Dungeon Master Burnout
Today's article is a piece of advice and a reminder to myself.
Self care is important.
I was drawn to DMing because I have a specific personality type: I'm a giver. I like to see other people have fun and enjoy themselves. This isn't to say I don't get anything out of it but I will put my group's wants ahead of my own needs sometimes. Case in point: I once ran an 8 hour session standing the whole time... the day after a four and a half hour train journey... to get home from my Grandmother's funeral... then went to work the next day. That isn't healthy is it?
Trying to do too much is going to destroy you and the quality of your sessions. Maps, handouts, miniatures, terrain and homebrew is a lot to take on. These are obstacles that you are putting in front of yourself and at the end of the day are all supplementary to D&D. 5th Edition is built to be a theatre of the mind experience so you don't NEED all those extra flourishes, you need players and a shared imagination.
If you carry on down this road you will burnout, the game will no longer be fun and your hobby will become a chore. You can avoid this with an under-utilised action: talk to your players and take some time off. It really is that simple! Your players will want you to have as much fun as they are having and they want a high quality game, if you're burning out then everyone will suffer.
If I'm drained then I am more likely to get writer's block. I'll start unwittingly stealing things from TV shows I'm watching, podcasts I'm listening to or books that I'm reading. If you're using someone else's work then there's a chance that your players have are aware of it and you start breaking the fourth wall or mixing player and character knowledge.
Here are a few ways to help a drained DM:
Scale back your props.
Swap roles and someone else runs a one-shot or short campaign. (DMs like to play too!)
Run a pre-built adventure. Drop in an adventure from Tales From the Yawning Portal or from the DMs Guild, this really takes the pressure off of you and you still have a quality adventure.
Take a few sessions off and take a rest.
Look after yourself and make sure you aren't overworking yourself. If you see your DM is flagging let them know it's okay to take a break.
May you roll well.
