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Helpful Hiatus

No, the blog isn’t going on hiatus, at least not any time soon... that we’re aware of... yet. Having co-posts, and each writer taking turns from week to week helps provide a good respite that keeps the pressure off - no need for a short term break. While gaming, and in particular tabletop roleplaying games, can be a release of their own, the pressures of life can leave you feeling a need to take some time away. It might be burnout, major life changes, or some other form of stress, let's say your country’s 500th anniversary to plan, your wedding to arrange, your wife to murder, and Guilder to frame for it. Any of those things alone could leave you feeling simply swamped and with a need to take a rest break for your own self-care and mental health. After all, if you haven’t got your health you haven’t got anything. If you’re feeling any of these things, it might be time to take a hiatus. But before you do, why not take a few moments and review some advice from Never Say Dice.

Preparing for Hiatus

You’ve decided for one reason or another that you really need to take some sort of extended break from your game. Now what? First and foremost, be open with your group about it - don’t ghost them. (Unless your character is becoming a ghost for a short while.) Let them know you're taking a break, and let them know why if you can. "Personal reasons" is fine if you don’t want to give up too many details. Discuss with them when it might be a good time to pick it back up again as well, or at least when you expect you can return to it. As that date approaches, go back to those lines of communication and give updates - we all know goals, stress, and schedules shift. As long as you're managing everyone’s expectations, including your own, your eventual return will go much smoother.

There are other things to consider as you prepare for a hiatus as well. If you’ve been running the game, and everyone else would like to continue in your absence, finding an alternate GM, supplies, or alternate system are all helpful things you can do. It may be that they just want to play some board games, or even video games, until your return. You might even consider loaning out your dice, books, or other materials. Before doing so, make sure everything is clearly marked, inventoried, and turned over to a trusted player to help keep track while you’re gone. If someone from your group is taking charge of an ongoing campaign, make sure you discuss any notes and directions you expect the game to go in the future. Or if the game itself will be on hold, make sure you leave it at a spot that opens things up for the return, and leave plenty of detailed notes for yourself o things aren’t forgotten when you get rolling again. If you’re a player, work with your GM to determine what your character might be doing during the absence. Keep your info in a safe (but easy to remember) place, or consider handing it over to the DM to keep track of and for reference.

Return of the King

Returning can be just as difficult as making the decision to leave. Work with your players or GM to come up with a plan for coming back when you think you're ready. If the game has been running without you, make sure to ask questions about any rules changes, when the game currently is (even if all that counts as metaknowledge) and any major changes with players and characters that may have happened in your absence. If you’re a GM, now might be a good time to start out with a time travel or flashback episode. You give everyone around the table a chance to refresh themselves, and get into a story technique that might otherwise be hard to include. If you’re a player, you might approach your GM about completing a side quest to catch both yourself and your character up to where the other players are, both in knowledge and power level. Both of these methods are also great ways to test the waters to make sure you’re really ready for a full return. If you’re not, don’t sweat it - just be upfront and honest with the others and come back when you’re able.

Taking a break from gaming can be a strange experience for anyone - what do you do with the rest of your life? Though with proper planning and communication, it should be easy to get some much needed rest, and eventually return as if no time had passed. It can be difficult to make that decision, but prioritizing other stresses in your life can make a huge difference in your overall wellbeing. If you’re really missing it while you’re gone, consider picking up any one of the numerous online gaming streams. Until next week, folks, or whenever your own hiatus is over, have fun enjoying your tables and your dice.

- A

Send questions, comments, and time off requests to neversaydice20@gmail.com or tweet us @neversaydice2.

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