How to unboring

[Matuka]

How do I make sure my dnd campaign doesn't get boring or stale?

[Quoz]

Dont make it out of bread.

More seriously, variety is the key to gaining engagement. Play off of your character's motivations and beliefs, and steer them into scenarios where they will have to make hard choices. Include riddles or puzzle elements to adventures. Give them a chance to turn an enemy into an ally, or at least force them to work together for a common goal.

If I ever get stuck thinking of an adventure hook, I just take 2 or 3 of my players, find hooks from their backstory that can link together in some form of conflict, and build from there.

[MeimuHakurei]

First step is figuring out what you're doing in the campaign and what it is that the players/GM find boring. Then you can make efforts to either make the boring thing more interesting or reduce its presence so that the table time on it diminishes to an acceptable level.

[Laserlight]

How do I make sure my dnd campaign doesn't get boring or stale?

Keep it short. Most of my players get antsy after six or eight months.

Keep it varied. Even your players who are combat monsters with no social or exploration skills are going to get tired of "six fights in a row, just like the last three sessions."

Make your fights interesting, with terrain, interactive environment, lots of movement. Standing there and hitting someone is boring.

Ask the players what they enjoyed about previous games.

Bear in mind that your job as a DM is to arrange emotions in your players. Strong emotions and sharp changes in emotions: despair to triumph, puzzlement to realization, injustice avenged, that sort of thing.

[Waazraath]

Why, the same way you keep any evening with the lads unboring! Dope and booze of course!

On a more serious note: diversify. Use all three pillars of the game. Change the combat environments: outdoor/indoor, sometimes include hazards like lava streams, pit falls, an occasional airborn or underwater combat... change the goal: go treasure hunting & monster killing, but the next time free a prisoner from a max security situation, protect a big caravan of civilians from guerilla attacks, sneak into a castle to take out a target, get chased by a superior force you can't defeat by meeting it head on.... And the same for the other pillars, use different social situations, where different skills & tactics are requirerd. Throw in the occasional puzzle or riddle or even mini game (example: one villain challanged the party for a high stake chess game - the DM was the best chess players, but all other players were decent, which made it a very interesting and evenly matched chess game, with an outcome that had high in game consequences). Etc. etc.

[Matuka]

Why, the same way you keep any evening with the lads unboring! Dope and booze of course!

On a more serious note: diversify. Use all three pillars of the game. Change the combat environments: outdoor/indoor, sometimes include hazards like lava streams, pit falls, an occasional airborn or underwater combat... change the goal: go treasure hunting & monster killing, but the next time free a prisoner from a max security situation, protect a big caravan of civilians from guerilla attacks, sneak into a castle to take out a target, get chased by a superior force you can't defeat by meeting it head on.... And the same for the other pillars, use different social situations, where different skills & tactics are requirerd. Throw in the occasional puzzle or riddle or even mini game (example: one villain challanged the party for a high stake chess game - the DM was the best chess players, but all other players were decent, which made it a very interesting and evenly matched chess game, with an outcome that had high in game consequences). Etc. etc.

Near the end of one of my dungeons, my players came across a large, circular puzzle room. At the center was a down scaled island continent, with absolutely tiny inhabitants. Between the island and the circular platform was a 30ft wide, 4ft deep moat. On the edge of the platform with twelve buttons on it, plus an extra button on each side. The buttons on the farthest sides of the console made the 3ft wide ring around the platform that the console was on rotate. Each button caused different events to happen on the island Ex: rain, snow, meteors, ect. After pressing certain buttons, other buttons would flip up, to gage the intensity of the event, for example is it going to be a light rain, or is it going to be a typhoon, or something in the middle? Also all the buttons were written in dwarven, and none of my players know dwarven. The goal was to get the people on the island to prosper who would the sail to the platform and construct the key to get out of the room.

[Demonslayer666]

How do I make sure my dnd campaign doesn't get boring or stale?

Have you been told your campaigns are boring or are you trying to avoid a type of game you experienced and thought was boring?

I like using published adventures and tweaking them to my own. They give me new ideas and content so I don't have to come up with everything and have clear goals set up.

If you are sandboxing, I highly suggest having a specific goal in mind. A level for them to reach, a reappearing enemy.

Interesting NPCs are also very important.

And like Laserlight said, ask your players what they like.

[Man_Over_Game]

How do I make sure my dnd campaign doesn't get boring or stale?

What's your DMing style, and what are you most worried about when it comes to becoming boring?

