Burning Out

I have to say that I never thought I would burn out on D&D. But I have. I think it's largely because I have spent 99% of my time in 4th edition as the DM and I really haven't had the opportunity to enjoy playing the game. However that doesn't mean I'm burned out on writing. My blog focuses on D&D but it is by no means limited to D&D. Soon my group will be starting a Shadowrun campaign and I'm looking forward to playing that.

But burnout is an important thing to talk about. Largely because burnout doesn't just happen to the DM. Burnout can affect players as well. Burnout is often a chain reaction caused by a variety of circumstances. In my campaign it has worked out like such:

• I got tired of being the DM....so I stopped trying to create exciting dungeons.
  
• My players started to get bored with just move to the next room, kill, move to the next room, kill, repeat.
  
• Players started getting bored with their characters and to spice things up they keep switching characters on me.
  

As an experienced DM, I see the dangers of staying the course. If it keeps running unchecked, then players will start skipping sessions and eventually the group falls apart. I told my players that one of them had to take over as DM every other week to give me time to recharge.

Instead of one of my players taking over as DM for D&D, it was suggested that we play Shadowrun instead. This is a good idea for a group suffering from burnout. It gives the entire group a chance to mix it up in an exciting RPG world that is nothing like D&D. It gives all the players a chance to refresh and cycles out the DM so that the primary DM...like myself, gets a chance to be a player.

However if you're going to stick to D&D there are ways to swap things out so that everyone gets a chance to try something new.

• Have at least 1 if not 2 backup dungeon masters. This keeps the rotation of players and stories fresh.
  
• When you swap DMs, swap characters. This gives each DM a chance to build his own story without interfering with the other DM story lines.
  
• Use different campaign worlds. If you're always playing Eberron, try Forgotten Realms or Greyhawk...or in August when it comes out I highly recommend Dark Sun.
  

Burnout on the part of the players or the DM is a strong sign of session death. Combating burnout is the job of everyone in the group, but the DM should especially keep an eye out for it. Keeping things fresh and interesting ensures a long standing group that always looks forward to the game each week.

Until next time...

Il s'agit d'un Jeu Serieux

This is a serious game.

Some people need a serious wake up call. I value taking the game seriously, I really do. However, there is a point where it loses the fun because people have lost their sense of humor. When it comes to being serious about D&D, there really are only two acceptable situations.

1. When your players don't call or text to tell you they are going to be late or not coming. This is just rude. The fun of everyone in the party depends on the players actually showing up.

2. When no one wants to chip in for snacks...I mean seriously. I need my Cheetos and Mountain Dew!

There are players out there who take a very serious attitude toward gaming. I have seen players who have quit because you killed their pet dragon (my sister...she never played D&D again). This attitude is detrimental to the group because it decreases the fun that everyone has. The purpose of D&D is to get together and have an adventure. I'm sorry if you worked hard to get your character that +5 vorpal longsword of god slaying but if the rust monster eats it, then the rust monster eats it.



People are sometimes too focused on what they lost and not on the challenge of what to do next. The biggest thing to remember is that it is a GAME. Games are supposed to have challenges to them. If you're character is so powerful that he can overcome the challenge with little to no effort then it isn't a challenge.

A subset of the serious player is the rules lawyer. Those players are the bane of the Dungeon Master. I remember reading in one of the first or second edition books (I can't recall which) where it said that the dungeon master is God. This is still true today. I don't give a damn if the rules say that you get a saving throw to be thrown off ledges. I just knocked you into the air and then slid you. You're going off the damn ledge.

Rules lawyers decrease from the player of the game because they make life difficult for not just the players but for the DM. When the DM isn't happy he starts to beat up the party more...okay not every DM does this, but I know I do. Punishing players makes me happy when I'm sad. So when there's no one shoving rules down my throat then I'm less likely to be sad.

