Advice on variation

[RealMarkP]

I've been DMing for many years now. I'm in my second major campaign and I have several small campaigns under my belt. The people that I play with are the same people I started playing with almost 10 years ago. They know my style, they know my story telling, etc. It might be me, but I'm starting to get the feeling that my in-variation is starting to get predictable and formulaic. My blacksmith/shopkeep encounters are mostly the same where the proprietor always tries to undercut the players in the same way that the shopkeep down the street/in another town/on another plane does. My town encounters are fairly typical and are dominated by the player with the highest diplomacy score. I also have a feeling that I rely to much on brute force encounters and not enough on cunning. Basically, I feel like I'm in a creative rut and I have a hard time with coming up with something unique.

I'd like some advice from seasoned DMs on how I might break out of this rut and field sessions that are interesting to the players. I asked the players for feedback but it's rarely useful.

[psyx]

Run something else. Something completely different, which requires you to change the way you GM. If you run gritty fantasy, run feng shui for a change. Run something that's way out of your typical genre and comfort zone.

[RealMarkP]

Not a bad Idea, though I've done the Asian theme before. I was thinking of running a Spelljammer campaign or possibly Ravenloft. But I might shelve those since they are similar to the Faerun campaign I'm running. Dark Sun looks neat but one of my cousins is planning on running it. I don't want to ruin his fun. Something low-magic, very Mad Max-like or steampunk would be fun.

The down side is that I can't just stop my current campaign and start a new one. I will keep this in mind for my next campaign.

[oslecamo]

If you need some fresh ideas to challenge the players check out my guide to DMs. Granted it focus mostly in combat ecounters, but original battles go a long way to refresh player's atention if you ask me.

Also remember, this being D&D there's nothing stoping you from puting some portal to some other plane where everything is diferent. Or some kind of major incident that literally changes the world.

[heroicraptor]

You could try running a different system, like Star Wars Saga Edition.

[RealMarkP]

You could try running a different system, like Star Wars Saga Edition.

The mechanics of a system are not the problem, it's my lack of fresh ideas.

If you need some fresh ideas to challenge the players check out my guide to DMs.

This is great! thanks!

[Nachofan99]

Steal lock, stock and barrel from other sources.

Throw them on the Predator homeworld; now they are the prey.
Make them "Wake up" from the Matrix; the entire world they knew was all one epic illusion spell. Alternatively, go Inception on their asses, whatever has better flavor.
Zombiegedon
Do your favorite novel/movie/T.V. show in D&D
etc

Once you've hit on something you think is fresh and interesting, go look through some of the books that have the most flavorful crap and try that out for an inspiration boost.

[PhaedrusXY]

There's nothing like an apocalypse to shake things up.  Teardown everything they've come to know and expect, literally, and throw them into something totally different, both physically and cosmically. I was/am running a couple of apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic games, each of which uses what I might call "advanced D&D economics" (also known as the Wish economy), which can change things in more ways than you might imagine, since it seems like mostly a "mechanics" change. Both an apocalypse and incorporating some of the cosmic-economic stuff can make the PCs view their characters and their place in the universe in a different light...

[skydragonknight]

There's nothing like an apocalypse to shake things up.

Survival games in general may be interesting. Shipwrecked on a jungle island far at sea? But this island is more than it seems... As they explore they find remains of an expedition that explored the island including various journal entries talking about strange creatures that only come out at night... Deep in the island, the ancient ruins beckon the greedier players, and may hold some clue on on the island's strange beasts. But what sleeps at the heart of the ruins is beyond any of their wildest dreams ...as well as their worst fears.