Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ManiacMat 11-01-05, 08:24 PM	Well, I don't know about everyone else, but I've only been DM for two games, and already I think that being a PC was much more enjoyable. I understand that the DM can throw any kind of crazy mayhem and fire and explosions at the PCs and everything, but being a PC was cooler because you were more excited when something new happened. As the DM, you already know what's going to happen, so are nowhere near as excited as the PCs are. However, I'm not saying that being DM is not fun!!!!! I'm just saying that it's not AS fun as a PC. Does any other DM that played as a PC at least once agree?
Deluxe 247 G 11-01-05, 08:37 PM	Yeah, I agree that it's hard to switch back and forth. I used to really like PCing, then I had to step up to my group's DM. I didn't like it at first, but took the first campaign through. After that I wanted to be a PC again and have more fun. It didn't work. PCing was now boring, and DMing my new favorite. It really depends on what you want to do. DM = storyteller, and if the storyteller can't come up with any good stories, the game won't be any fun at all. And PC, walk around and do whatever you want. But yeah, when I get bored as a DM and I really wanna play a character, I just throw in a cool NPC. Either good or recurring. And then I got my fun. Hope it helps, Eli
Verkon 11-01-05, 08:41 PM	it depends on who is running the game. i would rather run my style game than play in some crappy no plot, no role play, hack fest that has every thing house ruled. Which seems to be what most other people i game with do when they run or at least enough of those things it make the game not enjoyable for me.
Molimo 11-01-05, 08:49 PM	As the DM, you already know what's going to happen, so are nowhere near as excited as the PCs are. Not necessarily. My DM says that the fun is when he watchs us PCs try to unfold some new and bizarre plot or scheme that we came up with ourselves, without any input from him. As an example- he let us find, during a quest, several hundred blank checks belonging to some rich lord, and a stamp carrying the seal of that rich lord. The PCs had to figure out (without any guidance from him) how to forge the lord's signature and then cash all the checks for massive amounts of money without raising suspicion. He had no idea how we'd do this, he just let us work out the various disguises we'd make and tricks we'd pull ourselves. So give your PCs some openings, but don't have a specific plan in mind for them and be flexible. You might end up having to make up some stats or makeshift rules along the way, but it'll be more fun- according to my DM at least. This will also be more fun for the players, since there's nothing better (IMO) in D&D then creating some hairbrained complicated scheme and having it work out well- or having it flop and dealing with the consequences!
ManiacMat 11-01-05, 09:47 PM	Yeah, I agree that it's hard to switch back and forth. I used to really like PCing, then I had to step up to my group's DM. I didn't like it at first, but took the first campaign through. After that I wanted to be a PC again and have more fun. It didn't work. PCing was now boring, and DMing my new favorite. It really depends on what you want to do. DM = storyteller, and if the storyteller can't come up with any good stories, the game won't be any fun at all. And PC, walk around and do whatever you want. But yeah, when I get bored as a DM and I really wanna play a character, I just throw in a cool NPC. Either good or recurring. And then I got my fun. Hope it helps, Eli Well, I guess I'll go do a few more quests as DM. I guess I never really thought of putting an NPC in there. I didn't want a DM character because then it would be like the super "I'll make a hide check, o good, I succeeded and now a troll comes around the corner and shoots his crossbow!"
Messer 11-01-05, 10:10 PM	Man, I was always afraid to be a DM, I understand what you mean about being a DM, and how you have all the stress of providing the adventure, and you know whats going to happen... I also understand that stuff about not expecting the PCs to do certain things.... I have played DnD now for 10 years. I love the hell out of playing as a PC, but, the last three I have been in japan. There aren't many people who speak english and play here, so, my hand was forced, I grabbed up my coworkers, (all of whom have never rolled the dice) and I ran a game. It was horribly stressfull, but at the conclusion of the adventure, when I was at me lowest, I got to look at the players, who were all Stoked for the next adventure, and they were all asking me, "Dude, we got a whole holiday here, you wanna play again tomorrow! this was great, I'll order up some pizzas and we can play for 8 hours!" fortunately I was running adventrues from the book at that time, but... The pay off, having a fun afternoon, or evening with the players, and not sitting there wishing I was doing something, man, ?Being a DM is great, sure I wanna be a player again, but right now, I am weaving such intricate plots, and the players only see whats happening on the surface... For me, the fun comes in watching them work togeather, or fall apart. My advice, set them up, let them a few more, and listen to them talk about the game, if they talk about it a lot, man, then you got yourself some hooked players, and a good adventuring party! keep at it for a little while... and turn to other DM's when you need help. well, time to goto work.
