Hey everyone, never actually posted on here before. Like the title says, I've gotten a bad case of the ol DM burnout. I already told my players I'm putting our weekly sessions on hold, and one of my players volunteered to DM some sessions of his own. This should be all well and good, but right after I decided to end it, I got this really weird feeling like it was my fault the sessions were dying (we had lost 3 players over 6 months) and that I should mention the sessions are back on. I don't know, maybe I'm just worried that my players will like the new campaign more? Or that it turns out I don't actually enjoy being a player as much as I enjoy being the Dungeon Master.
Has anyone else ever felt like this? Sorry for any weird formatting
I don't know, maybe I'm just worried that my players will like the new campaign more? Or that it turns out I don't actually enjoy being a player as much as I enjoy being the Dungeon Master.
You aren't alone, friend. This is part of the burnout. A cycle of second-guessing and worries is perfectly normal.
Give yourself a month off. Reflect on what caused your burnout and how you can take steps to avoid it in the future campaigns you run. When you feel ready, run something again. If you never feel ready, that's OK, too. Have a sit and breathe. We all have this happen at some point or another.
Yes, I get it, and sometimes you just need to back off for a bit. I too much prefer being the GM and if I don't feel like I'm doing my best to provide a fun/interesting/engaging/everything setting for my players, then I go home and wonder how I can be better. I mean, not always, but often.
So yeah, just take some time off, but perhaps communicate why to your players too, or ask them about what they did and didn't like? Dunno, but go easy on yourself and don't worry.
I just ended a Strahd campaign early that I was running for some online friends. It always felt like there was some sort of reason to postpone or cancel the sessions, people seemed to dip in and out of interest, there was a bit of in-fighting amongst a few of the players. It was a bit of a mess. These things happen sometimes, and sometimes it's best to shelve it and take a break or move directly on to the next. Perhaps signing up for a random DM's one-shot or short campaign on discord or here or another site would be advantageous to you. Like the others have said, taking a step back and catching your breath is perfectly fine. If anything it should be expected. As time goes on you'll find your stride and you'll figure out where you like to sit at the table.
Players will dropout, in real life stuff happens/player disinterest. Always be ready to recruit more players and put them in immediately. Now, bad sessions and bad campaigns do happen(I’ve been in several published modules where I really got bored as dm)-switch gears, make a series of one shots-drag them to the finish line. Learn lessons and move on.
Thank you to everyone who's commented. I feel a lot better about taking some time off. My worry about not enjoying being a player was rather silly, as I'm having an amazing time! I don't think I'll DM for a while still, but I'm no longer dreading doing it
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Hey everyone, never actually posted on here before. Like the title says, I've gotten a bad case of the ol DM burnout. I already told my players I'm putting our weekly sessions on hold, and one of my players volunteered to DM some sessions of his own. This should be all well and good, but right after I decided to end it, I got this really weird feeling like it was my fault the sessions were dying (we had lost 3 players over 6 months) and that I should mention the sessions are back on. I don't know, maybe I'm just worried that my players will like the new campaign more? Or that it turns out I don't actually enjoy being a player as much as I enjoy being the Dungeon Master.
Has anyone else ever felt like this? Sorry for any weird formatting
You aren't alone, friend. This is part of the burnout. A cycle of second-guessing and worries is perfectly normal.
Give yourself a month off. Reflect on what caused your burnout and how you can take steps to avoid it in the future campaigns you run. When you feel ready, run something again. If you never feel ready, that's OK, too. Have a sit and breathe. We all have this happen at some point or another.
Yes, I get it, and sometimes you just need to back off for a bit. I too much prefer being the GM and if I don't feel like I'm doing my best to provide a fun/interesting/engaging/everything setting for my players, then I go home and wonder how I can be better. I mean, not always, but often.
So yeah, just take some time off, but perhaps communicate why to your players too, or ask them about what they did and didn't like? Dunno, but go easy on yourself and don't worry.
I just ended a Strahd campaign early that I was running for some online friends. It always felt like there was some sort of reason to postpone or cancel the sessions, people seemed to dip in and out of interest, there was a bit of in-fighting amongst a few of the players. It was a bit of a mess. These things happen sometimes, and sometimes it's best to shelve it and take a break or move directly on to the next. Perhaps signing up for a random DM's one-shot or short campaign on discord or here or another site would be advantageous to you. Like the others have said, taking a step back and catching your breath is perfectly fine. If anything it should be expected. As time goes on you'll find your stride and you'll figure out where you like to sit at the table.
Players will dropout, in real life stuff happens/player disinterest. Always be ready to recruit more players and put them in immediately. Now, bad sessions and bad campaigns do happen(I’ve been in several published modules where I really got bored as dm)-switch gears, make a series of one shots-drag them to the finish line. Learn lessons and move on.
Thank you to everyone who's commented. I feel a lot better about taking some time off. My worry about not enjoying being a player was rather silly, as I'm having an amazing time! I don't think I'll DM for a while still, but I'm no longer dreading doing it