Hi guys!, first of all i'm sorry my english is not good
played for 2 years in a bad homebrew campaign with a terrible dm, then i introduced dnd to my sisters and they want to play it after that i forced my self to be dm for my own campaign and so i watch i ton of video and and book on how to be one. it was homebrew campaign that followed the basic dnd mechanic ,we played for to 3 year now, we didn't consistently played it, we only play it when we have the time for it and its been like this for 2 years now,
It was fun until i got bored,my sisters want to play it but i somehow didn't want to i feel like my world is bland, my npc is boring, to the point i ask them are they having fun? I tell them to be honest and they tell me it was good and i can see that, they're so into the story, the combat is no problem, and they reaction didn't lie when they played it ,i know how it feel to be in a bad campaign so i know what exactly faces what players in a bad campaign will make.
Just to make you know my sister didn't know how to roleplay they characters, well the choices they make for they character is on point but the dialogue and the way they character act didn't feel alive it as if they want me to roleplay for their character, for example there this one pc with a quest for vengence and then one day the object of his vengence appeared and he just like stand there with a dialogue that didn't show what the character truly feel at that moment , i expect as a dm to see that random act they will make but they didn't they followed the story along it almost feel like im railroading them,in combat they feel awkward to roleplay cool poses when their attacking or used spell so for awhile i help them with it and roleplay for them, i stop doing it for them while ago and now the combat is like playing fire emblem without the animation. For context my campaign is balanced between roleplay and combat.
What did i do wrong is my world just that bland or am i expect much more from them, i mean i can't really force them to roleplay if they didn't want to right?
Almost certainly not. No DM is perfect and, while it is possible to be a bad DM, it is generally quite uncommon among people who value friendships and respect others. IMHO, bad DM’s are those that are socially cruel to their players so, if you’re not actually mean to your sisters, I would not condemn your DM’ing. Rather it seems that you have a simple case of mismatched play styles and gaming preferences, which is OTOH quite common. It sounds like your sisters mainly enjoy a murder-hobo type game whereas you enjoy the roleplaying. No one is bad or wrong, you are just looking for different things when you play.
You will have to decide whether you can live with making the sort of game that your sisters are enthusiastic about. I see you have been at it for awhile now but I would still point out that it is very common for beginners start out as murder-hobos—particularly in this age where people play video games focused on action and most roleplay interactions can be skipped if they even exist. Over time though, many players develop an appreciation for the more genteel aspects of the game and move past the straight hack and slash experience. If you are patient, there is a good chance that your gaming styles will become more compatible.
That said, no one should play any game they don’t enjoy. No game is better than bad game. Don’t feel obligated to accommodate your sisters but recognize that you must be willing to find new players if that is your choice; your sisters are not obligated to accommodate you either.
Another thing to keep in mind is that if your sisters are new to the game they might be totally oblivious to the roleplay aspect, and not know what you are comfortable with or what they should do. For instance, for the vengeance situation it sounds like "proper" role playing would have your sister shouting angrily at you and single-mindedly trying to kill your NPC. It would be natural for anyone not used to acting / role-playing to be nervous that you would take it personally and get upset when this is a game that's supposed to be fun.
One thing I would suggest is maybe have one of the players do a recap at the start of each session in character - so they can practice in a safe space what their character's thoughts would be on the events that have transpired.
Another suggestion would be to watch some live play of roleplay heavy games online together. It might help for them to have that modeled for them by someone other than their brother, and not while they are actively involved in the game. Don’t make it work, though, watch it together for fun. You can talk about it during or after, and highlight particularly cool roleplay moments. Like ‘wasn’t it cool when the cleric of light defied the necromancer baron at great peril to herself, and saved the refugees from being turned into undead pawns!’ That might help your sisters more clearly see and appreciate the potential fun in actively participating in the story. Good luck, and keep DMing!