The question is very broad, and there are a lot of things that might contribute to the problem/solution, including things like:


Rewarding players for their deeds.
Quantity/Type of magical items.
How enemies act in/out of combat.
Enemy capabilities and tactics in combat.
How much interaction there is with the battlefield.
DM's roleplaying/acting experience.
DM's ability to create an interesting plot.
DM's ability to vividly describe things.
The liveliness of the world itself.
The DM's ability to provide a combat challenge.
The DM's ability to provide a non-combat challenge.


And many more that we can throw at you. But unless we know where to aim, it's about as helpful as throwing blind.

[Vogie]

Have something that keeps moving.

The Expanse, the SyFy-now-Amazon-prime TV series set in space was based on a series of novels... that was originally created as a roleplaying game. And as you watch the series, you can almost experience it as an RPG, with live acting and full effects, in real time. If you read the series, it's more novel-y, and you can lose the RPG elements in the overwhelmingness of the narrative - the TV series does a great job of chopping up the narrative into play-session sized chunks. The show is very binge-able, doubly so with Amazon's "Skip Recap" and "Skip Intro" buttons.

Some examples of longterm story telling that anyone could pick up from the series:

Have at least 3 Factions that have defined goals and cultures that separate them from the other ones
There should be something that causes those factions to be in tension with each other out of the gate
Introduce a change agent that increases tension to the point of chaos, but isn't the antagonist - it is simply change.
The BBEG is a series of people, but they're all connected in a way that isn't obvious
Misdirection is common - both in military and political tactics, out of malice, but also out of ignorance
Create Side Quests to create decision making, but tie them into the main narrative, but not in an obvious way
Some factions should have differing opinions on how to achieve the goals of their faction, which may cause schisms and maybe a new faction emerging
Don't break verisimilitude - The environment in which the players act is a player in itself, and the actions of the party may impact the rest of the world. Running out of consumables (ammunition, fuel, or air) are real issues that can happen

[Matuka]

Have you been told your campaigns are boring or are you trying to avoid a type of game you experienced and thought was boring?

I just have this feeling that there not as entertained as they should be. There faces seem bored. Things I've removed that got in the way more then anything: all players have a have of holding, except I get to choose what is too much, the battle map, now we just imagine the right in our minds and it someone has a misconception, I fix it as quickly as possible, and I have given my characters the ability to make homebrew characters under my supervision.

[ad_hoc]

I just have this feeling that there not as entertained as they should be. There faces seem bored. Things I've removed that got in the way more then anything: all players have a have of holding, except I get to choose what is too much, the battle map, now we just imagine the right in our minds and it someone has a misconception, I fix it as quickly as possible, and I have given my characters the ability to make homebrew characters under my supervision.

Might be good to have a conversation about it.

Get everyone on the same page. I really don't like players who feel like the DM is there to entertain them. All people at the table have a responsibility to entertain each other.

As far as what you can do specifically as DM - Pacing is in large part the DM's territory. Use narration to start and end scenes to keep the action going.

If there is nothing interesting left to do then move on to the next thing. This can also take the form of the players announcing what they are doing and just saying okay you did that and then move on. There is no need to take table time on absolutely everything.

[Laserlight]

It sounds like time to ask them "are you having fun? What do you want more of? What do you want less of? Would you like next week to be a board game night instead of D&D?"

[Foxhound438]

short and to the point is better. As much as there's this idea around TTRPG's that railroads are inherently bad, I would much rather get on the train and see the sights than get put into a sandbox that's effectively a barren wasteland where you can do anything you want, but ultimately nothing will happen if you don't stumble into the next actual story element. I have no shame in railroading players into something that's interesting. Typically, I try to not have a campaign run for more than like 3 months, partially because I like to keep the scope of my games manageable to me, and partially because "character fatigue" is a real factor for some players, and that can lead to loss of interest regardless of anything you do as a DM.

[Waazraath]

short and to the point is better. As much as there's this idea around TTRPG's that railroads are inherently bad, I would much rather get on the train and see the sights than get put into a sandbox that's effectively a barren wasteland where you can do anything you want, but ultimately nothing will happen if you don't stumble into the next actual story element. I have no shame in railroading players into something that's interesting. Typically, I try to not have a campaign run for more than like 3 months, partially because I like to keep the scope of my games manageable to me, and partially because "character fatigue" is a real factor for some players, and that can lead to loss of interest regardless of anything you do as a DM.

This is a good point. I know 'player agency' is a big thing on these forums, and railroading is quite universally frowned upon, but my experiences are quite good with it, sometimes. The point is to have fun, and if everybody is having fun on the railroad, no worries.

