I’ve been playing dnd for about a year and suddenly I’m just bored with the campaign I joined a while ago. It never feels like our characters ever really get stronger, and it’s been forever since we leveled up. The DM is really great, and immerses us in the world and forces the characters to make hard decisions. I’m just not having much fun in this campaign anymore. I’m not sure if I should try DMing, or find a new campaign, or do something else. Help!
That sounds like something you need to discuss with your DM. Communicate clearly and respectfully what you feel is missing from your experience and see if your DM will work with you to address it. After that, if nothing changes and you're still not having fun, you might consider bowing out.
I think that DM'ing a one shot, or even trying out a different game for a session or two with your friends could get you out of your funk. I know that feeling of just getting kinda... bored with a game, even though there's nothing actually wrong with the game itself. I actually started DM'ing myself partly to help reinvigorate me for my main campaign, and I think ti helped me appreciate all that my DM had been doing and also made me more excited to be a player in their campaign.
It can also be the game, there isn't a lot of challenge with 5E compared to prior editions. Remember how Mario Brothers for the Wii got really easy and there was a decline in play so Nintendo's next version was made harder to increase interest? Try a new game for a while. Look up Dungeon Crawl Classics or Old School Essentials for a change. Those games are harder, you have to think and death can come quickly, but they are more fun and are available for online play. Shadowdark's rule set is clean enough a number of ideas look to be inspired by DCC like spell failure table for instance, but it is quite new at the moment.
Try a new game for a campaign and then come back to D&D and you'll probably have some new ideas to integrate into play or maybe other games are more interesting.
As a DM, I like to keep running occasional oneshots (I'm about due one tbf) to keep my mind from stagnating on the plots and background of the active campaign. I also use the creativity I wasted on characters and places which either didn't fit the campaign, or which the players skipped, in my oneshots. Helps me feel motivated to keep making things!
Talk to your DM. My players all mentioned that they felt they had killed enough to level up, so I ran the numbers and explained that they needed to go a little longer, and that level-ups are slower at higher levels (they are level 10 now), but that it is coming. Sometimes you just need the reassurance that this hasn't been forgotten - you might bow out just before the level-up!
I’ve been playing dnd for about a year and suddenly I’m just bored with the campaign I joined a while ago. It never feels like our characters ever really get stronger, and it’s been forever since we leveled up. The DM is really great, and immerses us in the world and forces the characters to make hard decisions. I’m just not having much fun in this campaign anymore. I’m not sure if I should try DMing, or find a new campaign, or do something else. Help!
The first thing you should do is talk about this with your DM. If you want to level up more or do other things that are interesting to you, then you need to tell the person in charge of the game what you want and what isn't working. Be respectful and considerate, but do note that it's very hard for the Dungeon Master to fix a problem they are unaware of.
If this does not work, -and it may not work for a number of viable reasons, such as different gaming styles,- then you may want to leave the group. If you enjoy playing with the people in it, then you can petition to start another adventure with them or try to run them through a couple dungeons yourself.
Good luck and happy gaming!
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BoringBard's long and tedious posts somehow manage to enrapture audiences. How? Because he used Charm Person, the #1 bard spell!
He/him pronouns. Call me Bard. PROUD NERD!
Ever wanted to talk about your parties' worst mistakes? Do so HERE. What's your favorite class, why? Share & explainHERE.
Remember how Mario Brothers for the Wii got really easy and there was a decline in play so Nintendo's next version was made harder to increase interest?
...no? Honestly NSMB2 and U were the easiest games in the series.
Anyway, I would suggest DM-ing. Playing the game as a DM is a much different experience than as a player, and might give you a new perspective on the game, or at the very least a little inspiration. Also, talk to your DM and see if you can find the source of your problem.
Your decision to DM shouldn't be based on state of this current game. The decision should come down to if you want to DM a campaign or not. I bring this up because you should want to be open to taking on this role and the responsibilities that come with it. Otherwise you will set yourself, and the party, up for disappointment. Keep the this separate from you current opinions of the game you are in.