UltimateReality 11-01-05, 10:18 PM	Well, I don't know about everyone else, but I've only been DM for two games, and already I think that being a PC was much more enjoyable.I think some people are just made to be DMs, and others are just made to be players. :P We can do the other role okay, for awhile, if we gotta...but there's one that we just love best. I think I prefer playing, though (I think) I haven't had enough experience DMing to know for absolute certain. I understand that the DM can throw any kind of crazy mayhem and fire and explosions at the PCs and everything, but being a PC was cooler because you were more excited when something new happened. As the DM, you already know what's going to happen, so are nowhere near as excited as the PCs are.Actually, I drew great satisfaction and amusement from two things as a DM: 1. Setting up all sorts of elaborate behind-the-background plot twists that I knew the players would never catch, just for my own sense of twisted fun, and 2. Watching to see how my PCs would screw up this time. :P Seriously, they will think of so much stuff you never even pondered...you learn to think on your feet very quickly. I think my favourite thing as a DM is world creation. I love it. Adore it to pieces. And the NPCs -- I get to actually characterize them, give them noticable personalities, and the players don't interfere with them or run as roughshod over them as they do when I'm a fellow player. (We have a fairly hack 'n slash heavy group.) Organizations are next, because they're like mega-NPCs and just so awesome. *starry-eyed* My PCs interacting with them doesn't tick me off at all; I love having that dynamic relationship. Oh, and tactical combat. I like creating challenging encounters that keep them on their toes. I take great pride in the fact that while I'm a heavy rp-oriented player and not much of a powergamer, my group said the best session was one of constant combat when I nearly killed them twice. :) (And they still missed a third of the dungeon and 10k worth of gold. :smirk: ) As for stories...I like to come up with fairly simple ones, I guess, but usually insert a twist or two. I really enjoy watching the players blunder through it and have the whole thing change in response without them even knowing it. (Our group can be somewhat obtuse at times.) The main thing is to set an environment, then toss in some major movers and shakers with conflicting goals. Toss in the PCs with a hook and see what happens. :D
TheChilliGod 11-02-05, 12:03 AM	I find playing to be much more exciting than DM'ing myself, because I don't have any of these worries that are associated with DM'ing — will the players like this, will they like that, what to do when they do this, don't railroad, make a good storyline, include combat, don't forget roleplaying, How much xp, is this a good idea... The list goes on! As a player, I'm free from every single one of those worries, except for one that bugs me with differing force with each campaign I play in — will I enjoy this campaign? Because, I don't want to waste my time in a game where we're fighting Pun Pun and his thousand-kobold army (This is possible with one campaign, I've seen the signs), and/or any other DM traps, house rules or whatnot that is not a good thing. But hey, at least it's only one worry, instead of one hundred. There's less planning involved as well, which frees up time for other stuff too, like school or other hobbies. That, and I can actually make an excellent PC to have all the fun in the world with while not making it a dreaded DMPC.
