Ever turned up to game day and wished you were literally anywhere else? In this episode, I talk about GM burnout — or as I recently heard it called, DMitis — and how to get yourself through a session when your brain has already checked out.

I share a real example from a recent EZD6 session (circus city, a suspiciously gothic NPC, and a barbarian with pert buttocks) and the technique that actually saved the game: the conversational NPC. Plus: the Matt Mercer effect and why chasing it might be hurting your table, why busy adults with jobs and kids should probably ditch the 90-page modules, and why I am absolutely buzzing about the Dungeon Crawler Carl RPG.

🎲 Topics this episode:

— GMitis / DM burnout and how to push through it
— The conversational NPC trick
— Stealing your players' ideas and pretending they were always part of the adventure
— The GM role: a job nobody applied for
— TTRPGs for people with actual responsibilities
— Dungeon Crawler Carl RPG Kickstarter hype

📺 Mentioned this episode:

The Grognard Files podcast
EZD6 by DM Scotty
Adventure Zone (Balance Arc)
Acquisitions Incorporated / Chris Perkins
Mystery Quest channel
Dungeon Crawler Carl (novels + RPG at BackerKit)
Into the Odd

Drop a question or comment below — I do actually read them. Tiddly poop. 🎺
Links:
The Grognard Files: https://thegrognardfiles.com/
Acquisitions Incorporated - PAX Prime 2012 D&D Game (Part 1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGXctw8IuGA
Dungeon Crawler Carl RPG Backerkit: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/renegade-game-studios/dungeon-crawler-carl-rpg-unstoppable
The Adventure Zone: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OoAQesdLgYBOyfx8ji0bZ

00:00 – Welcome & the "um" confessions
02:00 – GMitis / DM burnout explained
04:00 – It's a human condition (the performance anxiety parallel)
07:00 – Getting back in the groove with EZD6
08:00 – The conversational NPC trick for burned-out GMs
10:30 – Stealing your players' ideas (the "that was always the plan" move)
12:30 – Circus city session example
15:00 – Introducing the gothic villain organically
17:00 – Magic Brian & The Adventure Zone
19:00 – When your players are burned out too
20:30 – The GM role: a job nobody applied for
21:00 – The Matt Mercer effect
23:00 – Railroading & losing your ego as a GM
25:30 – TTRPGs for people with jobs and kids
27:30 – Dungeon Crawler Carl RPG hype
33:00 – Wrap up & sign off (Tiddly poop)