Hi follow gamers , just a quick question.
I DM 3 campaigns and im starting to get burned out of DMing I asked the different groups that it would be nice if one of you would DM for awhile and they laughed at me and said they don, t want to DM and that I was doing alright why change anything. I got a little peeved and told them that its time I retire from rpg . They didnt like that and before the situation got anymore heated I called the game and didn't set another date to play.
So do I suck it up and just DM or retire from the game all together?
I've been playing rpgs for about 30 years
Dugger
Are all three campaigns with the same group of players?
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I find myself getting burned out as a GM if I don't play for a while, and burned out as a player if I don't GM for a while.
Six months is a pretty good "while" for both.
Ideally I can play in one campaign while I GM another. That keeps me real happy. :)
I try not to GM more than 1 game at a time anymore. It was just too exhausting, and I missed playing too much. I also prefer to play in 1 game in Gm another. My advice is to put 2 of your games on hiatus. Does your gaming group meet more than once a week?
Tell your group that you will no longer be GMing on the other days or whenever your other campaigns are. Usually, when I do this, I will tell them that we will be at a stopping point after maybe X many games. Then I ask if anyone has another game they would like to run, because my game will be on break. Usually 1 of our other GM's will take up the slack. If not, then that's just the way it will be and we will take a break.
You can still meet up to play board games or card games, or whatever is your groups pleasure; there's no need for you alone to struggle past the point where it is fun.
I got burned out on running my latest campaign after 1.5 years. I had a good stopping point in mind and a few months out from that stopping point I approached the group and mentioned some of the fine APs that Paizo has. One of the other players stepped up and offered to run one of the APs (Carrion Crown). So I have been taking a break from DMing for the past year and I'm enjoying playing. It has also given me plenty of time to think about story lines and create NPC stat blocks for when I do run again (after we finish CC).
My suggestion is reduce the number of games you are running and see if that helps. If it doesn't, then take a break altogether for a while. Maybe one of the other players will pick up the slack for a bit. Good luck!
I DM one game a week, but I have been doing it for so long that I am definitely being burned out on it. I'm pretty sure no one else in the group is willing to step up and DM, either. :[
I DM one game a week, but I have been doing it for so long that I am definitely being burned out on it. I'm pretty sure no one else in the group is willing to step up and DM, either. :[
Bribes are good. Cookies, chips and beer can work wonders.
I DM one game a week, but I have been doing it for so long that I am definitely being burned out on it. I'm pretty sure no one else in the group is willing to step up and DM, either. :[Bribes are good. Cookies, chips and beer can work wonders.
That's a very good point. I just want to sit back and enjoy the game as a player, ya know? It's gotten to the point where I don't have time to create the vast, sweeping worlds and NPCs that I do when I DM, and honestly, GMing for years on end gets a bit dull...
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Take a break. Do some PFS as a player, or use Meetup or other such service to find a group in your area that is looking for players.
But first, clearly communicate to your group that you are completely burned out and need a break from GMing. If no one is willing to step up and run some modules, an AP, or their own creations then the group will have to go on hiatus.
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For some folks like me (and there's probably not a whole lot of folks like me) being a GM is sort of like an infection or a genetic mutation. I couldn't stop being a GM if I wanted to. And I don't want to. Being a GM allows me to indulge far too many of my selfish hobbies and interests.
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@Dugger - Sorry to hear your players are being so selfish. As a GM you deserve a break every once in a while and at least one of your players needs to step up to the plate, put on his big boy pants and volunteer to GM for a while to allow you to recuperate. I'd suggest you either find some more players to play with who would be willing to GM or take a break. You'll probably not like retiring completely and be back in a few months or so, but I think that if you are allowed to play you'd be much happier and be in the mood to GM again much sooner.
I guess I'm lucky with my group, there are 3 of us who love to GM and we take turns with campaigns. As soon as one ends (or needs a break), another begins with a new GM and it really makes things nice for us when we need a break in the action. It was funny the last time because I wanted to GM and another guy wanted to, he bought the Carrion Crown AP materials and I have a home-brew in mind so I bowed out to let him GM first.
How often do you guys game? I've been GMing once a month (with the occasional skipped month; maybe 10 games a year) for a few years now and don't feel too bad about it. I will say things were much more draining when I ran a custom 4th edition game; so much work to put everything together.
I have since flipped over to Pathfinder and have been running Carrion Crown for over a year. It has been far easier to do as I don't have to do nearly as much work (like designing plots, building encounters, writing descriptions, making maps, etc). I can customize the AP as my time allows but it isn't an everyone-is-counting-on-me problem from before APs.
I do miss being a player but I found that I really don't have the spare time to play much anyway, though I wistfully watch the PFS games in my area scroll on by. Maybe one day I'll be able to do it, heh.
For some folks like me (and there's probably not a whole lot of folks like me) being a GM is sort of like an infection or a genetic mutation. I couldn't stop being a GM if I wanted to. And I don't want to. Being a GM allows me to indulge far too many of my selfish hobbies and interests.
