How did you learn to GM?

haiiro

First Post

• Jul 24, 2005

• #1

I posted a question this morning on Treasure Tables, my weblog for GMs: how did you learn to GM?

My rambling answer is there, in the post ("How Did You Learn to GM?") -- and I'd love to hear how EN Worlders answer this question, here on EN World, over on TT (no account needed to post a comment), or both.

Edit: I have a hunch that there will be some correlation between when folks learned to GM, and what their answer is. For example: pre-Internet learning = a different experience than now.

If you don't mind, post when you started GMing -- for me, it was 1989. I added this bit after Vigwyn's post, #8.

Edit #2: I also posted this same question over on The Forge (link goes to the thread). The answers are similar, but also different in interesting ways.

 

Last edited: Jul 26, 2005

log in or register to remove this ad

Ankh-Morpork Guard

First Post

• Jul 24, 2005

• #2

I honestly don't know. I just...jumped in and started doing it. The group needed someone to do it when we all first learned to play and I figured I'd give it a shot. Apparently, I did a good job because I'm still GMing all over the place.

 

M

Maliki

First Post

• Jul 24, 2005

• #3

Self taught. I had a friend who was in the army, came home on leave for two weeks, bought the books while he was here, and ran about 3 adventures for my ranger. When he left he gave me the books and I introduced it to some friends and since I was the only one who had ever played I god to GM. I learned a lot from my mistakes and still do.

 

RedWick

First Post

• Jul 24, 2005

• #4

I started young (read ~8 or 9) and not with D&D. I wanted to capture the fantasy that I got out of reading game books (Lone Wolf, amongst others) for others. So I started narrating interactive stuff to my friends (no dice either). Didn't know what the hell I was doing back then, as I really didn't know what an RPG was. All I know is that I was having fun making up stories.

 

Agamon

Adventurer

• Jul 24, 2005

• #5

Funny story, that. I first 'played' D&D at my next-door neighbor's when we were both 9 years-old. We had no idea what we were doing, and while it was fun at the time, it didn't take.

Fast-forward a couple years. A friend, a year older than me, shows me the Basic book, and I repsond, "Oh, hey, D&D, I've played that."

"Really? You wanna be the DM in a game for me and my freinds?"

"Uh...okay."

Thankfully, he lent me the books, so I could actually learn how to play. I ended up DMing for a bunch of older kids, some of whom had played before, and it turned out not to bad.

And I've been the DM pretty much ever since.

But learning to DM well has been a never-ending process, that really accelerated with the introduction of the internet.

 

D

DarrenGMiller

First Post

• Jul 24, 2005

• #6

My classmates who bought the books and decided to learn the game, weren't great readers and the 1E DMG was... chunky. So, they gave it to me and told me to read it and be the DM when they played. They weren't my friends. Actually, they picked on me constantly, but were willing to stop if I would do this for them. For several days I wonder what the catch was... when they were going to spring the punchline of some cruel joke on me. It never came. We played one session on the front porch of one of their houses. Some of them stuck with the game for a while, others did not. I never gamed with them again after that, but soon found fellow geeks who played and began DM'ing as often as possible. I have only ever played maybe 20 sessions as a player (2 of those were since May this year).

I learned by trial and error. I read the books over and over again. I ofund the answers to my questions. When 3.x came out, I felt like I had to learn all over again and it seemed more difficult to grasp the new rules now that I am older and have less free time.

DM

 

IronWolf

blank

• Jul 24, 2005

• #7

I started playing when I was pretty young with the Moldvay Basic set. My mother DM'ed the first game! She wasn't too into it so I took up the DM'ing thing so I could play. I wrote adventures, a campaign world the whole bit before I even really had a group to run through it all. I subscribed Dragon at the time and picked up what tips and tricks I could from there. Finally in high school it all paid off as I finally found a group to run through the world I had already created.

 

Vigwyn the Unruly

First Post

• Jul 24, 2005

• #8

Maliki said:

I god to GM

Click to expand...

Hee-hee.

 

winterwolf

First Post

• Jul 24, 2005

• #9

My first GM experiment was with my cousin, using the basic edition starter guide...I remember something involving bees and magic healing honey...I only played the one game though, as my cousin didn't like it (now I know that you really need more than one player to have a continous game... and my cousin had no imagination anyways).
I seriously started learning how to DM when a local game store manager started a beginner's group for 3e D&D. After a couple of months, he was looking for another DM and I felt I knew the rules well enough to do so. i DM occasionally now, but of the two groups I play in, one has a rotational DM position (anyone who wants to DM can) and one has a permanent DM (not me).

 

The Cardinal

First Post

• Jul 24, 2005

• #10

the hard way: my first RPG experience ever was as a GM for a bunch of experienced players (in 1992) - they loved it, and I've never looked back