Flakster 11-02-05, 12:08 AM	I am offically bored of DMing. Let it be known.
weasel fierce 11-02-05, 12:34 AM	different people like different things. I like DMing better, because I get a kick out of it, when we game, and I can tell the players are having a good time.
syrinth 11-02-05, 12:42 AM	I'm trapped as the DM of our group, no one else is capable of being the DM because they either have short attention spans or ADD or both or some other chaos inducing thing which stops them. God, if one of my players would say "Sure I'll be the DM" I would thank the gods almighty and let them take the reins... After the current campaign of course. The only reason I wanna be a PC is so that when I "munchkin" my character I don't feel like a cheap***. I mean, I managed to design my DMPC to have an "instant death attack" once per day of 72d6x1.5+6 fire damage no save(admittedly he was lvl 18 so maybe that's not too good), I redesigned him afterwards to instead only be capable of inflicting 24d6x1.5 damage to one target using a 7th lvl spell slot. Its the above kind of stuff that I want to do and then laugh at the DM, when I do it right now I just feel stupid for laughing at the mirror. :( Besides, a serious inferiority complex is never conducive to a good DM lol.
Belgarath 11-02-05, 05:44 AM	I do not agree. The DM makes the world, the PC's run it :cool:
Lenarior 11-02-05, 05:45 AM	I remember a time when I used to look forward to DMing. I had all these great ideas for adventures and campaigns and wierd intricate plots. But at that time we had more DMs filling the voids when I was still writing my adventures. No adays everything seem to hang on me getting ready to run the next game, and the next, and the next. I think it's the burden of it all bringing me down, and now, even if I still have some noce ideas, I just don't feel like DMing them. And when I'm forced to DM I feel a part of me that just wants to kill off all the PCs so I can have it over with and go home again.
Flushpuppie 11-02-05, 05:54 AM	well, I agree partially with the previous poster. I also don't like it that the group is always depending on me. But it's also that 3 out of 4 partymembers just don't have it in them. to dm I mean. We tried once but it was a fiasco, this guy's first campaign was a level 8 war-campaign and he was railroading our ass off. We stopped this campaign on the moment one of us rolled a double crit or something and did 32d6 + 32d8 +320 damage. he killed the BBEG in round one...
Joe123 11-02-05, 06:55 AM	Well, I don't know about everyone else, but I've only been DM for two games, and already I think that being a PC was much more enjoyable. I understand that the DM can throw any kind of crazy mayhem and fire and explosions at the PCs and everything, but being a PC was cooler because you were more excited when something new happened. As the DM, you already know what's going to happen, so are nowhere near as excited as the PCs are. However, I'm not saying that being DM is not fun!!!!! I'm just saying that it's not AS fun as a PC. Does any other DM that played as a PC at least once agree? Here are two reasons (there are more) why DM'ing is more fun (for me) than being a player: 1) You have so much more freedom than a player can ever have. To me, that is where the fun lies. Players can only control one character; I can control all the rest. I have the power to make anything happen in the game, the player is `stuck' with one PC. They play everything according to how they see that character would act, but for me that would get boring - but Dm'ing does not, because I play multiple characters all the time and can always create new and different ones throughout a campaign. This is only 1/10th of the creative part of my enjoyment, I also get to create fun and interesting dungeons, populate them with any monster I want and make any plot in the world that I feel like, etc. 2) As the DM you do not know what is going to happen next. If you are guilty of this, it means you are over-planning/rail-roading the players. You see, you don't want to get into the position where everything is predictable because then it becomes boring for you, you want it to be like a player, where "anything might happen next." The easiest way to arrive at this experience as a DM is simply to "wing" your adventure, (running the game without a detailed script or plot key), Knowing the rules of the game and the campaign background helps enormously in this regard. This makes the game more fun, more spontaneous and interesting and perhaps most importantly, gives the players a huge amount of freedom in running their character that they would never have if you planned too much ahead, "forced" them into action or `rail-roaded' them. When you force players to take actions (from trying to get them to follow your pre-planned "plot") you just reduce the fun and limit the players, and their interest will be lost.
Illion the Red 11-02-05, 08:49 AM	For most of the 25 years I've been playing, I've been the DM by default. Why? Beats me. I don't think my adventure ideas are particularly better than anyone elses, and I still make all kinds of mistakes. I do enjoy aspects of DMing though...especially the look on hte Players' faces when they have that moment of revelation that I have been waiting for since the start of the adventure. DMing also gives me the opportunity to try out all of the feat/race/class combos that strike my fancy. But one of these days I will get to play a PC again...at least that's what I keep telling myself.
