into losing your temper and making personal attacks. It happened with one of my best friends about five years ago, and though we're still friends we don't talk about D&D at all, and it took quite a while to patch things up.

 

[MarauderX]

I do it mostly via email, saying something like 'thanks, it was fun, but I think I need to move on' like you are breaking up with your girlfriend. Nothing slanderous or mean, just a kind complement and say it isn't going to work out for you right now. I should know - I have abandoned about half a dozen games over two years or so. And found a game I really like, and have decided to DM my own as well.

 

[Mystery Man]

"It's not you its me."

 

[gfunk]

"Screw you guys, I'm going home!"

 

[Calico_Jack73]

You could be nice and just tell them that you are joining a new group to play a different game for a while. Of course "a while" isn't clearly defined so you could always come back should you choose to. Pick a game that is totally opposite in genre to what they are playing right now. Ex: Tell them you want to give Cyberpunk a try if they are playing D&D.

 

[Hjorimir]

Should I be honest and tell them straight what my problems are and why I am leaving (this may lead to burning some bridges) or should I just bow out gracefully and just have a "no comment" type of response?

You have to ask if you should be honest? What is the world coming to?

 

[cdsaint]

...Generally chased by peasants waving torches and pitchforks!

I'm firmly in the "don't burn any bridges" camp. I've left some groups behind that just drove me crazy, but always done so nicely. I'll still play with many of them at cons or in one shots . Situations where I don't have to put up with them for week after week.

Chris

 

[KenM]

Go out memorible. Show up for the last session. Make sure it will be the last session, for them as well as you. When your character is on watch, kill all the other characters while they sleep, take all of they're stuff.