Much appreciated for that answer! I’m deaf, so that’s completely new info for me! I’ve never known that you could use how a word sound as the spelling in place of the actual word to make it seem more exotic!
In DND theres a thing where sometimes you take a known word and give it a exotic spelling and some extra punctuation to maske it look exotic. In this case the word is “ennui” (a french word i think and too lazy to google) which is basically a feeling where nothing excites you anymore and you go through life with an overwelming sense of ‘meh’.
I recall running a group through a pocket dimension called Ka’Leeche by the locals. Everyone accused me of being lazy cause i used all of the basic fantasy tropes from the 80s and 90 and wasn’t even trying to hide it. Hell, the MacGuffin was a copy of Pete’s Evil Overlord List
In the game I’m currently playing, one of the other PCs is a paladin of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.
My brother, the DM, ran us through a storebought module where for some reason, God only knows why, some of the bad guys were part of a cult obsessed with shoes. Of course I made the obvious pun when the paladin introduced himself, and now the bad guys’ goddess is named Nu’Balans.
Had one character eventually become a god, and living city.
And another technically retired, but had an attack dog after the party, due to a… ‘difference of opinions’ let’s say. xD
gnarph
5 months ago
The alternative is run a one-shot, possibly in another system eg. Blades in the Dark or Deadlands, or a short arc campaign until such time as the players are ready to return to the long standing campaign.
I do this all the time. It’s good to have short breaks away from long running campaigns. It makes you appreciate them more, and lets you break out that new character you haven’t been able to get out of your head for the last month.
Pulse
5 months ago
it kinda seems obvious. if you arent feeling a reward, change the game.
Neon
5 months ago
Starting over can be a very good idea if a campaign get’s stale.
Or playing a different game with another player as a GM.
Been there, done that, though not because of boredom, simply someone else had a story idea, and other players were up for it.
Benjamin
5 months ago
Ooooh! Ooooh!
Oh oh…
Tracker
5 months ago
From the players perspective, sure, changing the campaign sounds a wonderful solution to it.
But.. i feel bad for 3, all the effort and work they’ve put into the campaign and they’re just not going to continue it, and i don’t recall any campaign panels previously where they’ve said ‘ great job as DM 3, that was great’.
They had fun, often for a DM that is the most thanks you get… or need.
In my experience, this is the best moment to see if one of them would like to try DMing for a bit and come up with new characters for that adventure. You can always go back to the previous group at a later time.
Nothing says they have to scrap it. Save the notes, put it in a binder, shelved lovingly. And pull them back out for a sequel story after the group has had a break via another system or game.
D Harshman
5 months ago
So, is 3 just Tim Buckley and their campaign this comic? Rebooting the campaign so the same players can run different characters now that they are more experienced, without the baggage from the earlier, sillier campaign?
Vukodlak
5 months ago
So here’s what I think is going to happen, they’ll start a new campaign, have some new characters.. but keep trying to do the old things they did but they can’t due to being low level again. Missing their high level abilities they’ll go back to the old campaign.
Lrbearclaw
5 months ago
In a situation like this, you look at the party and ask “So who would like to DM the next adventure? We can come back to these characters later, give them a chance to relax after their last journey.”
Jace
5 months ago
New Game+:
The souls of the current adventurers are reincarnated into new low level adventurers so they have one extra feat that the original character had, regardless of new adventurer class, and one of their favorite weapons/armor/items is bequeathed to these new adventurers by an anonymous generous benefactor.
Maybe personality aspects of the old characters shine through from time to time without reason. Maybe the characters have flashes of memories of battles they didn’t fight or foes they haven’t faced but are eerily similar to situations they are currently facing?
Logan
5 months ago
This is part of the reason why my group always interchanged campaigns, settings, and systems. Run one for a few months (meeting once a week), then when we get to a major point like killing off the current BBG, we set it aside and play a different game. Usually well enough so that our ‘whichever setting’s mind can relax, and let our next arch and character levels marinate for a bit. Then once we reach a similar point in the next system, we go back to the first one of the DM has finished up their next story arch (or… Read more »
Last edited 5 months ago by Logan
Banjo
5 months ago
Or maybe a new system altogether? Have you heard the good word about our lord and savior Paizo?