Rogue Guy 11-02-05, 08:57 AM	Whenever i am a player i am the leader of the group always they also want me to be that because i make things happen and whenever i am a DM people sit and doesnt do anything so no fun for me while i am a dm even tho i throw alot of fun into it but they are kinda afraid of talking and roleplaying... Thats a shame i think...
VerinBlod 11-02-05, 09:21 AM	I must say I like dm'ing more than playing. For me the fun is in creating fun plot ideas, building a world, creating npc's and roleplaying them all. It's the huge amount of freedom and creativity you have as a DM that I will miss when playing. So I will stick to this side of the table for a while :)
Malice Duskblade 11-02-05, 09:35 AM	I have spent far more time in D&D being a DM than a player. I first started playind D&D when I was in a day-care center. I soon picked up as DM for a friend and my brother. It's been a long time. About 15 years now, on and off. As a player, I was privelaged to play with a good friend of mine for several months. He DMed the temple of elemental evil in 2nd edition. I enjoyed this greatly. I didn't need to do anything between sessions, except level up my character when the need arised. Easy stuff. My buddy didn't even appear to read up on the campaign before sessions, often reading the bits he wasn't supposed to read aloud. Playing as a character is so much easier. There's nothing to do for the game but wait for the next session. As a DM, I spend around 6 hours a week working on the campaign (all homebrew). That's 6 hours I could be playing a computer game or having some other fun. But, I won't complain. I love to DM, and if I wasn't, I'd find some other outlet for my creativity. Probably writing stories that nobody will ever read - I've been doing that since I was 12. As a DM, my creativity is enjoyed by my closest friends.
ManiacMat 11-02-05, 09:53 AM	Here are two reasons (there are more) why DM'ing is more fun (for me) than being a player: 1) You have so much more freedom than a player can ever have. To me, that is where the fun lies. Players can only control one character; I can control all the rest. I have the power to make anything happen in the game, the player is `stuck' with one PC. They play everything according to how they see that character would act, but for me that would get boring - but Dm'ing does not, because I play multiple characters all the time and can always create new and different ones throughout a campaign. This is only 1/10th of the creative part of my enjoyment, I also get to create fun and interesting dungeons, populate them with any monster I want and make any plot in the world that I feel like, etc. 2) As the DM you do not know what is going to happen next. If you are guilty of this, it means you are over-planning/rail-roading the players. You see, you don't want to get into the position where everything is predictable because then it becomes boring for you, you want it to be like a player, where "anything might happen next." The easiest way to arrive at this experience as a DM is simply to "wing" your adventure, (running the game without a detailed script or plot key), Knowing the rules of the game and the campaign background helps enormously in this regard. This makes the game more fun, more spontaneous and interesting and perhaps most importantly, gives the players a huge amount of freedom in running their character that they would never have if you planned too much ahead, "forced" them into action or `rail-roaded' them. When you force players to take actions (from trying to get them to follow your pre-planned "plot") you just reduce the fun and limit the players, and their interest will be lost. I agree with pretty much all of that. I realize that PCs will always do things that the DM doesn't expect, and all that junk. However, you'll always have an idea of what's going to happen. No matter where you send your PCs, or they send themselves, you always know what they're going to see there, what kinds of monsters are going to be there, how the monsters attack, all the tricks that they can do. Stuff like that. As a PC, I liked to be surprised by the monsters. I never wanted to know what they were going to do next.