Hi guys!, first of all i'm sorry my english is not good
played for 2 years in a bad homebrew campaign with a terrible dm, then i introduced dnd to my sisters and they want to play it after that i forced my self to be dm for my own campaign and so i watch i ton of video and and book on how to be one. it was homebrew campaign that followed the basic dnd mechanic ,we played for to 3 year now, we didn't consistently played it, we only play it when we have the time for it and its been like this for 2 years now,
It was fun until i got bored,my sisters want to play it but i somehow didn't want to i feel like my world is bland, my npc is boring, to the point i ask them are they having fun? I tell them to be honest and they tell me it was good and i can see that, they're so into the story, the combat is no problem, and they reaction didn't lie when they played it ,i know how it feel to be in a bad campaign so i know what exactly faces what players in a bad campaign will make.
Just to make you know my sister didn't know how to roleplay they characters, well the choices they make for they character is on point but the dialogue and the way they character act didn't feel alive it as if they want me to roleplay for their character, for example there this one pc with a quest for vengence and then one day the object of his vengence appeared and he just like stand there with a dialogue that didn't show what the character truly feel at that moment , i expect as a dm to see that random act they will make but they didn't they followed the story along it almost feel like im railroading them,in combat they feel awkward to roleplay cool poses when their attacking or used spell so for awhile i help them with it and roleplay for them, i stop doing it for them while ago and now the combat is like playing fire emblem without the animation. For context my campaign is balanced between roleplay and combat.
What did i do wrong is my world just that bland or am i expect much more from them, i mean i can't really force them to roleplay if they didn't want to right?
No reason you can't make some adjustments going forward. Throw in the unexpected to liven things up for yourself.
As a DM, so long as your players are having fun, you're not doing anything wrong...but also as a DM, you can get burned out on just one campaign over time. Usually, just pushing through the hard times will help. But also, there is nothing wrong with speeding things up to get to the end of the campaign so you can start something different.
I currently run 2 campaigns (one is streamed on Twitch) and play in 3 others. All are bi-weekly sessions. All are virtual tabletop games because I like having people from around the world.
I'm also developing adventures in my spare time...I've made two one-shots I plan to market, am making a Bestiary to market, and am creating a massive campaign to run when I finish my other two campaigns.
I just want to add that coming here and asking for help and looking to improve tells me that you are a good DM.
I am a bit bored with my campaign as well, but my group is into it and I want to give them a good ending to the story. I'm trying to use interesting monsters and encounters to keep things fun for me.
The only bad DMs I've seen were all extremely arrogant and way too self-confident. The very fact that you're questioning yourself and your work and care about players having fun makes you a far better DM than even the best "bad DM".
You're doing great! I'm glad you have been able to play together for so long, and they wouldn't be putting in the time and effort to ask you about continuing if they didn't want to. You're also doing a good thing by asking them about their feelings about the campaign. (I often ask my players at least once a year a few questions in a form just to give them space to let me know anything.) You sound like a great DM! And you can always end that campaign and start a new one with the knowledge you gained from this one! It's all about learning and growing.
Hi guys!, first of all i'm sorry my english is not good
played for 2 years in a bad homebrew campaign with a terrible dm, then i introduced dnd to my sisters and they want to play it after that i forced my self to be dm for my own campaign and so i watch i ton of video and and book on how to be one. it was homebrew campaign that followed the basic dnd mechanic ,we played for to 3 year now, we didn't consistently played it, we only play it when we have the time for it and its been like this for 2 years now,
It was fun until i got bored,my sisters want to play it but i somehow didn't want to i feel like my world is bland, my npc is boring, to the point i ask them are they having fun? I tell them to be honest and they tell me it was good and i can see that, they're so into the story, the combat is no problem, and they reaction didn't lie when they played it ,i know how it feel to be in a bad campaign so i know what exactly faces what players in a bad campaign will make.
Just to make you know my sister didn't know how to roleplay they characters, well the choices they make for they character is on point but the dialogue and the way they character act didn't feel alive it as if they want me to roleplay for their character, for example there this one pc with a quest for vengence and then one day the object of his vengence appeared and he just like stand there with a dialogue that didn't show what the character truly feel at that moment , i expect as a dm to see that random act they will make but they didn't they followed the story along it almost feel like im railroading them,in combat they feel awkward to roleplay cool poses when their attacking or used spell so for awhile i help them with it and roleplay for them, i stop doing it for them while ago and now the combat is like playing fire emblem without the animation. For context my campaign is balanced between roleplay and combat.
