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I'm currently running a Kingmaker-style game in a custom world, and have been for about two years now, with a session every two or three weeks. Admittedly, this was a lot of up-front work, but I've done pretty much all of that for the forseeable future.
Lately, though, it seems like I'm becoming less and less enamored of actually running the game. Specifically it's just running combats and interacting with NPCs that seem to drag, but that's like 90% of the game.
Does anyone else have any tips on how to get enthusiastic about DMing again?
Three words: Take a break.
If your groups enjoy your games, they will understand the need to take a break. They will understand the level of time and energy you put into the game for them. In short, they'll get it. Everybody needs a break sometimes.
Offer to let a player run some one-shots or a short game (maybe a month if your group games every week, or thereabouts) while you recharge. I find swapping from GM to playerside from time to time lets you get some break time while still keeping people interested in the game as a whole.
Offer to let a player run some one-shots or a short game (maybe a month if your group games every week, or thereabouts) while you recharge. I find swapping from GM to playerside from time to time lets you get some break time while still keeping people interested in the game as a whole.
I do admittedly get a lot of play time in; the reason I only run every two or three weeks is because we're running a couple of games concurrently - I DM one, and play in the others. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be helping much.
Offer to let a player run some one-shots or a short game (maybe a month if your group games every week, or thereabouts) while you recharge. I find swapping from GM to playerside from time to time lets you get some break time while still keeping people interested in the game as a whole.I do admittedly get a lot of play time in; the reason I only run every two or three weeks is because we're running a couple of games concurrently - I DM one, and play in the others. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be helping much.
Are you feeling the same burnout playerside? If so you might just be getting tired of the game period. In that case a full break would be what you need. Take some time off PF completely.
If not, then yeah just ask your group to put your game on hold for a few weeks or months, let you get some rest and recharge, and then see if you're up for starting again.
I understand--I'm trying to end a Savage Worlds game right now that's been running for a year and a half, two sessions a week.
I wouldn't mind--I've run longer games of D&D and World of Darkness--but these players are not the sort that really take decisive actions and push on themselves. I almost have to lead them with NPCs and whatnot--it gets tiring.
Anyway can you push them towards a conclusion of some kind? Or throw something whacky that shakes things up for a few sessions (some kind of rift that sends them to an alternate world for a while)? I don't know--I'm just fording ahead and trying to end it.
Take this idea for a spin:
If you have a player that is not inclined to have PCs returning from being deceased, have that player run some / most of the baddies for you. Prep a note for what the baddy knows about the PCs along with their knowledge regarding the "lay of the land". You will have to leave out / set aside anything relating to the metaplot until such time as they actually capture and interrogate the foe. Certain major villains you'll need to reatain command of (N to be specific), but mosgt of them you can easily hand off.
This works especially well if one of the players is semi-regular.
Other options include a "just having fun" session. Grilling while roleplaying out noncombat stuff for the kingdom's weekly get togethers, adult beverages (if you're legally able to and so inclined) and just being relaxed with a comforting domestic activity that the group can participate in go a long way to just enjoying each others' company.
Too often burnout sets in because "gaming is serious business" takes over. Don't fall into that trap.
An option I used in KM was to pick out a module to run the Kingmaker PCs' followers through. (Carrion Hill for 5th level followers, in my case.) You could elect to loosely or directly plug in any number of modules and Society scenarios into the KM campaign with a bit of retooling (or none in a few cases). With hindsight I wish I had done this a tine or two more than the once I did.
At somewhere ~30 sessions into KM, your PCs are getting close to the end. Perhaps a few low-level modules dropped into the campaign that task their followers with Important Stuff to Do is the ticket?
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Definitely take a session to do something else. We intersperse days where we're missing a player or just need a change of pace with board or card games (Arkham Horror, Munchkin are favorites). You come back refreshed to the game and for some even a bit eager to get back to the intrigue and combat.
You may also start planning on another campaign to get your creative juices flowing. Don't play it, just work on planning it, make a player's guide, if it's an adventure path scour the boards for what works and doesn't. It sounds like you're ahead on Kingmaker and may just need another creative outlet.