KJW 11-02-05, 10:29 AM	I love DMing. For many years, I occassionally complained that I wanted to be a PC instead of always being the DM. Well, I would get a chance to be a PC and I was almost always bored to tears. I have finally admitted to myself after 20 years that DMing is my first best destiny and that for me being a PC is overrated. Why? Because being a DM is more challenging and even more rewarding than being a PC. In one of my adventures I will get to play a dozen unique NPCs, create a compelling story, tactically challenge a group of clever players, and, most importantly, be entertaining. It is an art, and it takes work and practice to do it well. I have played with a few naturally gifted DMs, but the best are the ones who work at it. I love putting the effort into adventure design, because I find it interesting and very fascinating. For example, I don't know if this happens with anyone else, but I have NPCs who are cleverer than I am. As someone said you never know what will happen with PCs, well I sometimes don't even know what will happen with my NPCs. I had a complex political plot unfold a few months ago and the PCs went to a gifted and honest prince they had some contact with. So I am roleplaying the prince and he comes up with an idea to defeat the plot that I hadn't foreseen, off he sends the PCs and they help prevent a war from happening. I was all set for the war, it would have been very exciting, but my NPC, with the PCs help, thwarted my BBEG. Yes, that's insane, but I think it is good DMing and for me highlights why it is so challenging. As for the rewarding aspect, the excitement of my players at gaming and their enthusiasm for my adventures is incredibly rewarding. Far more than when I play a PC.
FolcoTook 11-02-05, 10:39 AM	Just to throw in my two coppers... I love world building. I'm one of those people who can be guilty of spending too much time 'getting the world ready' before starting a campaign. But the time I spend on world building allows me to be more flexible and just let the characters romp their way through the world and suprise me with their choices. I think that's the biggest joy I get out of DMing (as others have said) - watching with absolute horror the methods the players find to completely fumble their way through things that I thought had a straightforward resolution. Case in point... PCs have a simple 'rescue the damsel' mission. She is being held in a ramshackle wooden fort occupied by a bandit gang on the edge of a desert. Now all they have to do is sneak someone in to the fort, release the girl, and get out, right (I was trying to make a 'let the thief shine moment')? Well, sort of. They decide that they need to make a diversion first. OK, that's reasonable. Their diversion? Set the opposite area of the fort wall on fire. Uh, this fort is in a *very* dry area. And it's wooden. And it hasn't seen rain in many months. End result... PCs running through the chaos of a burning fort and barely getting the girl out before the fort is completely consumed. And a great laugh was had by all when they were through. Fortunately, I had already built in a secret back door through a hill for my recurring villain to escape. That was probably 7-8 years ago and my brother (who came up with the 'diversion') still jokes that fire is the answer to all of life's problems. -FT
revnk 11-02-05, 11:32 AM	I prefer DM'ing. Yeah, it's fun to do the PC thing and come up with a character concept, but I just like the other side of the table more. The joy of DMing, as other posters have noted, is that you don't know what's going to happen. You set up a situation, and then you see if the players can figure it out and how they do it. And unless you're railroading, they're going to come up with something you never even thought of. Even when their choices seem fairly binary: in a recent session where my players only had one way out of a tower, they still thought up a twist that I'd never dreamed of, and that gave me a chance to wing a little flavor scene that ended up giving the players a new perspective on the situation they were in. It was great stuff. There's also the joy of watching someone figure it out. That look on a player's face of suddenly getting it. And the contradictory joy, for that matter, of watching the players fumble through something when they don't actually get it (especially when they think they've gotten it). There's the fun of putting in McGuffins and red herrings. I still chuckle with self-amusement at a Call Of Cthulhu session I ran more than 10 years ago where the PCs happened to be on a train that was also transporting a deceased B-horror movie actor (loosely modeled after Bela Lugosi) who had insisted on being returned to his homeland in the vampire regalia that had made him famous--complete with fangs. It was only after they desecrated the corpse with a stake, a beheading, and a lot of garlic--and heard the late actor's poor son wailing to the train conductor about what had happened to his father's coffin--that they started to realize the adventure was really about werewolves. Good times. Not everyone has the mindset to be a DM. But one thing I'll say to the original poster before he gives up: it's not about power, or the ability to throw "any kind of crap at the PCs." It's about the thing you wrote that you loved about being a PC: the joy of discovering new things. And it's about the thing your parents probably told you during a holiday season about "It's better to give than to receive." You give your PCs conflicts, puzzles, plot twists, a world, and so on and so forth and you discover how they react and watch their joy at triumphing or anger and heightened resolve over their failures. It's a kind of reflected glory. Don't try to find joy in power-tripping or finding ways to kill off the party--that's an all-too-common mistake. Find the joy in creating obstacles for your players to overcome and then watching them try. Good luck!
