IF you want me to DM, you better pick a different system

[Dagger75]

Thats how I am feeling right now. I don't think I have burnout. I think I have Fantasty RPG burnout. Right now planning and running my D&D game seems like a chore. I have ideas for Call of Cthulu, Star Wars, Spycraft and even Wheel of Time, but D&D is doing nothing for me right now. I would love to run these other games.

The problem, out of 5 players only 1 would actually play in any of these. Some don't like Star Wars, some don't care for CoC, most hate Spycraft and Wheel of Time. I would love if one of them said they will run a game, but when someone else runs what usally happens is 5 games later I'm stuck running again.

So basically I sent an E-mail to one of the players who sees the rest of the group tonight and basically said this;

Either we switch games or somebody else runs. If this doesn't happen then I quit.

Am I being unfair?

 

[PowerWordDumb]

"Am I being unfair?"

Not really. You shouldn't run the game if it's not enjoyable to you. If you would be happier running a different type of game, then that's one option for your group, as is finding someone else to run D&D if they want to continue in that vein.

If you just dropped this on them with a "fix it by tonight or else" kind of deadline, that wouldn't have been right, but opening up the subject for discussion to get to a resolution is the right thing to do rather than suffering in silence.

Talk through it, if you can come to an agreement great. If not, there's no point in continuing with something that isn't fun for you.

 

[spunky_mutters]

Being a DM is a lot of work. If you're not into it, the game isn't going to be fun for any of them anyways. I don't think you're being unfair, but whether or not any of them is up to the challenge is another thing. Good luck.

 

[Sir Osis of Liver]

A little harsh, but not really unfair. Everyone needs a break sometimes, if the people you game with won't give you one by playing something that might not be thier first choice, then one of them should step up and run for a while. Quiting altogether seems a bit much, but they do seem a bit uncomprimising. I've had time were i've taken one for the team and played a game i'm not really interested in. At the end of the day i still had fun, even though i wasn't real intersted in playing that type of game.

 

[Arnwyn]

You are being quite fair. If working on a game is actually becoming a "chore", then clearly you're not having a heck of a lot of fun, are you? This is a game, which (of course) is about having fun - for everyone (all too often it seems like DMs having fun isn't a consideration, and that you should cater to your players *exclusively*. Hogwash!)

If the current game is sucking the life out of you, then it is perfectly reasonable to request a change (whether it's another game, or a break from gaming entirely).

Not sure about the "5 games later (I'm) stuck running again" part. If you don't want to, well... no means no.

Maybe you and your players might be more willing to try something beyond d20? For example, like your players I wouldn't be interested in any of your alternate suggestions either (but it's always been my opinion that d20 does the fantasy genre great, and everything else real stinky).

 

[Falstaff]

I have the same problem. I am getting bored with D&D. I always DM, and I am ready to play another system. I am dying to play HarnMaster, HackMaster, CoC, or Spycraft. But, like you, my players are not interested in changing. They argue that they don't want to have to read another rule book or create new characters. They are afraid of HackMaster now, after I described the critical hit system. If I sent an email like that to my group, I would probably get a reply of, "oh well, take care". Ahh, so I am left with no other option than to just settle with D&D.

 

[Sir Whiskers]

Just a thought: have you considered taking a few weeks off and just setting up a boardgame or two? When I first began to play ODnD (1976), the group I was with would play for months, then switch to wargames for several weeks then - when the urge came back - we switched back to DnD. For whatever reason, playing wargames (with much more organized rules sets) seemed to use different "muscles" in the brain - it was refreshing.

A few suggestions:
Risk
Axis and Allies
Cosmic Encounter (I only played the old version, but it's been re-released)
Rail Baron (a classic Avalon Hill game, also not a wargame - more like monopoly with railroads)

 

[WinnipegDragon]

I have the same problem. I am getting bored with D&D. I always DM, and I am ready to play another system. I am dying to play HarnMaster, HackMaster, CoC, or Spycraft. But, like you, my players are not interested in changing. They argue that they don't want to have to read another rule book or create new characters. They are afraid of HackMaster now, after I described the critical hit system. If I sent an email like that to my group, I would probably get a reply of, "oh well, take care". Ahh, so I am left with no other option than to just settle with D&D.

Amen, brother!

I bought CoC and made a two-week game out of one of the introductory modules. I made character 'packets' includiong a two to three page bio, photo, character sheet and one page list of motivations and interactions with other characters. It took me three or four weeks to get everything together, including props like music (digitally edited) and candles, etc...

We played the game, everyone seemed to like it, but no one wants to bother 'learning the rules'. My God! I even made four extra characters so that they would all have a choice of at least five interesting and fully developed characters...

Pardon my rant, but sometimes being the DM is a thankless, thankless job. I would love to try Star Wars, since everyone is familiar with the universe, and since it's d20 it would be easy to pick up, but my players are in SUCH a rut and don't want to have to 'learn the rules'. It's d20! How hard could it be to adjust?! I tell themn they don't even need to buy the books, and I'll guide them through character creation and levelling. Why does it have to be about the rules? Can't you just roleplay a character and let me worry about the mechanics?! ARGGGGG!!!!

Oh well, I guess Shadowrun is out of the question too...

 

[Apok]

I've had the same issue recently. Fortunately, I've got a great bunch of players with open minds and I can be very persuasive when I need to be, which is why I'm running Exalted right now and not D&D.

I think your decision is totally fair, after all you are the DM and if you won't enjoy running D&D then you shouldn't, even if it's only temporary. Just explain to your players that you are not getting anything out of running D&D and want to do something else. If they can't handle that, let someone else DM. Stick to your guns on this one and stay away from running D&D. After a while, you might find within yourself fresh ideas and a new drive to run it again. That, IMO, is the beauty of stepping away from something for a time; it gives you a break and lets you recharge, so when you come back to it, it's all good.

 

[Apok]

Why does it have to be about the rules? Can't you just roleplay a character and let me worry about the mechanics?! ARGGGGG!!!!

Sounds like you've got a group of lazy players, blech. I sympathise, man, that's gotta suck.

On a more general theme, I think most players have a "need" to know the rules of a game (if, indeed, they are even interested period) so that they know exactly where they stand and what their character can do. I've played in a few games where there were no mechanics, you just made your character, gave him a personality and "stats" (ie, he's good at this, has these powers, has a weakness for X, etc) and then the GM just made all the important calls. This way can be very fun, but it can also be frustrating because outcomes are judged almost entirely by the whim of the GM. It's like being a character in a novel that the GM is writing, but you don't have much in the way of control. You can do whatever you want, but weather or not you succeed is up to GM perogative.

Alot of players can't stomach that kind of game and I don't blame 'em.