I also could never stop DMing, but I enjoy the game from the player side of the screen too. I just like to take DM breaks every now and then. What sucks for me, I don't know if Dugger has the same issue, is that there are no nearby PFS games. If there are, then that is an excellent idea for a break, while still playing the game that you love.
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So do I suck it up and just DM or retire from the game all together?
Nope. Get your games to a stopping point or end, take a sabbatical. One of them will have to step up if they want to play while you're on break from the screen.
You don't owe your players a game.
I think you need to have the group reevaluate their expectations of the GM situation. If they've come into the group with the expectation that they'll never have to GM, then they will be less likely to step up and take over the reigns when you need a break.
The group that I've been playing weekly with for the last nine months rotates GMs every two or three Pathfinder Society scenarios. Thus far almost everyone has had a turn as GM, and everyone gets a fair amount of Player and GM time.
I think RedEric suggested a good approach: give your players a bit of lead time to consider that your games are reaching a pausing point, and see if someone steps up to GM with a little time to mull it over.
The reaction you got may partly be due to surprise... They're having fun, and never noticed that the fun was waning for you. Give em some time to consider their options, while you do whatever's most fun for you.
And if none of them step up to GM, after time to consider... look around for some Virtual Table Top games to be a player in. Roll20.net seems to recruit for new games on a regular basis.
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There’s another way to go, if your players really like your DMing and would be poor DM’s themselves- play some board games for a while. Maybe something fun like Munchkin or other FRP related games.
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Another option to consider dugger - just run one campaign or group.
I'm not sure if by "three campaigns" you mean three groups comprised of entirely different people, or basically the same group of people playing in three campaigns and game worlds?
If you have mixed groups you can consolidate them into one manageable group and ditch the weakest players (very casual, commitment issues, gaming issues or just plain issues) and make a single group? If they are all basically the same players give them an option as to what campaign they want to continue with - or you can propose to run the one you like the most and gives you the least amount of headache.
I've been mostly the DM for +30 years now - though of quitting several times. For me what works is taking a break, alternating with some good boardgames (with your group) or other hobbies. The best thing for me is switching up systems when things start to get stale or I start feeling burnt out. The beauty of doing this is that it's something different for both the DM and group and helps satisfy action and story type. My players would never want to play a gunslinger in Pathfinder because there is no urge - I have superior gunplay focused games that mitigate that need. Same goes with too much horror business in fantasy gaming. I love horror elements in gaming, but I have better systems designed to handle horror gaming so it doesn't creep or take over my other systems.
Point being - reducing the number of campaigns or changing systems can also work as a possible fix for your situation. I would defiantly consider reducing your DM workload before giving up.
You obviously feel some doubt about this decision otherwise you wouldn't have posted here. It would be nice if you could get someone to step up and take the reins, but tricking…er, asking another player to take the role of the DM may not be as hard as you think – if you put some work into it.
You can start by approaching those who you think would handle the job well. Offer to teach them and then let them pick up a new low-level module to run as a one shot. Or you can have someone co-DM a module with you, if they like the experience they will want to give a full time DM job a shot. You could look for the most creative guy to pick, one who has a good sense of balance or system mastery or even the most outspoken person in the group. If you can pull that off you will get another campaign going (with another DM), get the option to play and even re-energize your need to DM as you get ideas and exposure to another DM.
Or you can go the public option - try to find a regular group or DM in your area and maybe you and your players can play with them at a local game store?
Just throwing out ideas here.
Good call on stopping the conversation before it could get out of hand. It's easy to get burned out on running a game. At some point, it feels like work rather than play.
Try and give the campaign a good stopping point and let people know you just need a break for a while. Hopefully someone will step up and run, but if not, well, those are the breaks.
Well ive talked to the one group that meets monthly , they told me that they might as wellstop playing then. It seems the only reason that continued to play was because I was dming.
May second group which we played every 3 weeks said lets just wait for a couple of months andresume then.
Well ive talked to the one group that meets monthly , they told me that they might as wellstop playing then. It seems the only reason that continued to play was because I was dming.
May second group which we played every 3 weeks said lets just wait for a couple of months andresume then.
That's awful. No one is willing to try? Have you offered to teach them how to do it, and help them out the first time or two?
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Well ive talked to the one group that meets monthly , they told me that they might as wellstop playing then. It seems the only reason that continued to play was because I was dming.
May second group which we played every 3 weeks said lets just wait for a couple of months andresume then.
Wow, I am really sorry to hear that dugger. It seems like the people you play take a very casual view to the hobby - which is fine I suppose, but it's too bad they don't care enough to step up when you need it.
A few of my players have DM experience (one is a full on DM) but they do what they can to help get my game going - extra time with no pressure if I need to prep a hard scenario or even a break if they think I need it.
Take your time and take a rest, I hope it's enough to recharge your batteries but if it doesn't, then that's ok also.
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I have forced every one of my players to DM, including my boyfriend (the most reluctant). They have all sat in the big chair. I think everyone should do it to get a better idea of the difficulty, and maybe all players would respect the DM more.
On the reverse, DMs need to sit in the player's seat to remember that information is only what the DM gives. And to understand that EVERY DOOR IS SCARY.