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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Marc17" data-source="post: 9815967" data-attributes="member: 7054182">I agree with those that have said that DMing is much like any other hobby and some people find it easy and some don't to some degree and that it takes learning to be really good. I look back and thank my friend James for putting up with me in one summer campaign where I tried out the way I wanted to run games, as a wide open sandbox where the players could control things. It eventually gained some structure and started rolling with some other friends playing and they commented on how they liked it, but James also commented on what a boring slug fest it started out as, and I would have to agree. Even then, different people like different things and style of games. That's why I try and prepare a good elevator speech for the concept games I want to run and try to let them know what they are in for.Still, there are plenty of DMs I can't stand and think are bad who find it way too easy to DM. I can tell they are enjoying it, and some of the other players seem fine. These are usually railroad DMs with lots of DMPCs running around trying to tell their story, and if my character's actions mean anything, he'd tell me what I do.As for Monster stats, I'd say it would be better to have them and not need them than need them and not have them. The real culprit would be the explosion of modifiers stats gave everything starting with 3.0. Just because they're big doesn't mean they need high Terminator-like CONs. Even PCs could start with +4 or +5 which would just swamp any class bonuses for several levels.On the topic of paid DMs, I was aghast at that until a friend told me that he was in some such games and basically said: "It's 5 or 10 dollars which is less than I'd typically spend for snacks for the table anyway. There are some costs involved in running a good game, and I find when DMs are getting paid, they do put in the extra effort. I also find that when players are all paying for a game, they are all more likely to not only show up, but show up wanting to play rather than just hang out and talk." That all made sense to me and although I have not tried any paid games yet, I'm now much more willing to do so.</blockquote>

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