The Death of a D&D Game

[Knightfall]

Okay, here's the scoop.

I'm seven sessions into a new D&D game, as a GM. There have been a bumps alog the road, but everyone "seemed" to be enjoying themselves. Then on Thursday, the group's host and the co-GM decided that he wanted to withdraw from the game. My thought, well, it happens. (I also thought, "hmm, now where do we play")

After that, another player, who the other GM works with, decided to quit as well. My thought, very disappointing but both of them will be working really hard over the summer. Yet, now it was going to be more difficult to keep the game going. I'm also worrying, at that point, that the co-GMs close friend is also going to withdraw.

Yet, I was resolved to continue on.

Then today I get an e-mail from another player who says he's withdrawing from the game. Now, he's going on a trip for a month, so I new he wasn't going to be available for a while, but I thought he and the last player would stick with it, as I was planning to get replacement players.

Now, I think the campaign is one nail away from being dead and buried. The co-GMs friend hasn't cancelled on me yet, but I think it is only a matter of time. It's frustrating and I worry that my style of GMing drove them away. (I'm a bit of a neophyte 3rd Edition GM and like having custom rules and, yet, prefer a more loose style of play.)

Now, basically, I'm looking for advice on how my felow EN Worlder's have handled similar situations. How do you NOT take such decisions personally? What do you do to bounce back from such a gaming setback?

Knightfall1972

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Now, basically, I'm looking for advice on how my felow EN Worlder's have handled similar situations. How do you NOT take such decisions personally? What do you do to bounce back from such a gaming setback?

Ask directly. Don't take offense at what they say.

I once ran a Blue Planet/Shadowrun hybrid. It was awful but I was the only one who couldn't see that. I got a LOT of negative feedback when I asked and all I could really do was swallow my pride and ask if they were interested in a fantasy world. They were and more fun was had. Basically, I had to suck it up and realize my weaknesses as a DM and learn from it.

Honestly, I'd try sticking to the book and maybe checking out a published module or two from a game company with a solid reputation. Ed Cha's Villiage of Thumble is generally tossed around as a good starting point for newish DMs. Tell your players that due to the drop outs, you'll take a break for a couple of weeks and restart. See how they feel about that.

Oh, and I'm generally against co-DMs. It's like having a backseat driver.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Semi-pseudo-sort of ditto on the co-DM. I have on occassion had luck with having someone to handle certain NPCs (generally ones that could go either way - with or against the party), but sharing the job otherwise has never worked for me, co -DMs seem to have an amazing abilty to completely screw up some of the more complicated plot lines... (Including blurting out that so and so is a bad guy!)

The Auld Grump

 

[the black knight]

People know a bad campaign when they see it.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

People know a bad campaign when they see it.

And have you seen it? Or do you even know much about it?

There are any number of reasons to drop out of a campaign, sometimes because it is bad, sometimes because it is just not to their tastes, and sometimes because it is summer, the sun is shining, and the surf is warm.

The Auld Grump

 

[Aust Diamondew]

Find out if you're doing a bad job DMing. If not then its probably just a bunch of bad stuff happening at once maybe creating a bit of a domino effect. Just try to find a new group (which you said you were already in the process of recruiting new players).

 

[Knightfall]

Semi-pseudo-sort of ditto on the co-DM. I have on occassion had luck with having someone to handle certain NPCs (generally ones that could go either way - with or against the party), but sharing the job otherwise has never worked for me, co -DMs seem to have an amazing abilty to completely screw up some of the more complicated plot lines... (Including blurting out that so and so is a bad guy!)

The Auld Grump

Well, the co-GMing wasn't really like that. We started playing in his campaign idea, with him in firm control, and then when his schedule became too much for him to DM, we switched to my campaign. We had one or two more sessions left before it was time to switch back.

In hindsight, maybe I should have just switched back sooner, as he had asked me when the switch back would take place. He's admitted to love being a GM more than a player, so I think it was hard on him for me to be in control

Of course, I could be wrong.

KF72

 

[scourger]

Don't take it personally. I did when my players boycotted some of my games. To some extent, I still do. It didn't really get me anywhere. I don't think it will get you anywhere either.

Running a game is difficult at best. It's a lot of work just to be conversant with the rules and to prepare for session after session after session. Then, each player really wants you to cater to their gaming styles and tastes at each session. If you can find a mix that works for everyone, stick to it. If not, switch until you find something that does.

Talk to your players and see what you can salvage out of the experience. Count yourself lucky if you can continue to play with these people. It's hard to find a good group.

 

[A'koss]

Wow, really sorry to to hear about that KF. Hmmm, if I were in your position I'd probably want to ask the group (individually) and find out for sure what was up. Especially if they didn't drop you any hints that they didn't like how things were going. You said they all seemed to be having fun? Perhaps they we're all lemmings following their old DMs lead. Hmmm... Try not be too discouraged, you said you were going to try and start up a new group? Perhaps this'll be a good thing in the long run.

A'koss.

 

[pogre]

Something I recently did is take the player worksheets out of Robin's Laws of Good Game Mastering and asked my players to help evaluate their styles and mine to improve the campaign. Now, our current campaign does match up fairly well with players' and GM's tastes, but it might be a great way to show you want to keep those going on a satisfying level for everyone.