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How GM burnout RUINED my campaign (and how to fix it) (Patreon)

Published:
2023-01-31 17:38:07
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

Here's tomorrow's video! This one is the true story of how game master burnout killed my first D&D campaign — and some tips on how we can avoid this fate in the future.

Just FYI, the sponsor link may not be active yet — so if you want to get yourself some tea or coffee, check back in tomorrow!

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How GM burnout RUINED my campaign (and how to fix it)

Get coffee & tea for your tabletop! Use the code GINNY10 or visit https://manyworldstavern.com/discount/GINNY10 to get 10% off your order (but hurry — only the first 300 people get this deal!) ► 5 GAME MASTER LESSONS I WISH I'D LEARNED EARLIER: https://youtu.be/iWHJ-DxUvwk Has your tabletop game ever ended thanks to game master burnout? Whether you're playing D&D, Pathfinder, or another game, the GM can have a lot on their plate... and sometimes, that can spell the end of your campaign. Here's how to avoid it. ► MY VERY SCIENTIFIC SURVEY: https://twitter.com/itsginnydi/status/1617956381071675396 Music from Epidemic Sound Need music for your videos or streams? Here's my referral link: https://www.epidemicsound.com/referral/yek689/ ► FIND ME ONLINE: http://ginnydi.com http://patreon.com/ginnydi http://facebook.com/itsginnydi http://instagram.com/itsginnydi http://twitter.com/itsginnydi

Comments

Nick Gonzales

Excellent burnt-out look in the thumbnail! This is me after spending too long planning encounters the night before.

CliffEdge

I can't wait to watch this video and you probably discussed this their but I nipped this in the bud by using a pre-made campaign. For my new Pathfinder Campaign I'm using the beginner box to start but I have no idea what I'm going to do after that. 🙃

AtomicStraw

Well, that is entirely too relatable. Thanks for another great video and (actually helpful) pep talk!

John Frazer

Can I get pink and teal background Ginny to keep giving me suspiciously timely TTRPG flavoured life advice?

Dusty

I'm lucky enough to be a weirdo, I haven't burnt out as a GM yet. As mentioned in this video, I use the sessions as a guaranteed catch up with friends. What burns me out is when those sessions don't happen, or when we can't get them organised. Just recently we had a game cancelled because multiple people had SUPER-busy days leading up to and including the session day and I decided to postpone it so everyone would be able to actually stay awake for the game. A few of us still caught up just to hang out (played Here to Slay and Red Dragon Inn, both TTRPG/adventure-fantasy-themed games that I highly suggest to everyone) and while I still missed seeing the friends who didn't turn up it made it easier than just staying home and not doing anything. My group was likewise upset that it got postponed - luckily they are all just as invested as me at this point - but that's a good thing in my mind. I had a long chat with a few of them explaining that it wasn't one person who caused it and quickly set about setting a new date so people have something concrete to look forward to. What was good here is I still got to see friends, because not seeing friends is honestly what burns me out socially.

Ardent Slacker

... is the fake social game in the sponsorship ad called something like "High Socie-Tea"?

David Greenlaw

First off, love the thumbnail. Did you have any specific inspiration for the look? Second, yet another great sponsor ad...I wonder if I'm the only one who wonders how that ball will turn out. Third, YES, great advice for all of us! I would also add in one other thing: worrying that you're not living up to another fellow DM that you admire. No, I'm not talking about someone trying to emulate Matt Mercer, but rather someone running a game and worried abut how the players will compare them to another GM that they all play for. (I felt this was a problem with my one friend running his Buffyverse game, that he was worried that the spirits of all his past GMs, including the ones we both played in another game with, were standing behind him in judgement.)

David Christy

This one hits hard, because I'm experiencing massive burnout right now. When I made the move to forum games, I basically didn't change the way I did anything, and didn't take into account how different they are from real time games. And so a game that would have taken a year to finish is now on year four or five or even six, and still not even half-way done! And attendance is sagging and player engagement is down, and I've tried everything I can think of to correct course, but none of it's working. And I'm starting to realize I'll just have to bite the bullet and end those games, because I can't keep this up for another half decade. And I hate that, because it feels like I've failed and will let everyone down. So thank you for making this video, Ginny. Maybe it will help give me the kick in the pants I need to just talk to my players and end these games already.

Geoff Gilbert

Well hello what I assume is a fellow ADHD adult. So much of that strikes me as familiar (in terms of taking on a lot and not being great at determining how long things will take). Thankfully, I've got great players and I've already been using some of the tools you're suggesting here. I'd like to think you've set the foundation for the tools to grow organically, before you even gave the tools. And YES... we all take this game seriously. That's why we love it.

Brodie

I get this - not because I don't have plenty of time to prep, but because I procrastinate horribly with it. I think I place too much expectation on myself and over think the game. Even if I go into a game feeling unprepared, my players still enjoy it, and I end up having fun too. I'm getting better at improvising!

Kalcheus

I just got a "You got early access!" email to this video *confused face* It does say "Ginny Di released this post 2 days early to select tiers" (I'm not in one of those select tiers unfortunately) but it's weird that it states early access for something already on YT. Issue with the Patreon tier setups?

ginnydi
>>101096065

Oh, it’s weird that it sends that email! I just wanted to set it up so that the post would go public after the early access expired. Sorry for the inconvenience!