Now to you campaign. What is it that you feel is boring you? Look, it is game, and it is can easily get repetitious over time. So the key is how to keep it fresh and interesting for you. And this will require a conversation with your DM. Talking to your DM (and other players) can lead to positive returns to you campaign. There are many options that can help, such as changing the tone of the sessions, introducing new game elements (riddles, puzzles, more role play sessions), or character growth/changes. If every session has the same format and pacing then easy to fall out of love with being at the table. And the only way to make changes is to have open and positive dialogue. Discuss ideas, and don't be dejected if you have a bad session but tried something out of the norm. Embrace learning something doesn't work and continue to try new things. Like anything in life, variety is sometimes required, and you might be surprised from the new benefits.
The level stagnation is real. I haven't really experienced it in 5e but I have in 3.5e for sure. Does your group track XP, or use story-based leveling? (Or some other method?)
The level stagnation is real. I haven't really experienced it in 5e but I have in 3.5e for sure. Does your group track XP, or use story-based leveling? (Or some other method?)
Story based. We are running rise of tiamat but we got captured, failed a chapter, and didn’t level up.
The level stagnation is real. I haven't really experienced it in 5e but I have in 3.5e for sure. Does your group track XP, or use story-based leveling? (Or some other method?)
Story based. We are running rise of tiamat but we got captured, failed a chapter, and didn’t level up.
Gotcha. So you're probably stuck in the middle of an overlong subchapter, basically. Ideally you would have levelled up by now.
Levelling you up now would just kick the problem down the road a little. Then you're that level for the expected time plus this time, which is also too long. Or, you keep leveling up early and you're just too strong for the rest of the adventure. Either way isn't great!
I'll agree with the folks who suggest you talk to your DM. Chances are decently high that they're getting bored too -- this isn't how they intended things to go either, I'm sure. The simplest fix is for the DM to accelerate the pacing. Push things more quickly towards some opportunity to get you roughly back on track. And the ramp back into the expected path doesn't have to be free or easy. I mean, you're in a fail state right now, so it'd make sense for you to have a harder time or to lose something. But it should at least be soon.
I am going to be the lone voice of dissent, do not just jump in to running a game. Read through an adventure, look at past editions decide if you are a module person, find out if maybe you are a world builder, or something in between. talk not just to your dm but maybe your whole group needs to discuss this.
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I’ve been playing dnd for about a year and suddenly I’m just bored with the campaign I joined a while ago. It never feels like our characters ever really get stronger, and it’s been forever since we leveled up. The DM is really great, and immerses us in the world and forces the characters to make hard decisions. I’m just not having much fun in this campaign anymore. I’m not sure if I should try DMing, or find a new campaign, or do something else. Help!
That sounds like something you need to discuss with your DM. Communicate clearly and respectfully what you feel is missing from your experience and see if your DM will work with you to address it. After that, if nothing changes and you're still not having fun, you might consider bowing out.
I think that DM'ing a one shot, or even trying out a different game for a session or two with your friends could get you out of your funk. I know that feeling of just getting kinda... bored with a game, even though there's nothing actually wrong with the game itself. I actually started DM'ing myself partly to help reinvigorate me for my main campaign, and I think ti helped me appreciate all that my DM had been doing and also made me more excited to be a player in their campaign.
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It can also be the game, there isn't a lot of challenge with 5E compared to prior editions. Remember how Mario Brothers for the Wii got really easy and there was a decline in play so Nintendo's next version was made harder to increase interest? Try a new game for a while. Look up Dungeon Crawl Classics or Old School Essentials for a change. Those games are harder, you have to think and death can come quickly, but they are more fun and are available for online play. Shadowdark's rule set is clean enough a number of ideas look to be inspired by DCC like spell failure table for instance, but it is quite new at the moment.
Try a new game for a campaign and then come back to D&D and you'll probably have some new ideas to integrate into play or maybe other games are more interesting.