I'll be the first to admit that knowing the rules is important. But if I choose to ignore the ledge saving throw rule I mentioned earlier then my players can ignore it too. I'm not unfair. It's important to remember not to have a double standard, otherwise while it may be fun for a sadistic bastard like myself, it won't be fun for the players. And as I have said over and over, games are supposed to be fun.

D&D is a very entertaining game. It requires a level of commitment that cannot be achieved without being at least a little serious about it. It is important not to let the seriousness get in the way of the game. If you're too attached to your character, gear, or the letter of the law then it won't always be fun. Roll with the punches and experience the game. It's a lot more fun that way.

Until next time,

5 ways to make your girlfriend play D&D

Dungeons and Dragons is a very misunderstood game. Many people see it as the domain of the truly geeky, or criminally deranged. It is widely viewed as the epitome of uncool by the uninitiated. Many gamers have to explain why they play D&D when confronted by parents and peers. And it is especially dangerous around the girlfriend. Many a D&D gamer has come face to face with the dilemma of telling their girlfriend they are the ultimate geek. We don't always agree with the stigma that surrounds D&D gaming, but we know it is there.

I started dating my girlfriend Ashley about 6 years ago. When I told her that I played D&D she laughed and told me a story about how she and her friends would find players on her campus and mock them behind their backs while watching them. The gamers were oblivious to her presence, but she was joyfully perpetrating the belief that D&D is really nerdy. It has taken me six years but now she's interested in giving the game a try.

So how did I change her mind? I didn't use all 5 of these tricks on her. A couple is usually all you will need. But any combination of the 10 things below will get your girl to at least give it a try. And if none of these will do it, and you're a gamer in your blood and bones, then it may be time to find a new girlfriend. You may be giving up sex, but that's why we have internet porn.





5. Promise her character a pseudo-dragon familiar at level 1 or 2. Pseudo-dragon familiars are not unheard of and if you make it really cute it can be a big help. Just don't do something stupid like kill the dragon.
4. Bribe her. Tell her that for every game she plays with you you will watch one of her movies or TV shows she likes that you can't stand. I used this trick on Ashley. I promised her I would watch one of her snooty foreign films, or a horror film (I don't care much for horror) if she would give the game a try.
3. Take her shopping. Don't freak out guys. This isn't as bad as it sounds. What you do is take her shopping for her own dice. This will get her into the game by making her feel involved right away. Any experienced D&D player knows the importance of having your own dice. Initiate her into the cult of D&D by teaching her how important dice are and how they have to reflect you. Ashley got a pair of pink and black dice, and it made her really excited to use them.
2. Ease her into it. If you invite her to hang out with you during a game she may take you up on it out of morbid curiosity. This is a chance to show her that D&D is a social event and that it is fun. If you have a player who likes to wear sweat pants and eat Cheetos, apologize for him and beat up his character later.

Take the opporunity to show her how the role playing is fun and how it lets you express emotions and be heroic. But make sure that none of your players are trying to have sex with the hot elf chick at the tavern.
1. Do a weird game. By a weird game I mean do something that is less traditional D&D and something really off the wall. If you can incorporate My Little Pony figurines it will do a lot. I know I love smashing enemies with My Little Pony. Ponies rock. I'm getting sidetracked again.

I got an idea for a dungeon from Something Positive, one of my favorite web-comics. The dungeon involved the High Priestess Cadbury raising the dark god Caw'tn Tayle from his hibernation inside a giant egg. When the party is exploring the cave they get attacked by giant Peeps and have to fight the mini-bosses Russel and Stover. It's really corny, but it is a fun way to get your girlfriend excited about the variety of dungeons that D&D can have.

I hope these ideas work for you. They worked well for me. It is important, for the rest of your players, that if you get your girlfriend to play she doesn't abuse the power of being the Dungeon Master's girl. Be fair to her and don't hold back so that your players don't think you're treating her special. Also be careful not to be too harsh on her and overcompensate the wrong way. This will get her to quit faster than anything else you could do. With a little practice and a little time, you can turn your girlfriend into a hot gamer chick.