Example: I really enjoyed (both as a player and a DM) campaigns where the party is held prisoner and is forced to have gladitorial pit fights. The DM can do interesting things with the surroundings, spiked walls, whatever, the public that interacts by throwing things, any opponent that is an interessing challange for which you don't need any other in game justification except for 'was taken prisoner as well'. Making sure the number of encounters and rests / short rests is balanced isn't a hassle either. Sessions can be broken off almost at any point, between combat. And everybody has a clear, common goal (survive!)

And yeah, at some point, the party can escape, or gets rescued, or whatever, but up to then, it's railroady as hell. But if done well, the fights are really fun. The players still have plenty of agency, tactical in combats, but also between combats (try to bribe guards, talk to other prisoners, come up with plans to escape). But they have much fewer options compared to a regular game, and that really is ok, as long as its fun. (btw: greatly recommended for new groups, cause in these controlled arena fights, you can slowly learn them the game, introducing varying tactics, like grapple, shove, ganging up, etc.)

[NatureKing]

Play what your players want. If your players want the to play Mine's of Moria, don't try and force them into the Council of Elrond.

I've been in a game where a DM has spent literal years cresting a world with amazing ideas and, culture and all this, and all that... And then after we've started playing it, we've gone into a Witcher 3 style campaign when every success we have is tempered by bitterness, or monkeys pawing.

Game night turns into hoping we ask the right question to the DM. Sometimes we get afforded a roll of a Knowledge check to see if we know something to help progress the story. If we pass, okay, if we Don"t. Tough titty. Other times, no we would never know that because out 5 line backstory didn't say we may have potentially heard about it.

The guy with a 17 page backstory? Who wants visions and stuff and deep intrigue and insight into a made up god who has decided to give us visions? Spend hours listening to that get described. This guys character is an Edge Lord, who has all sorts of additional random tables he rolls on before he does anything in game.

Want to play a combat? Descriptions are vague at best, and completely replace stats wholesale on creatures, to nonsensical things. If you get an ability to do something that ability is seemingly invalidated. Resistance to poison as a dwarf? Fighting some refluffed sea urchin creatures. Sea Urchins, poisonous, right? No, it's just piercing damage. I think all of us as players would be more excited and prefer to take more damage from additional poison damage so that our abilities can actually trigger and feel cool doing so. Opportunity attacks basically do not exist, because every other guy we fight has 2 levels of rogue.

The evil barman who poisoned our barbarian (potion requiring a wisdom save, no Con save?) instantly loses his memory. When he finds out his memory was stolen and the party tell him, barman gets killed. Suddenly the bars few other occupants are action to cast animate dead using, lightning Bolt spewing, winged demon things, and when things are getting dicey for them, they blow hidden secret soundless whistles and 2 turns later, even bigger barbarian and another demon thing appear.

I feel like I'm just playing in a game so the DM has someone to tell his really cool awesome story to, and I'm getting bored and tired of being penalised for wanting to play Dungeons and Dragons.

Give us an actual dungeon to play through let us fight some monsters. Let us get some sick loot. Stop asking in the group chat 'are there any subjects too dark for you to spend your Wednesday nights listening to me talk about' and stop putting us in an impossible position where you either die in a 'surprise, here's a hidden panel with a load of monsters behind' moment, or are forced to watch these circus freaks who I didn't give a toss about become sex slaves, but feel like crap about later.

It all feels so pointless and bland for playing in. 3 quarters of the party love combat and Dungeon Raiding games like Diablo, ESO, WoW, Path of Exile. Running us through generic Dungeons to beat generic world ending threats with a loosely tied together plot is a lot more fun than listening to how water flows in a sewer.

[Matuka]

Play what your players want. If your players want the to play Mine's of Moria, don't try and force them into the Council of Elrond.

I've been in a game where a DM has spent literal years cresting a world with amazing ideas and, culture and all this, and all that... And then after we've started playing it, we've gone into a Witcher 3 style campaign when every success we have is tempered by bitterness, or monkeys pawing.

Game night turns into hoping we ask the right question to the DM. Sometimes we get afforded a roll of a Knowledge check to see if we know something to help progress the story. If we pass, okay, if we Don"t. Tough titty. Other times, no we would never know that because out 5 line backstory didn't say we may have potentially heard about it.

The guy with a 17 page backstory? Who wants visions and stuff and deep intrigue and insight into a made up god who has decided to give us visions? Spend hours listening to that get described. This guys character is an Edge Lord, who has all sorts of additional random tables he rolls on before he does anything in game.

Want to play a combat? Descriptions are vague at best, and completely replace stats wholesale on creatures, to nonsensical things. If you get an ability to do something that ability is seemingly invalidated. Resistance to poison as a dwarf? Fighting some refluffed sea urchin creatures. Sea Urchins, poisonous, right? No, it's just piercing damage. I think all of us as players would be more excited and prefer to take more damage from additional poison damage so that our abilities can actually trigger and feel cool doing so. Opportunity attacks basically do not exist, because every other guy we fight has 2 levels of rogue.