As a DM, I like to keep running occasional oneshots (I'm about due one tbf) to keep my mind from stagnating on the plots and background of the active campaign. I also use the creativity I wasted on characters and places which either didn't fit the campaign, or which the players skipped, in my oneshots. Helps me feel motivated to keep making things!
Talk to your DM. My players all mentioned that they felt they had killed enough to level up, so I ran the numbers and explained that they needed to go a little longer, and that level-ups are slower at higher levels (they are level 10 now), but that it is coming. Sometimes you just need the reassurance that this hasn't been forgotten - you might bow out just before the level-up!
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The first thing you should do is talk about this with your DM. If you want to level up more or do other things that are interesting to you, then you need to tell the person in charge of the game what you want and what isn't working. Be respectful and considerate, but do note that it's very hard for the Dungeon Master to fix a problem they are unaware of.
If this does not work, -and it may not work for a number of viable reasons, such as different gaming styles,- then you may want to leave the group. If you enjoy playing with the people in it, then you can petition to start another adventure with them or try to run them through a couple dungeons yourself.
Good luck and happy gaming!
BoringBard's long and tedious posts somehow manage to enrapture audiences. How? Because he used Charm Person, the #1 bard spell!
He/him pronouns. Call me Bard. PROUD NERD!
Ever wanted to talk about your parties' worst mistakes? Do so HERE. What's your favorite class, why? Share & explain
HERE....no? Honestly NSMB2 and U were the easiest games in the series.
Anyway, I would suggest DM-ing. Playing the game as a DM is a much different experience than as a player, and might give you a new perspective on the game, or at the very least a little inspiration. Also, talk to your DM and see if you can find the source of your problem.
[REDACTED]
Your decision to DM shouldn't be based on state of this current game. The decision should come down to if you want to DM a campaign or not. I bring this up because you should want to be open to taking on this role and the responsibilities that come with it. Otherwise you will set yourself, and the party, up for disappointment. Keep the this separate from you current opinions of the game you are in.
Now to you campaign. What is it that you feel is boring you? Look, it is game, and it is can easily get repetitious over time. So the key is how to keep it fresh and interesting for you. And this will require a conversation with your DM. Talking to your DM (and other players) can lead to positive returns to you campaign. There are many options that can help, such as changing the tone of the sessions, introducing new game elements (riddles, puzzles, more role play sessions), or character growth/changes. If every session has the same format and pacing then easy to fall out of love with being at the table. And the only way to make changes is to have open and positive dialogue. Discuss ideas, and don't be dejected if you have a bad session but tried something out of the norm. Embrace learning something doesn't work and continue to try new things. Like anything in life, variety is sometimes required, and you might be surprised from the new benefits.
The level stagnation is real. I haven't really experienced it in 5e but I have in 3.5e for sure. Does your group track XP, or use story-based leveling? (Or some other method?)
Story based. We are running rise of tiamat but we got captured, failed a chapter, and didn’t level up.
Gotcha. So you're probably stuck in the middle of an overlong subchapter, basically. Ideally you would have levelled up by now.
Levelling you up now would just kick the problem down the road a little. Then you're that level for the expected time plus this time, which is also too long. Or, you keep leveling up early and you're just too strong for the rest of the adventure. Either way isn't great!
I'll agree with the folks who suggest you talk to your DM. Chances are decently high that they're getting bored too -- this isn't how they intended things to go either, I'm sure. The simplest fix is for the DM to accelerate the pacing. Push things more quickly towards some opportunity to get you roughly back on track. And the ramp back into the expected path doesn't have to be free or easy. I mean, you're in a fail state right now, so it'd make sense for you to have a harder time or to lose something. But it should at least be soon.
I am going to be the lone voice of dissent, do not just jump in to running a game. Read through an adventure, look at past editions decide if you are a module person, find out if maybe you are a world builder, or something in between. talk not just to your dm but maybe your whole group needs to discuss this.