DMs partners and problems

[TheMightyPotato]

So I have a friend who has DMed a few campaigns for me and friends. So we start a campaign and a few sessions in the DM decides to add his girlfriend to the mix. No problem I knew her and she is nice. fast forward a week or 2 and the relationship is at an end. And surprise surprise the campaign ends there. He started something new and said he was just bored with the campaign but low and behold his ex is not in this group.

A month or so later he decides to make another new group with his next girlfriend and that is were the situation is now.

So any of you have stories of DM and partners or players and partners who presented problems in the group or even broke up campaigns?

Any stories or tips would be nice :smallbiggrin:

[Lombra]

I've never played in a group with the girlfriend of any of the members and everything goes so very smoothly (coincidence?). If they broke up he could just kill the PC and keep on going with the campaign... probably killing the PC of your ex could ease some of the stress created by that situation xD

[DiceDiceBaby]

Heard multiple stories about such things happening at my local gaming hub. Entire campaigns ending just because the DM broke up with his PC girlfriend. This happens so often in real life, there's a trope for it (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DungeonmastersGirlfriend).

As for real life, the only experiences I have regarding OOC romance and D&D involve my wife and myself. We usually go together as PCs in every campaign, and help each other make characters. None of our PCs have romantic ties with each other though (closest one to it is a Cleric stalker-girlfriend-kind-of-thing with a reluctant, wandering, philanderer Bard, but that's about it, and our PCs ignore each other for most campaigns). Hasn't caused any conflict with our playgroups yet; wives are much harder to get rid of than girlfriends, after all!

Solution: Marry your girlfriend. Campaign for life.

[TheMightyPotato]

I've never played in a group with the girlfriend of any of the members and everything goes so very smoothly (coincidence?). If they broke up he could just kill the PC and keep on going with the campaign... probably killing the PC of your ex could ease some of the stress created by that situation xD

It would maybe save some stress on his part but I don't know how I would feel about it as I am still friends with the ex in question and the dm XD

[TheMightyPotato]

Heard multiple stories about such things happening at my local gaming hub. Entire campaigns ending just because the DM broke up with his PC girlfriend. This happens so often in real life, there's a trope for it (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DungeonmastersGirlfriend).


Facinating that there is a trope of it didn't know that thank you for making it's existence known to me. :smallwink.



As for real life, the only experiences I have regarding OOC romance and D&D involve my wife and myself. We usually go together as PCs in every campaign, and help each other make characters. None of our PCs have romantic ties with each other though (closest one to it is a Cleric stalker-girlfriend-kind-of-thing with a reluctant, wandering, philanderer Bard, but that's about it, and our PCs ignore each other for most campaigns). Hasn't caused any conflict with our playgroups yet; wives are much harder to get rid of than girlfriends, after all!

Solution: Marry your girlfriend. Campaign for life.

Well the DM tried that but for like a weird 1 year and a day thing didn't work out XD
And it is nice to have some examples of a couple that are stable enough to play longer campaigns together.

[Giant2005]

One of my gaming groups disappeared over this issue.
The DM's ex didn't actually play all that much (she played about 2 sessions total), but her marrying her side dude at the wedding that the DM had paid for (which was supposed to be for him and his ex) crushed him enough that he didn't want to play anymore regardless.

[Gryndle]

I've seen this as a DM and as a player. A stable couple that plays together can add a lot to your gaming group. An unstable couple can destroy it. But I guess that is the case for any player.

For me, I lost about 1/3rd of my gaming group in my divorce way back when (messy divorce, people chose sides that sort of thing). And that stung. BUT looking at the gaming group I have now and ( not incidentally at all) my new family, I traded UP. Way WAY Up.

Hopefully that will be the case with your gaming group as well.

[TheMightyPotato]

One of my gaming groups disappeared over this issue.
The DM's ex didn't actually play all that much (she played about 2 sessions total), but her marrying her side dude at the wedding that the DM had paid for (which was supposed to be for him and his ex) crushed him enough that he didn't want to play anymore regardless.

Well I don't think any gaming group would survive that.

[TheMightyPotato]

I've seen this as a DM and as a player. A stable couple that plays together can add a lot to your gaming group. An unstable couple can destroy it. But I guess that is the case for any player.

For me, I lost about 1/3rd of my gaming group in my divorce way back when (messy divorce, people chose sides that sort of thing). And that stung. BUT looking at the gaming group I have now and ( not incidentally at all) my new family, I traded UP. Way WAY Up.

Well that is one messy situation but at least your group became better in the end. I guess it's a silver lining to it all.


Hopefully that will be the case with your gaming group as well.

Well the new girlfriend is not an upgrade so far but who knows maybe the group will get better as time goes on.

[Ruslan]

A DM in our area once attempted with much fanfare to start a new group. At the very first session, it becomes clear that the group is built around the DMs BFF, who just moved back into town. Oh well, it's no big deal, we all still get to play, and it's all good. Or is it?

Two weeks later, the BFF has to move out again (something about a losing a job, or finding a new job, I forget), and of course the DM immediately loses interest and the game dies.

[Safety Sword]

One of my gaming groups disappeared over this issue.
The DM's ex didn't actually play all that much (she played about 2 sessions total), but her marrying her side dude at the wedding that the DM had paid for (which was supposed to be for him and his ex) crushed him enough that he didn't want to play anymore regardless.

And that everyone, is how you play an Ice Witch.

[TheMightyPotato]

A DM in our area once attempted with much fanfare to start a new group. At the very first session, it becomes clear that the group is built around the DMs BFF, who just moved back into town. Oh well, it's no big deal, we all still get to play, and it's all good. Or is it?

Two weeks later, the BFF has to move out again (something about a losing a job, or finding a new job, I forget), and of course the DM immediately loses interest and the game dies.

Well that is not great

[Longcat]

Solution: Marry your girlfriend. Campaign for life.

If that ends up not working out, it's more than just the campaign that will end.