[Sigh] Retiring from RPGs. Here's why.

[Pbartender]

Another thought is to look around, and try some of the more simple, rule light games. You can find several of them on-line for free. With many of them, you can have a game ready to go in less time than it takes to set of a game of Settlers of Catan.

Try Risus, for example. The complete rules are contained within a six-page pdf.

 

[Psion]

Another thought is to look around, and try some of the more simple, rule light games. You can find several of them on-line for free. With many of them, you can have a game ready to go in less time than it takes to set of a game of Settlers of Catan.

Try Risus, for example. The complete rules are contained within a six-page pdf.

In that spirit, FATE is pretty interesting:

http://www.faterpg.com/

 

[Berandor]

In that spirit, FATE is pretty interesting:

http://www.faterpg.com/

but not FATAL. Oh, no, not that.

 

[Gundark]

However, about 6 months later I did start to feel the itch again, but for a different style of game. I now run mini-campaigns, using almost exclusively published materials. Cuts down on my prep time, and I'm having fun, though it is a different kind of fun than when I was a the top of my game, crafting it all myself. The pressure isn't there, which is good, but the sense of accomplishment is lacking, too. I guess you can't have it all!

This is me too. I got burned out trying to do it all. Now I use published material and I enjoy D&D a lot more. The only thing is that there is that lack of accomplishment that Eric mentioned. I am crafting my own world, which is fun and gives me that accomplished feeling. There have been times that I have considered using a rules light system. Not sure what I'll do in the future.

 

[Gargoyle]

I'm 35 and a dad too. I've taken a break from RPG's several times since starting with that red box in 1980. There is nothing wrong with board games and video games, and there is nothing wrong with not playing RPGs at all when you have more important responsibilities, or when you just have some RPG burnoout. I recently took a long break to focus on a new job and college, and so that I still had time for my kids. Now that I've finished my degree, I've dusted off my RPG stuff again.

Keeping your stuff as advised above is a good idea. Some items are getting harder to obtain.

I'm curious how your players are taking your retirement.

 

[WayneLigon]

I would say 'don't give up yet'. A couple things you need to look in to are time management and efficiency. Look at the adventures you're creating for the group and see what was used, and what wasn't. Did you spend a lot of time crafting things they never did or never got to?

If you think you can never use anything from that adventure again, you are wrong. Most of the D&D prep work comes from doing the statblocks for an encounter. Now, I could tell you to go buy something like E-Tools or some other program which will do a perfectly nice statblock for you in a few seconds once you get past the learning curve, but there's more you can do.

How many orc encounters are you going to run for a group or their adventuring lives? Probably several, especially at lower levels. Take an hour and detail two or three smaller blocks of statblocks. Do a couple chieftain types, and then you have sufficient orc statblocks for three or fours months of gaming. Mix and match them, use the same set of stats, and eyeball any changes that need to be made.

Eyeballing will also save you a tremendous amount of time. You've been GMing for some time now, so I'd expect you can run most common monster encounters out of your head. When I was running 3.0 regularly, I could do that: troll, HP 50, +1 mace. Claw +x 2dn damage, bite +x 1dn. That's all I needed to create an encounter.

I guess without seeing the work you put into a common gaming session, I can't give much more in the way of advice, but it kinda sounds like you're overthinking this whole thing too much. Putting too much work and detail into scenarios, and then thinking you have to do it all over again.

 

[Akrasia]

Why not play Savage Worlds, or C&C?

Indeed. There are many systems out there that reduce prep-time on GMs. (I would recommend C&C if you like the 'D&D fantasy genre', but there are plenty of other options available.) D&D 3e is a game that can be very hard on the GM -- I will not GM it myself anymore unless I can make use of extensive prepared materials (especially modified modules).

If the problem is not simply prep time, then perhaps a break is in order. But I would keep your RPG stuff, just in case. I've gone for long-ish periods in the past with no RPGs, but I'm happy that I didn't get rid of my library!

 

[der_kluge]

Why not play Savage Worlds, or C&C?

I just don't understand this notion that "spending too long preparing adventures" is automatically solved by switching to Castles and Crusades?

Like, playing C&C automatically absolves one of the necessity to actually prepare a game to run on a weekly basis?

Personally, I play 3.5 and I spend very little time on a weekly basis preparing for my game, so this argument is simply lost on me.

It would be like someone saying they had to leave their current job because the commute time was too long, and you come by to suggest that maybe he should buy a Toyota Prius.

Dude already stated (in the second sentence, I might add) that he's played a number of systems, - 3.5 being just one of many.

 

[Akrasia]

I just don't understand this notion that "spending too long preparing adventures" is automatically solved by switching to Castles and Crusades?

Like, playing C&C automatically absolves one of the necessity to actually prepare a game to run on a weekly basis? ....

I don't understand your confusion.

Many people have found C&C (and other systems, e.g. Savage Worlds) to require less prep work than D&D 3e (say, 1 hour instead of 3 hours). So while C&C does not eliminate the burden of prepping adventures entirely, it does reduce that burden.

This doesn't mean that C&C might not reduce the 'GM burden' enough for the OP's purposes (prepping C&C games still might be 'too much work' for him). Nor does it mean that there are not options available for reducing the prep work & time for D&D 3e (as you suggest yourself earlier in this thread).

But as a friendly suggestion (to be accepted or rejected by the OP), pointing out that many people find C&C 'easier to prep' and GM than 3e D&D is perfectly sensible.

 

[Dragonblade]

My group was recently afflicted with DM burnout.

Until we switched to prepackaged games. Seriously, check out Shackled City or Age of Worms in Dungeon magazine. It has revitalized our game.