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OK my friend of like 16 years Ben who has been playing the groups Mage for about 5-6 years now is tired of playing the Line Walker.

He has a legit gripe. Everyone else is a fighter class either tech or super so them getting pumped for a fight is as simple as jumping in or locking & loading. He says he is tired of pouring over spells in order to try and come up with the saving grace for the group. He loved being a spell chucker for the first couple of years of playing him but now he is burned out.

Ben is one of the better players in the group and most well rounded. The thing is, he is a great spell caster and is pushing 10th level. The rest of the group is from level 6 to 8.

I am trying to figure out a way to keep him interested in the game as a spell caster but he is pretty adamant about wanting to play a simpler character for a bit.

I had an idea while typing out this Message and want to ask. Has anyone here had two Players switch PC's for a while? If so then how did it work out. I think him and my other friend Kurt who plays a Mutant Brick might be able to switch for a year or two. If they don't like the idea then I might have to retire the Line Walker to NPC Status.

Any other GM's have this problem with a great Player?

If two players willingly want to swap characters then let them do so.

If a player wants to retire a character, let them. I don't blame the player for getting burnt out on running the same character/type for a long time. Change is good and the player may find the change is what they need to keep having fun.

Getting tired of a character happens. In one game i've been playing in for several years, several of the players got "Burned out" on their current character. they played a different character for a few months, then realized that they just wernt as fun as the old one and went back.

As for playing mages more interesting, why don't you let the ley line walker learn spells from new schools of magic to keep 'em fresh. it'd be bending the rules, but as long as you don't just let it be an excuse for more power it should work out alright.

Another, simpler idea is to let him start enchanting items with simple buff spells that he normall uses so he can activate them all in a turn.

Eventually he'll learn the joys of enchanting other spells into into (And even selling or batering them) and it might keep his intrest up)

The latter is the one I used in one of my games faced with a similar problem--but then, one has to remember that I severely limited what techno wizards can do in the same game, so the magic item neice wasn't already filled completely.

Character burn out happens.

1. Retirement and a new character is the most common approach.

2. Swapping charactes between players - only if both agree and want a new thing (remember that there will be athough challenge, since one player will tell the other that his character would not do this or that ... )

3. Talk to you player what he wants to change and maybe you both wind a soluation and to keep his old character interesting like learning a new O.C.C.

Try threatening him with expulsion from the group or...

Grab his character sheet and hold a lit match under it or...

Fling a poke'-ball at his head and hope the legendary "blah-blah-blah I've heard it all before-o-sard" is summoned and latches onto his right butt-cheek...(the only place they find nourishment)

...or....just let'm take a break and play something else...

Thanks for the responses Y'all.

Well Ben and Kurt are coming over this evening to hang out and we will probably build a fire in the fire pit and sit around shooting the chit and more than likely go over Ben's new character concept. I thought if he didn't want to play the mage any longer then he shouldn't have too specially since he is one of the best role players at my table.

I am thinking a stealth character but we will see what he thinks.

Preacher wrote:Any other GM's have this problem with a great Player?

A bit late...but in our game we tend to have multiple story lines in the same world. This allows a game to be put on hold, to move to other characters while still working to achieve the same goal so all that time isn't waisted.

Given all the practice, he's probobly a really good LLW. He'll know right where to find those bread and butter spells (Carpet of Adhesion & Magic Net anyone?).

Shifters are WIN.

How did it work out?

Retiring characters in Rifts is not only easy but a good way to prevent player burnout.
If its a mage you could have a dozen or more selfish, honorable, mysterious or mundane reasons for the character to quit.

-Selfish: He needs time to study and become a more learned wizard, or wants to practice making goodies and toys for himself, or wants to retire from adventuring and sit in the lap of luxury (if possible).
-Honorable: Must attend to family business or an old debt.
-Mysterious: A secret quest or duty/obligation, or any other reason and just doesnt share with the players, in which case it is automatically mysterious.
-Mundane: Tired and bored, wants to relax for a bit or is simply scared of risking his life on a daily basis. Maybe falls in love and marries.