Amen on taking breaks. I ran Runelords for a good long time and am now on Skull & Shackles. Usually after each book my co-GM takes over and runs something short to give us a break from that game, and sometimes from fantasy. She usually also has a longish campaign running and we'll take breaks from that and I'll run something short. Variety is the spice of life!
M
Anyway can you push them towards a conclusion of some kind? Or throw something whacky that shakes things up for a few sessions (some kind of rift that sends them to an alternate world for a while)? I don't know--I'm just fording ahead and trying to end it.
I might try this; it'll give me a chance to run something that isn't quite so complicated, get back to basics.
Too often burnout sets in because "gaming is serious business" takes over. Don't fall into that trap.
At somewhere ~30 sessions into KM, your PCs are getting close to the end. Perhaps a few low-level modules dropped into the campaign that task their followers with Important Stuff to Do is the ticket?
Haha, we definitely don't have trouble with that; we're pretty laid back as a group goes, and we tend to dawdle, both when it comes to actually starting a session and progressing in it. Having started the PCs off at 4th level, they're only *just* leveling up to level 7, partly due to our propensity to getting side tracked.
I've been considering just doubling XP and treasure across the board.
Yep. Taking a break is definetly the answer. This happenned to me as well a few years back... You just don't feel like playin'. After a few months off though, the itch will come back. I guarauntee it. lol
Try playing something else for a while. Board games or some other activity.
This happens to the best of us, so don't worry.
Ultradan
What what what?! Three levels in two years? I would not still be a player in that game, let me tell you.
Yeah, I'd say dump XP (I think that's actually pretty wise in general) and just level people up when it feels right. That could be for a story reason (they completed some important objective) or a "I'm bored of these abilities now, so give me something new to work with" reason.
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What what what?! Three levels in two years? I would not still be a player in that game, let me tell you.
Yeah, I'd say dump XP (I think that's actually pretty wise in general) and just level people up when it feels right. That could be for a story reason (they completed some important objective) or a "I'm bored of these abilities now, so give me something new to work with" reason.
Most of the griping about progressing too slow has, surprisingly enough, been coming from me.
Sometimes it takes the party two hours (out of a four hour session) just to get ready to leave town. Those usually end up being the more entertaining sessions; for example, the party's barbarian trying to drag the bard out of bed where he was sleeping off a hangover ended up with every window in the second floor of his house being blown out with a Sound Burst spell, and gave rise to the meme "Official Treasury Business, be on your way".
Needless to say, I end up giving out a lot of roleplaying XP, otherwise they'd never progress at all.
I'm currently running a Kingmaker-style game in a custom world, and have been for about two years now, with a session every two or three weeks. Admittedly, this was a lot of up-front work, but I've done pretty much all of that for the forseeable future.
Lately, though, it seems like I'm becoming less and less enamored of actually running the game. Specifically it's just running combats and interacting with NPCs that seem to drag, but that's like 90% of the game.
Does anyone else have any tips on how to get enthusiastic about DMing again?
Dude, if one of the persons on the table are not enjoying the games,that means game over!!
take a break, let to other player dming, play something else or with someone else!!
... °° for a while, obviousm, just for let your head rest
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I have the good fortune to play with a group that includes two other talented GM's, and we'll "tag out" when someone needs a break. Usually we'll change off after finishing a campaign, but often we'll switch mid-campaign to help someone else balance out life/schedule/fatigue issues. I'll often get an itch to drop the GM yoke and just be a player for a while so I can inflict some of the frustration my group likes to run me through on one of them for a change :)
If you don't have a player in your group who's a strong enough player or has a desire to be a GM, see if one of your players is willing to be "cultivated" to take up the role. Having someone else able to pick up the reins can only be a good thing.
Also, as others have mentioned, sometimes when you feel like you're slogging along, it can help to speed things up a bit by moving to the Fast progression experience chart, trimming down the number of "extraneous" encounters, and things like that.
You've also been running the same campaign for a pretty long time with what seems like pretty minimal progress (this may not be the case, some groups enjoy slower low-level campaigns), how many encounters does your group normally complete in a night? Sometimes introducing an egg timer into the mix to give a time limit to each player's turn can introduce a sense of urgency and revitalize the feeling of excitement. It can also speed the rounds up, allowing you to get farther in a given session.
