What's a Dm to do...

[Wanderer At Dusk]

Recently i have been just been diagnosed with a heart condition that isn't all to bad except in extremely stressful conditions. I am the Dm of our group. The only one that has the patience for it but now my heart might stop me from playing. Sometimes being Dm is stressful, especially in my group, in case you've never been DM. What am i going to tell my players? I'm really not that old in case your wondering i'm still in high school. I really really don't want to have to give up being DM but i might have to. I have no idea what to do.

 

[Furn_Darkside]

Salutations,

Your health always comes first. Period.

Ask someone else in the group to DM.

FD

 

[Anabstercorian]

I'm with Darkside. Also, if this heart condition comes from poor health behaviors (I.E., sitting on your butt all day and eating foods with enough cholesterol to kill God) you should probably get more exercise and eat right. Of course, if there's nothing you can do about it - You should STILL get more exercise and eat right, becuase it's good for you. :: Big thumbs up ::

Seriously, though, see if anyone else can DM.

 

[Wicht]

Man, talk about rough, if you think Dnd is too stressful for your heart wait till you get out of High School and try life.

Personally, IMO being a player is more stressful than DMing, the key is just not to lose your cool and not to get drawn into arguements. If your players are causing you stress, it is not the game that is at fault.

 

[Mark]

Regardless of any advice you might get here, you should only be concerning yourself with your health, the advice of your parents and your doctor.

Good luck and I hope things get better for you.

 

[Henry]

First of all, my sympathies to you concerning your condition. My doctor recently diagnosed me with a heart murmur, but it later turned out to be a false alarm. I can sympathize you that dread and fear that first comes with a Heart condition.

Second, just tell your friends what you need. If they are your friends they will oblige. If you find DM'ing stressful, health condition or not, you shouldn't be DM'ing.

This is what many players don't understand - IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. We have a player who recently started DM'ing to "get it out of his system." He was ready to quit after the first try, because he thought he sucked, but instead I and the other DM in the group told him what he did right, told him what went wrong, and pointers on how to improve his play. If someone doesn't quit driving after the first time they ever drive, why would someone quit DM'ing the first time they try it? Like anything new, it takes practice.

Good luck, and may God, the fates, Allah, Buddha, The Force, etc. etc. be with you!

 

[Wanderer At Dusk]

Their really is nothing i can do about it. I'll see if someone else will take over. It's not that dnd is stressful itself that's the problem it's that, i'm stressed now for other reasons and they expect me to continue to run the campaign. I told them about the condition but it wasn't that bad for the longest time it just started to get bad recently. Lots of bad stressful things have happened around me.

 

[Wicht]

You should certainly do what you need to do. Perhaps you should just inform your friends you are on a haitus from role-playing altogether until you learn to better manage your stress and/or deal with your other problems.

 

[Wanderer At Dusk]

You should certainly do what you need to do. Perhaps you should just inform your friends you are on a haitus from role-playing altogether until you learn to better manage your stress and/or deal with your other problems.

It is not the game it self that is stressful, in fact it is relaxing, but it's the people that i'm with. My friends have seem to be falling upon really dark times, two of my players have attempted suicide and it's been hell trying to get back to some what normal. Then one is watching their parents go through divorce. It really isn't the game that's the problem, i have enough game material to run a ton of campaign sessions it's just awkward as hell playing with them after what's happened. Plus i just got back from a trip.

 

[Chimera]

First off, GET SOME HELP. For you and your two friends. A Priest/Rabbi/Mullah, a councellor, a trusted adult somewhere. You and the two of them need some help.

I'm not a health care professional, but I know where you're at. Been through some of that myself. A good friend of mine in HS had two of his brothers commit suicide. A few other people I knew did so, and I got awfully darned close myself. My wife is on SSI Disability for mental illness. If nothing else, and you cannot find someone to talk to, please e-mail me.

But seek a professional first. There's no weakness in seeking help. The weakness is in allowing it to destroy you and others you love because you're afraid of *looking* weak.

And stop DM'ing for now. No questions, just stop. You need the break.