Phaet
5 months ago
Honestly I still have no idea what they’re doing. It’s still fun to read though 🙂
Dan N
5 months ago
I did read an interesting way to battle burn out at higher levels. “Something” happens and the team has to battle EACH OTHER with their high level characters. Then the survivor becomes the becomes BBEG. You would be able to make some interesting comics where the battle royale carries over from their characters fighting in game to 1-4 trying to fight/sabotage each other “in real life” so to speak; so their character wins advantages in game. Ex: 4 ties up 2 so 4’s character gets a few free hits on 2’s character because 2 was late to the game. Then… Read more »
Olivia
5 months ago
I thought a few pages back, it was suggested that they start over, and the players turned that down since they didn’t want to be low level again. Or maybe that was speculation in the comments?
Paula
5 months ago
I feel sad tor 3, but I think most long-time players experimented campaign fatigue sometimes, so this feels so familiar.
Extreme
5 months ago
When this happens in our group we usually switch DMs and run another campaign for a bit, then go back to the other campaign for another story arc. Keeps things fresh.
I could see that happening, but whoever takes over giga-struggles just so that 3 can be all smug about it and go “Not as easy as you thought, eh?”
BakaGrappler
5 months ago
Okay, so make it so the first party messing around in the land of the dead messed up something somewhere else. And the second party has to go and do something about it. Two parties, on the same meta adventure. I can see that as being a cool way to go. The GM in me thought of this about 30 seconds after completing the strip. I kinda want to try this out now…
Anon A Mouse
5 months ago
This feels weird to treat like its some sort of big deal. I understand 3 put a lot of effort into the campaign and they’ve been playing a while but is “New Campaign” really THAT unusual for them? And I know there are plenty of players who have played the same characters for years but even they will often play side campaigns.
John
5 months ago
Noooo…
Dom
5 months ago
What I feel about gaming.
Shadowfyst997
5 months ago
I feel for 3 here. Every group i’ve ever been in gets bored when you start climbing in level, and they want to start a new game. I’ve never gotten to experience anything past level 13 :/
Ben
5 months ago
Your next campaign is just everything you prepared but you haven’t thrown at them yet.
24
Campaign-fatigue.
Very familiar.
Not related to this particular comic but Winter-een-mas was referenced in tonight’s episode of Smiling Friends. Just thought it was funny.
Solution to the “Ah’nwee” found.
Still don’t understand what “Ah’nwee” means?
“ennui” is pronounced like “ahn-wee” and means “a feeling of weariness or dissatisfaction”.
Much appreciated for that answer! I’m deaf, so that’s completely new info for me! I’ve never known that you could use how a word sound as the spelling in place of the actual word to make it seem more exotic!
It’s a reference to ennui, a feeling of weariness, dissatisfaction and/or boredom.
In DND theres a thing where sometimes you take a known word and give it a exotic spelling and some extra punctuation to maske it look exotic. In this case the word is “ennui” (a french word i think and too lazy to google) which is basically a feeling where nothing excites you anymore and you go through life with an overwelming sense of ‘meh’.
I recall running a group through a pocket dimension called Ka’Leeche by the locals. Everyone accused me of being lazy cause i used all of the basic fantasy tropes from the 80s and 90 and wasn’t even trying to hide it. Hell, the MacGuffin was a copy of Pete’s Evil Overlord List
Which word was Ka’Leeche based on?
In the game I’m currently playing, one of the other PCs is a paladin of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.
My brother, the DM, ran us through a storebought module where for some reason, God only knows why, some of the bad guys were part of a cult obsessed with shoes. Of course I made the obvious pun when the paladin introduced himself, and now the bad guys’ goddess is named Nu’Balans.
Well, in french, ennui is just the word for boredom ^^
Had to see this reply to finally get the meaning of the word (and I’m french)… XD
Next best thing to changing the game.
Sounds like a plan! It does sound like the players are ripe for new characters
A new campaign where the BBEG are their previous characters
Have done similar to this, twice!
Had one character eventually become a god, and living city.
And another technically retired, but had an attack dog after the party, due to a… ‘difference of opinions’ let’s say. xD
The alternative is run a one-shot, possibly in another system eg. Blades in the Dark or Deadlands, or a short arc campaign until such time as the players are ready to return to the long standing campaign.
Yeah no need to “throw it out” but you can put it on pause.