If he is bored with pouring over spells looking for the perfect one, then talk to my buddy on here Jaymz, he has some interesting stuff he has house ruled on magic classes. Makes spell caster more user friendly.

Well, we played last Saturday and they Managed to do something completely unexpected. The Killed Boss Dutcher in MercTown. Now next game they are going to have to deal with the consequences.

Ben took to his new character with a renewed energy in fact the game centered around his new character and getting to know the others. It was a tad too New Character centered in fact so next time I am going to make a concerted effort to spread the game around to the other PC's.

His new character is as noted very stealth oriented which lead to Dutchers demise. I am thinking that Aberrant alignment in a sneaky character may have been a mistake to allow as the GM.

I am tempted to offer him a whopping 1000 ep's if he changes the name though. Too easy for goofy humor myself included.

I really dislike plug an play games, by which I mean ok this game requires classes x y and z

of course there are certain circumstances when a certain approach is needed, but a creative group or player should be able to work around many obstacles.

I like that palladium allows anyone to learn PL or PP Prowl, WPs etc.

Sure the room may be locked and SEALED but what if we go through the wall?

Let him play whatever he wants and don't layout adventures where these specific occs are needed for success. YOu can draw from PC histories for storylines but don't write up games that demand character A or B

Update 12-06-09

Ok Yesterday Kurt who occasionally post as Acolyte came over and we made him a new character who is a Magic user because he has decided to step up and be the team Mage since the other guy retired his character. I think it is cool that Kurt a very experienced player decided to play a mage for the team. With his decades of Gaming he can do it as few others on the team can.

Going to have to find a way to retire his brick character now. Team is always evolving. Somewhat frustrating but also a bit exciting for the team dynamic. His Character an escaped mutant from Lonestar is as I said a Brick with supers and the team has other bricks so it won't affect the team as much as the loss of the mage.

It may be a game or two before I can work in the change since they are embroiled with the Blackmarket thing at the moment.

Wish us luck.

why is it so important for you to have a mage in the group?
do you have a story that absolutely requries one?

KillWatch wrote:why is it so important for you to have a mage in the group?
do you have a story that absolutely requries one?

It's not that the story requires someone to play a mage so much as the gameplay itself does.

It's like Preists in D&D. Technically you don't NEED one, but you'll be suffering a LOT if you don't.

Really, the only campaign in Rifts I think you could manage without any mages is a Coalition campaign.

And that's because free Ammo, Armor, Repairs, and Supplies in uliminted ammounts is an edge that's tough for ANYONE to beat.

Nekira Sudacne wrote:

KillWatch wrote:why is it so important for you to have a mage in the group?
do you have a story that absolutely requries one?

It's not that the story requires someone to play a mage so much as the gameplay itself does.

It's like Preists in D&D. Technically you don't NEED one, but you'll be suffering a LOT if you don't.

Really, the only campaign in Rifts I think you could manage without any mages is a Coalition campaign.

And that's because free Ammo, Armor, Repairs, and Supplies in uliminted ammounts is an edge that's tough for ANYONE to beat.

Yep Pretty much. Thank You Ma'am.

Preacher wrote:I am tempted to offer him a whopping 1000 ep's if he changes the name though. Too easy for goofy humor myself included.

What's his character's name?

Danger wrote:

Preacher wrote:I am tempted to offer him a whopping 1000 ep's if he changes the name though. Too easy for goofy humor myself included.

What's his character's name?

First name: Harry. Surname:This.

Yes it is Juvenile but we can't stop with the jokes.

"It's not that the story requires someone to play a mage so much as the gameplay itself does."
--Why?


"It's like Preists in D&D. Technically you don't NEED one, but you'll be suffering a LOT if you don't."
--Get a guy with herbalism and knows his way around mortar and pestal, and healing herbs. That way you can have healing tinctures galore. I don't think a setting should rely on any class for successful. I mean I would love to see an all thief or all mage or all warrior party