DM Startle Toad
Commoner
Posts: 8 
Favorite D&D Class: Druid or Warlock
Favorite D&D Race: Lizardfolk
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Post by DM Startle Toad on Apr 9, 2018 0:38:09 GMT
Hello all!
I've been running a campaign for a little over a year and a half now on a weekly basis. I really like my group and the story we're telling, but find myself struggling to find the motivation to run the game. Do any of you more experienced DMs have advice for combating DM fatigue?
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Post by DM Onesie Knight on Apr 9, 2018 18:19:12 GMT
I dealt with it a lot too--I keep finding myself thrust into the DM role because among my friends I'm the most experienced with the rules and the best at wrapping my head around number crunch. I wish I had an easy answer for you, but there's a certain amount of "suck it up" you have to do.
At the time, I did find it helpful to play (as a player) in another game while I was DMing for my friends, but if you don't have a lot of free time that's not an easy solution.
The other thing I would say is that laziness helps. My DMing style is pretty loose; I like to focus on the setting and background plots more than the specific events of an upcoming session. In my opinion, it's easier to have a believable setting react to the player's actions than it is to write a believable plot on its own. So basically, the more burnt-out I'm feeling for a given session, the more fast and loose I run it. When I'm in a better headspace for it, that's when I'll take more time to design a dungeon or something.
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Post by 00dlez on Apr 9, 2018 21:06:04 GMT
If you can get to a stopping point, even if it's a cliff hanger, maybe see if another in your group can take over DMing a few sessions. They can run a quick dungeon of their own, or maybe a module, or anything else just to give your head some time to clear and focus.
These things almost inevitably happen, and communication with/among the group is best for long term success. Lives change, schedules change, energies change... Just make sure whatever you do everyone (including you) is enjoying it.
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Post by dmcaleb on Apr 11, 2018 9:15:04 GMT
DMing weekly is rough, especially if you have a ton of other responsibilities. Being a biweekly DM I find myself itching for games since they are less common. This way your also not just abandoning the game.
If it’s content that has you a bit bored, run a wildly different game in the same setting. I had my PCs run a pure goblin party in Out of the Abyss for two sessions. It was a lot of fun and gave me quirky NPCs to use in our more serious regular game. Humor and variety helps prevent burnout too
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captaindialup
Commoner
Posts: 19
Favorite D&D Class: Artificer
Favorite D&D Race: Kobold
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Post by captaindialup on May 29, 2018 1:06:52 GMT
My players know that sometimes I need a break and I'll tell them that. They are pretty understanding and we usually opt for either a less structured game to run with. That way i'm not so fixed on the details and it's less stress on my end.
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