I do this all the time. It’s good to have short breaks away from long running campaigns. It makes you appreciate them more, and lets you break out that new character you haven’t been able to get out of your head for the last month.
it kinda seems obvious. if you arent feeling a reward, change the game.
Starting over can be a very good idea if a campaign get’s stale.
Has helped our current PF2 group as well
Or playing a different game with another player as a GM.
Been there, done that, though not because of boredom, simply someone else had a story idea, and other players were up for it.
Ooooh! Ooooh!
Oh oh…
From the players perspective, sure, changing the campaign sounds a wonderful solution to it.
But.. i feel bad for 3, all the effort and work they’ve put into the campaign and they’re just not going to continue it, and i don’t recall any campaign panels previously where they’ve said ‘ great job as DM 3, that was great’.
They had fun, often for a DM that is the most thanks you get… or need.
In my experience, this is the best moment to see if one of them would like to try DMing for a bit and come up with new characters for that adventure. You can always go back to the previous group at a later time.
Nothing says they have to scrap it. Save the notes, put it in a binder, shelved lovingly. And pull them back out for a sequel story after the group has had a break via another system or game.
So, is 3 just Tim Buckley and their campaign this comic? Rebooting the campaign so the same players can run different characters now that they are more experienced, without the baggage from the earlier, sillier campaign?
So here’s what I think is going to happen, they’ll start a new campaign, have some new characters.. but keep trying to do the old things they did but they can’t due to being low level again. Missing their high level abilities they’ll go back to the old campaign.
In a situation like this, you look at the party and ask “So who would like to DM the next adventure? We can come back to these characters later, give them a chance to relax after their last journey.”
New Game+:
The souls of the current adventurers are reincarnated into new low level adventurers so they have one extra feat that the original character had, regardless of new adventurer class, and one of their favorite weapons/armor/items is bequeathed to these new adventurers by an anonymous generous benefactor.
Maybe personality aspects of the old characters shine through from time to time without reason. Maybe the characters have flashes of memories of battles they didn’t fight or foes they haven’t faced but are eerily similar to situations they are currently facing?
This is part of the reason why my group always interchanged campaigns, settings, and systems. Run one for a few months (meeting once a week), then when we get to a major point like killing off the current BBG, we set it aside and play a different game. Usually well enough so that our ‘whichever setting’s mind can relax, and let our next arch and character levels marinate for a bit. Then once we reach a similar point in the next system, we go back to the first one of the DM has finished up their next story arch (or… Read more »
Or maybe a new system altogether? Have you heard the good word about our lord and savior Paizo?
Honestly I still have no idea what they’re doing. It’s still fun to read though 🙂
I did read an interesting way to battle burn out at higher levels. “Something” happens and the team has to battle EACH OTHER with their high level characters. Then the survivor becomes the becomes BBEG. You would be able to make some interesting comics where the battle royale carries over from their characters fighting in game to 1-4 trying to fight/sabotage each other “in real life” so to speak; so their character wins advantages in game. Ex: 4 ties up 2 so 4’s character gets a few free hits on 2’s character because 2 was late to the game. Then… Read more »
I thought a few pages back, it was suggested that they start over, and the players turned that down since they didn’t want to be low level again. Or maybe that was speculation in the comments?
I feel sad tor 3, but I think most long-time players experimented campaign fatigue sometimes, so this feels so familiar.
When this happens in our group we usually switch DMs and run another campaign for a bit, then go back to the other campaign for another story arc. Keeps things fresh.
Fine. But somebody ELSE has to DM
I could see that happening, but whoever takes over giga-struggles just so that 3 can be all smug about it and go “Not as easy as you thought, eh?”
Okay, so make it so the first party messing around in the land of the dead messed up something somewhere else. And the second party has to go and do something about it. Two parties, on the same meta adventure. I can see that as being a cool way to go. The GM in me thought of this about 30 seconds after completing the strip. I kinda want to try this out now…
This feels weird to treat like its some sort of big deal. I understand 3 put a lot of effort into the campaign and they’ve been playing a while but is “New Campaign” really THAT unusual for them? And I know there are plenty of players who have played the same characters for years but even they will often play side campaigns.
Noooo…
What I feel about gaming.
I feel for 3 here. Every group i’ve ever been in gets bored when you start climbing in level, and they want to start a new game. I’ve never gotten to experience anything past level 13 :/
Your next campaign is just everything you prepared but you haven’t thrown at them yet.