The Mid-Career Pro GM Slump
Tough to keep your business running on the same ol' same ol'.
I left behind pro GMing last year to work at a regular job for a while (for healthcare) and returned this year. I had to completely rebuild! But Friday: Didn’t you have old customers returning? A few here and there, but nothing to write home about. Most folks had found another GM that served them just as well as I had. This further reinforces my opinion that a GM has to be “just good enough” rather than perfect for most players.
Complicating this: a lot of the GMs I talk to get stuck in granular details as though they need to solve some archaic formula to successfully run the biz. It’s easier if you use a holistic approach instead of a scientific one. Just do what you love and improve at the skills needed to do that: ad copy, customer service, technical skill, being a kind host.
Write an impressionable ad, run a good game, treat your players well, and be passionate about what you do.
Some signs that your ad is good
A player has never played this game before but your ad looked interesting.
A player expresses excitement about future play.
You receive a message asking if you’re running a particular game in a different time slot.
Run Anything Besides D&D
Games that aren’t D&D are more popular than they have ever been. If you are having trouble lately getting players who stick and you’re just running D&D, I would give this advice:
Run anything besides D&D. Why? We have an influx of new GMs running D&D every time the economy hits a slump. You’re competing with a thousand sub-100 game GMs.
The market for non-D&D has exploded in the past 3 years. Right now you have Daggerheart, Draw Steel, Pathfinder 2e, and so many more competing for that sword and magic fantasy game.
Games outside of the fantasy genre are a huge draw right now and you’re missing out on big things happening when you don’t follow your passion projects.
Pay attention to games that have linked media with releases. You get the best types of players who are really invested in that type of story. Cyberpunk, Witcher, Cosmere etc.
Preventing Burnout
Schedule a weekly day off where you are not at the computer.
Remove “bad vibe” players before they contribute to your burnout. It’ll creep up on you.
Establish a boundary between you and a needy player. My default response to most players talking to me about their character backstory or anything else game-related is: “Message me about this the day of the game.”
Run games that are exciting to you.
Express your appreciation for your players and they’ll share it back.