What is the job of the Dungeon Master?

Many newer Dungeon Masters would say that the ideal job of the DM is to ensure that the players move along in the plot in a fun and friendly manner. Even the 4th edition Dungeon Masters Guides developed by Wizards of the Coast encourage their DMs to further the goals of the party. The DMG (Dungeon Masters Guide) says, "the DMs goal is to make success taste its sweetest by presenting challenges that are just hard enough that the other players have to work to overcome them, but not s hard that they leave all the characters dead." (Dungeon Masters Guide, pg. 4) But while I do believe that the party should survive, there are times when a total party kill (TPK) can be useful.

I am an old-skool D&D player. I started playing D&D in 1984 when I was just two years old. I used to roll my father's dice for him. I actually remember some of the games. The DM would sit at a separate table with his screens up and the players would sit around the larger table in chairs and lounging on the couch. They played first edition D&D. I still have my dad's books.



When I was nine years old, my dad taught me to play D&D properly. While second edition was available, he only had first edition books, so I learned on those. I entered my first game as a player. My dad wouldn't teach me unless I got a friend to play with me, so I grabbed my friend Rob, who still plays D&D with me today.

I learned how to play on first edition but I spent the majority of my D&D gaming career learning second edition and third edition. I'll save my opinions on third edition for another post, but wow! what a change.

I have to admit, I love fourth edition. It is in my opinion the best version of D&D to ever be released. It is more rules based than previous editions, but it makes things a lot easier and it adds a sense of creativity that previous editions lacked.

I have digressed a bit from my main point. That point is, what the purpose of the DM is. Since I herald from an old skool mentality, I believe that the DM is the bane of the party. The party is the enemy of the dungeon master. It is the duty of the DM to inflict as much pain and suffering as possible on the party. The preference isn't to kill the party. This is because the DM wants to prolong the suffering of the players as long as possible. Penny Arcade did an amazing comic that sums up the values of an old-skool DM.



(Apparently the image gets cut off by my blog setup...just click on the image for the full version. it's awesome.)

To this end, I have devised a fourth edition encounter that has a large potential for a TPK (total party kill). If the party is highly skilled in endurance then this isn't the best way to slaughter those uppity players. However, if you have several controllers and caster oriented strikers then this is the ideal way to put the players in their place.

Here are the monsters that you need:

• Mummy Guardian x2 - Monster Manual, page 192


• Brain In A Jar x2 - Open Grave, page 140


• Crawling Claw Swarm x3 - Open Grave, page 142

This is ideal for a party at levels 7-9. I put together the above encounter for level 8. It creates an xp of 1725, which is 25xp below what is recommended for level 8. However, it is the combo of monsters that creates the death trap.

How does it work?
It's very simple. The swarms of crawling claws focus the party on the immediate threat. They get free attacks on any player in their aura and they are resistant to all damage that isn't an AOE (area of effect). Use the Brain in a Jar to dominate the tank and the healer, which will allow the mummies to inflict as much Mummy Rot as they can on the rest of the party. If your party includes a lot of casters, this will easily cause the mummy rot disease to kill them. If it has melee oriented strikers then at least it will annoy them and weaken them.

Put the brains on a shelf that is elevated and the party will be forced to use ranged combat to get to them. If the party is mostly ranged they will die horribly to the mummy rot. If the party is mostly melee they will be unable to stop the brains from dominating the tank and healer. This gives the claw swarms and the mummies time to beat the melee down.

Overall, this combo is designed to make your players cry. If you prescribe to the old-skool idea that the player is the enemy, this will give you a lot of joy. If you are a newer DM, with fourth edition ideals, then this may not the be the strategy for you...however, I encourage you to try it out and see if the pain etched on your players faces while you maim and murder them gives you any sense of pleasure. If it does, then you are an old-skool DM in training. If it doesn't, then look to future posts from me where I try to find the balance between making the party suffer, and progressing the plot.

Until next time....