ManiacMat 11-02-05, 08:30 PM	Not everyone has the mindset to be a DM. But one thing I'll say to the original poster before he gives up: it's not about power, or the ability to throw "any kind of crap at the PCs." It's about the thing you wrote that you loved about being a PC: the joy of discovering new things. And it's about the thing your parents probably told you during a holiday season about "It's better to give than to receive." You give your PCs conflicts, puzzles, plot twists, a world, and so on and so forth and you discover how they react and watch their joy at triumphing or anger and heightened resolve over their failures. It's a kind of reflected glory. Don't try to find joy in power-tripping or finding ways to kill off the party--that's an all-to-common mistake. Find the joy in creating obstacles for your players to overcome and then watching them try. That was beautiful... except you didn't spell too right in all-to-common. It's supposed to be all-too-common. :P No, but seriously, I really did like what you said, and I am giving DMing a chance, I think I just got to get used to it.
^Graff_EpsilonIX 11-02-05, 08:54 PM	I personally like GMing games that require suspense. That way, not only do you get to advance the plot, but you get to have a bit of "you turn around the corner and boo!" type of action. Getting a good plot and RPing developed characters that the PCs meet can be just as fun. It's probably the reason many DMs have retired bunches of PCs who can be tossed into adventures. Stick with it, you may find it to your liking.
revnk 11-03-05, 01:31 PM	That was beautiful... except you didn't spell too right in all-to-common. It's supposed to be all-too-common. :P No, but seriously, I really did like what you said, and I am giving DMing a chance, I think I just got to get used to it. Ack! Spelling error corrected. And thank you. And good luck DMing--it's some of the best fun you can have without breaking the law!
mrshupizdumaterinu 11-03-05, 01:41 PM	I like GM-ing more than playing. There was one time I prepared a really exciting scene, plus a nice little surprise for my players. As the scene approached, I got so overexcited that my nose began to bleed. Damn worth it.
Phrennzy 11-03-05, 03:35 PM	I ended up in the DM chair for some reason or another, 20 years ago. It stuck. I DM'd a campaign for 8 years. Everyone enjoyed it. That was 2nd ed. I did get to play from time to time. My characters always had a lot of, well, character. But being a PC is scary. Every door made me worry. Every hole in the ground held instant death. I think it was a blend of lack of control, lack of faith in the DM's ability, and not wanting to look stupid should I die and therefore 'fail' in front of everyone. So now I am DM. I find myself dreading the play day lately. Nothing seems to be in focus, no long range plan really. No BBEG. It sucks. But the players have fun. And I do have some fun. I'm trying real hard to bring it back to having fun. To the OP: Dming 2 sessions is not enough to base your decision on. Especially since they were probably just dungeon crawls, since you mentioned that adding an NPC would be a new idea. Part of the fun of being DM is that you get to be everyone. Everyone, everywhere. You can make things up as you go, inventing backgrounds for people while talking to the PCs. You invent one thing, and then another and another. Then by happenstance, the third thing connects to the actions of a PC 3 months ago, and WHAM, great plot. DMing is wonderful. Sure, I have been bored in a dungeon because the Players take 15 minutes to search a door and prepare for a fight that I know is not coming, but then, I've been excited by their ideas - ideas I would never consider (like damming a stream to make cave exploring safer). I saw this quote in Ultimate Realities sig: gilljora: Is it always so hard being the DM or does it get easier? weasel_fierce: Its kind of like training dogs. At first there'll be lots of poo, then they learn and get better. That sums it up nicely.
