D&D General I DM because...

[EzekielRaiden]

What it says on the tin. If you don't DM, but have in the past, or are about to start, please feel free to vote as appropriate.

If you are truly a "Never DM," that is, you have never done so and don't have any plans to in the foreseeable future, please vote "Actually, I've never been a DM and don't intend to become one."

If more than one answer applies to you, or has applied to you in the past, you can choose up to 3 responses. Please don't choose other responses and "never been a DM," because that's a contradiction and not very helpful.

 

[aco175]

I was the DM off and on from the early days when we would swap off all the time. In the Army I always was the DM. After that I was a player for a while under 1 DM and another wanted to for about a year. My brother ran a 3e Age of Worms campaign, but after that I think I was the DM until now. I recall my brother wanting to take a break after Age of Worms and I took over. Nobody said they wanted to DM after that.

 

[jdrakeh]

Usually just because I wanted to, BUT sometimes because I want to play a game that isn't D&D and nobody else is well versed enough in it to GM.

 

[TarionzCousin]

I got too frustrated with being a player in the games I was playing. Several of the players asked me to DM a new game.

I emphasize story and character development over combat.

 

[Reynard]

My one regular group has 3 folks willing and able to GM. So when I GM for that group, its because we decided that for this game I should GM.

For my other group, I am.the GM. That group only exists because I want to run a game and I invite players to that game. I am lucky in that I have a relatively large pool of players to draw from, so it is generally pretty easy to put bottoms in chairs (virtually speaking) for that game.

GMing is infinitely more rewarding than playing for me. I always seek out a group to run for.

 

[Shiroiken]

Primary Answer (why I became a DM): I wanted to and my DM felt I had potential. This was back in 1E, when it was common for DMs to take on apprentices.

Secondary Answer (why I continue to DM): I'm a masochist
Just kidding. Sorta. Not really... I have a drive to DM. If I take a hiatus, I start thinking up new campaign ideas almost immediately. IME most Forever DMs fall into this trap.

 

[Vaalingrade]

I still remember paging through my friend's DMG thinking 'Wow, I'd like to make this happen for my friends."

Started my friend game within 6 months of starting playing.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

I wanted to, as I enjoy lore and worldbuilding and it gave me a chance to share that creativity with my group. I’m still really new to it (currently running my very first campaign in my own homebrew world) but I seem to be doing good so far.

Also because I wanted to play a dragon and this is the only official way to do that.

 

[payn]

Seemed like a great thing to learn and do when I started out (and it is!). I continue because many GMs don’t have the drive to keep a game going.

 

[bedir than]

I DM because I want to figure the answers to questions I can't answer myself