The evil barman who poisoned our barbarian (potion requiring a wisdom save, no Con save?) instantly loses his memory. When he finds out his memory was stolen and the party tell him, barman gets killed. Suddenly the bars few other occupants are action to cast animate dead using, lightning Bolt spewing, winged demon things, and when things are getting dicey for them, they blow hidden secret soundless whistles and 2 turns later, even bigger barbarian and another demon thing appear.

I feel like I'm just playing in a game so the DM has someone to tell his really cool awesome story to, and I'm getting bored and tired of being penalised for wanting to play Dungeons and Dragons.

Give us an actual dungeon to play through let us fight some monsters. Let us get some sick loot. Stop asking in the group chat 'are there any subjects too dark for you to spend your Wednesday nights listening to me talk about' and stop putting us in an impossible position where you either die in a 'surprise, here's a hidden panel with a load of monsters behind' moment, or are forced to watch these circus freaks who I didn't give a toss about become sex slaves, but feel like crap about later.

It all feels so pointless and bland for playing in. 3 quarters of the party love combat and Dungeon Raiding games like Diablo, ESO, WoW, Path of Exile. Running us through generic Dungeons to beat generic world ending threats with a loosely tied together plot is a lot more fun than listening to how water flows in a sewer.

Ok 1, that, sounds awful

2, I thankfully have never had that problem. I don't spring impossible fights on my players (in fact, there have been several times where I had to reign back a monster because if I didn't, it would have tpked my players. My players are a bit squishy when it comes to combat.) And everyone knows the plot, the BBEG (who they set free) is trying to take over the world and (because of a vision given to them by a magical berry potion) they are trying to get the other kingdoms to help defeat him. Because of this trek around the continent, I need something to spice things up.

[jjordan]

How do I make sure my dnd campaign doesn't get boring or stale?
Echoing what others have said:
-Approach this as a cooperative effort to have fun. The players should be driving at least some of the story. Choices they make should matter and bring apparent changes (that they can see) to the world.
-Keep an active conversation going. Tell the players what you liked about the last session. Ask them what they liked. Ask them what they'd like to see more of.

[BigBadHarve]

I echo much of the above, plus I'll add:

Trust the dice. Let the dice take your story to places you never imagined, and don't fudge them because you wanted another outcome, or even to save players.

Roll almost everything openly in front of the players, keeping only certain rolls secret and be vigilant with yourself about never fudging them.


Things that should be kept hidden:

Rogue checks for hiding, sneaking or disarming traps and such. (they shouldn't know if they succeed or not until it's the moment of truth)

Random encounter rolls. At first glance players shouldn't be able to discern a planned encounter from a random one, generally speaking.

Players searching. Successful rolls won't find anything if there's nothing to be found. Players knowing they succeeded and found nothing can get a little too used to that sort of meta.


I have played with a DM who does the opposite, and it's tedious. He keeps track of our HP and damage, and rolls all attacks and damage in secret... (which is made worse by the fact that his descriptions of our health are always way off)

Me: 'How damaged is he?'
DM: 'Oh, badly injured, huge gash, blood everywhere.'
Me: 'Okay, I use my Cure spell on him, heals 12 pts.'
DM: 'And he's now fully healed, he was only down by 3 hp.'
Me: 'WTF?!?'


Conversely, things we shouldn't know, like thieves rolling for trap detection, or hiding, he lets the players do so we know if we succeeded or failed at the outset.

[mephnick]

I really don't like players who feel like the DM is there to entertain them. All people at the table have a responsibility to entertain each other..

This, exactly. DnD has this long-standing history of "The DM is responsible for the fun" thing that has always been complete bullsh*t. The only way you will have a fun campaign is if the players support each other and play off the DM's cues. I'd go as far to say that good, creative players are more important than a "good" DM.

The group's "fun" (however you define that) will live and die by the players.

[GlenSmash!]

Understand what your players want out of the game. Then make them work to accomplish it.

If it's too easy they will be board. To hard they will be frustrated.

Most tables I've played at or DMed for the players are varied enough that if you make sure each one gets equal spotlight you will have a pretty varied game which will help keep it from getting stale.

[Laserlight]

This, exactly. DnD has this long-standing history of "The DM is responsible for the fun" thing that has always been complete bullsh*t. The only way you will have a fun campaign is if the players support each other and play off the DM's cues. I'd go as far to say that good, creative players are more important than a "good" DM.

I concur. The most memorable moments in my campaigns have almost all been interactions between players.