What did i do wrong is my world just that bland or am i expect much more from them, i mean i can't really force them to roleplay if they didn't want to right?
Almost certainly not. No DM is perfect and, while it is possible to be a bad DM, it is generally quite uncommon among people who value friendships and respect others. IMHO, bad DM’s are those that are socially cruel to their players so, if you’re not actually mean to your sisters, I would not condemn your DM’ing. Rather it seems that you have a simple case of mismatched play styles and gaming preferences, which is OTOH quite common. It sounds like your sisters mainly enjoy a murder-hobo type game whereas you enjoy the roleplaying. No one is bad or wrong, you are just looking for different things when you play.
You will have to decide whether you can live with making the sort of game that your sisters are enthusiastic about. I see you have been at it for awhile now but I would still point out that it is very common for beginners start out as murder-hobos—particularly in this age where people play video games focused on action and most roleplay interactions can be skipped if they even exist. Over time though, many players develop an appreciation for the more genteel aspects of the game and move past the straight hack and slash experience. If you are patient, there is a good chance that your gaming styles will become more compatible.
That said, no one should play any game they don’t enjoy. No game is better than bad game. Don’t feel obligated to accommodate your sisters but recognize that you must be willing to find new players if that is your choice; your sisters are not obligated to accommodate you either.
Another thing to keep in mind is that if your sisters are new to the game they might be totally oblivious to the roleplay aspect, and not know what you are comfortable with or what they should do. For instance, for the vengeance situation it sounds like "proper" role playing would have your sister shouting angrily at you and single-mindedly trying to kill your NPC. It would be natural for anyone not used to acting / role-playing to be nervous that you would take it personally and get upset when this is a game that's supposed to be fun.
One thing I would suggest is maybe have one of the players do a recap at the start of each session in character - so they can practice in a safe space what their character's thoughts would be on the events that have transpired.
Another suggestion would be to watch some live play of roleplay heavy games online together. It might help for them to have that modeled for them by someone other than their brother, and not while they are actively involved in the game. Don’t make it work, though, watch it together for fun. You can talk about it during or after, and highlight particularly cool roleplay moments. Like ‘wasn’t it cool when the cleric of light defied the necromancer baron at great peril to herself, and saved the refugees from being turned into undead pawns!’ That might help your sisters more clearly see and appreciate the potential fun in actively participating in the story. Good luck, and keep DMing!
No reason you can't make some adjustments going forward. Throw in the unexpected to liven things up for yourself.
As a DM, so long as your players are having fun, you're not doing anything wrong...but also as a DM, you can get burned out on just one campaign over time. Usually, just pushing through the hard times will help. But also, there is nothing wrong with speeding things up to get to the end of the campaign so you can start something different.
I currently run 2 campaigns (one is streamed on Twitch) and play in 3 others. All are bi-weekly sessions. All are virtual tabletop games because I like having people from around the world.
I'm also developing adventures in my spare time...I've made two one-shots I plan to market, am making a Bestiary to market, and am creating a massive campaign to run when I finish my other two campaigns.
Variety is the spice of life!
Check us out on Twitch, YouTube and the DISCORD!
I just want to add that coming here and asking for help and looking to improve tells me that you are a good DM.
I am a bit bored with my campaign as well, but my group is into it and I want to give them a good ending to the story. I'm trying to use interesting monsters and encounters to keep things fun for me.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
The only bad DMs I've seen were all extremely arrogant and way too self-confident.
The very fact that you're questioning yourself and your work and care about players having fun makes you a far better DM than even the best "bad DM".
You're doing great! I'm glad you have been able to play together for so long, and they wouldn't be putting in the time and effort to ask you about continuing if they didn't want to. You're also doing a good thing by asking them about their feelings about the campaign. (I often ask my players at least once a year a few questions in a form just to give them space to let me know anything.) You sound like a great DM! And you can always end that campaign and start a new one with the knowledge you gained from this one! It's all about learning and growing.
they/him
A bad DM will on purpose creates unwinnable situations, and does not adjust if things are going badly.
A bad DM is vengeful if the party outsmarts them.
A bad DM believes it is DM versus the party and they need to always win.
A good DM understands how to adjust if things are going badly.