I'm currently running a Kingmaker-style game in a custom world, and have been for about two years now, with a session every two or three weeks. Admittedly, this was a lot of up-front work, but I've done pretty much all of that for the forseeable future.
Lately, though, it seems like I'm becoming less and less enamored of actually running the game. Specifically it's just running combats and interacting with NPCs that seem to drag, but that's like 90% of the game.
Does anyone else have any tips on how to get enthusiastic about DMing again?
My table has seven people at it. Every last person at that table is REQUIRED to DM something. We don't care how silly or serious it is, so long as we know up front. Everyone picks their game and generally sticks with it. We currently have one Pathfinder game, Star Wars d20, Dark Heresy, Deathwatch, Deadlands (the old version with the cards and chips), Shadowrun and one game up in the air atm. When one DM starts feeling the fatigue, he asks if anyone is ready to run. We then decide on one or two weeks lead time and then change games for a while.
What what what?! Three levels in two years? I would not still be a player in that game, let me tell you.
Yeah, I'd say dump XP (I think that's actually pretty wise in general) and just level people up when it feels right. That could be for a story reason (they completed some important objective) or a "I'm bored of these abilities now, so give me something new to work with" reason.
Most of the griping about progressing too slow has, surprisingly enough, been coming from me.
Sometimes it takes the party two hours (out of a four hour session) just to get ready to leave town. Those usually end up being the more entertaining sessions; for example, the party's barbarian trying to drag the bard out of bed where he was sleeping off a hangover ended up with every window in the second floor of his house being blown out with a Sound Burst spell, and gave rise to the meme "Official Treasury Business, be on your way".
Needless to say, I end up giving out a lot of roleplaying XP, otherwise they'd never progress at all.
Well I think after running one game for 2 years its time to try and find a way to wrap it up. It is perfectly normal to be tired of a particular story whether its open world or not after that much time.
Since obviously you get in plenty of play time, I would suggest that you try something new. Find a way to wrap up your current campaign. If its kingmaker style maybe bring a climactic (but quick) war to bear on the fledgling kingdom. Play it out over a couple sessions and wrap things up.
In the mean time, bounce around a few new ideas. Start with a new pathfinder game, new story, new world (or part of a world), maybe a new style. However you might want to go further and try a different system. If your group will spend 2 hours roleplaying getting out of town, pathfinder might not be the best fit for you. You might want to try fate, or burning wheel or something of the sort. A fresh system (read narrative tool) could be just what you need to recharge your gaming desires.
I took a year off Role Playing because I was burned out. I am just now re-entering the world of Role Playing through Pathfinder. The year off was very good for me. It allowed me to remember why it was I liked it to begin with. The fun of the game.
To be honest, I would spend less time thinking about how you became burned out and just put time into having fun doing other things you love to do.
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I am commenting here not so much for advice, but for empathy.
I think this is a topic that deserves a healthy dose of advice. I've witnessed it in other GMs and experienced it myself. It befalls us all at sometime I think. Whether it's just the mid-session state of doldrums, player choice influenced , or the want to be doing something else, though you've already put so much work into your current game.
GM/DM guides cover this topic a bit, and have good suggestions. However, I'd personally like to see more. There are some really good options already here.
Personally, I think a bit of self assessment helps a great deal. Looking at your expectations, and deciding what changes would be most necessary to help you get out of the rut.
Grrrrrrrr!!!!
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Overcome burnout
By lighting character sheets on fire!
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Look deep inside yourself
With a scalpel!
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Take a year off
By going to prison!
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Players character dies?
Shoot player in the face!
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Players kill everything in 3 rounds?
All the time an assassin needs
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Insanity Wolf tells you to suck it up?
Use a straw!
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Seriously though, you started this because it was fun for you and your players. At some point you got away from the things that made it fun for you. You're the GM, get back to that, it's within your power.
Gm fatigue - we all get it... Get something to look forward to - like an other player taking over. I'm playing Savage Tides at the moment - I'll take over as the 3. GM. This gives the current GM something to look forward to (being a player again).
And though I don't look forward to being a GM again (I burned out hard last time) I should be easier to run a prewritten campaign instead of making everything up as I useally do..