Have you considered trying a new game system? These sound like the same problems you had with the 3.5 Ebberon game that collapsed, also right at the point that it was getting interesting.<br/><br/>Chaosium Call of Cthulhu, for instance. Extremely psychological, investigative, and if there's a setting out there more pessimistic than the Cthulhu Mythos I have yet to find it. Even when you 'win' at whatever cost, it's at best a temporary victory in the long run. Relatively simple rules compared to D&D or the DH/RT/DW engine, and sometimes it can be fun to play a 'normal' person instead of a hero.