DarkCaller 11-03-05, 07:49 PM	I dunno... I have been a DM for about 4 years now and sometimes PCing looks like the way to go. I mean, my group takes the longest time to put 2 and 2 togeather. I usually have to hit them over their puny PC heads before they understand the plot. And once thay encounter one trap, they think a bazillion more are on their way. I would like to go back to my 16th lvl rogue/cleric as a PC.. Every time I use him as a NPC my group always asks him for "advice from the powers that be" (moi). Overall, DMing is fun when you are creating the campagin but PCing is worth it 2. Save the snow.... stop senseless melting! :D
imperialjunkie 11-03-05, 10:40 PM	My history: I 'played' D&D when I was a kid (1st ed.) and DMed by default because I taught everyone the game. Eventually I 'grew' out of the game. Pretty much skipped 2nd ed. except for Baldur's Gate on computer. Following that I played NWN online a lot and got my taste of 3 ed. and playing. This was my most indepth experience with playing, and I loved it thoroughly. Then I returned to table top with 3.5. I've been teaching people to play, thus I'm the default DM. My opinion: It's really hard for me to say which I like better. I'm very big on RPing, so playing really brings this out. Though I enjoy thoroughly making NPCs and giving them personality when I DM, the sheer volume of NPCs necessary makes my RPing flat-er than when I am playing. I love the opportunity to delve into the psyche of my PCs and then let it come gushing out in drama and passion. I'm definitely a drama queen when playing. But on the DM end, I really enjoy world-creating and plot developing. I get much more enjoyment out of preparing beforehand than I do the actual session. I don't think that this is because I railroad. The main enjoyment I get in preparation is taking the time to get in touch with my NPCs. It is very fun for me. The only thing I do not like about DMing is having to deal with all of the stats. I can have some fun with stats as a player, but sometimes I get tired of typing out stat blocks and statting out higher level NPCs. Sometimes I say to myself, "I'd rather take the time to figure out what this guy did as a teenager than figure out what feat he got at 6th level." I also like pleasing my players. That's probably the biggest thing. Hearing my friends say, "I can't wait till Friday night" is a pretty big thrill for me. It means they are having fun, which heightens my fun. So the bottom line is it's tough to tell. I guess I lean more on the DMing side. But I really appreciate times to play. One of my players is going to try his hand at DMing and he's going to run a game 20 years before our current campaign. I'm going to run one of my good NPCs from 1st level (hopefully he won't die LOL), and the campaign will also include the father of one of the PCs from our current game. I've handed over responsibility to the new DM to do what he wants with it all, and I'm excited about that. I look forward to seeing his work and to getting a chance to play.
Lumus 11-04-05, 03:13 AM	I'm one of those folks who has also been a DM for what sometimes feels like forever [20 years for me]. However, I do play as a player only - once every few years or so. The first module I wrote [you'll love this; it's worth snickering at] was using 1st edition rules. The cave I made was shaped like a keyhole. Inside? Five orcs trying to defend themselves from a ranger who had gone berserk and evil. The game lasted about half an hour and at the end my buddy said, "Ok, now what?". The next 7 years or so were spent trying to make better stories, learning what worked for my players, and trying to figure out what was coming next. I bought a few modules but eventually tossed them aside. I took threads from old stories and wove them into new ones, and one day I realized my fantasy world actually had a history. My world wrote itself from that point on. If you are persistent, enjoy making a story that is memorable, can at least tolerate drawing maps [I love maps, but that's not the case for everyone], and *have fun* when you play with your PIC [partners in crime, aka the players in my group], you'll grow as a DM. Each new success will make it all worthwhile, even though something new to work on will always be around the corner. Playing is fun. Overcoming challenges that the DM throws at you is immensely fun. Being on the other side of the screen just means that you have different challenges, and that you interact with the others from a new viewpoint. If being a DM isn't for you, don't feel bad - not everyone enjoys the experience. Give it a shot, though. You'll learn more about the game, and yourself, if you do.