DMs: Do you have performance anxiety?

[LazerPointer]

Yeah, I just started DMing, and I'm building a homebrew world too. I worry that I won't have enough prepared, and I am still getting used to effective game flow and description. But I don't care too much, cause I still always think if things go horribly wrong, I can wing it well enough to have fun occur.

 

[Bodah]

Not in many many years. I probably did during my first couple sessions ever as a DM, but after that.. nope.

 

[Wormwood]

Hell truly is other people.

Geek that I am, I take a certain stoic pride in being socially retarded. Public speaking redices me to a sweating, stammering puddle of crap.

I'm the worst DM I've ever seen. I suck so bad that light can't escape my gravitational influence.

Luckily for me, my friends are jerks who deserve nothing better.

 

[Droogie]

Hell truly is other people.

Geek that I am, I take a certain stoic pride in being socially retarded. Public speaking redices me to a sweating, stammering puddle of crap.

I'm the worst DM I've ever seen. I suck so bad that light can't escape my gravitational influence.

Luckily for me, my friends are jerks who deserve nothing better.

LOL! Awesome. Sign me up for your game

 

[Droogie]

Then you have to think about the repercussions of the PCs using all of this, and combining it with powerful spells and magic items. d20 is a lot harder to run than anything else.

In answer to the question, yeah, I get nervous. But the show must go on. And even if you do suck as a DM, if you can take a look around and see that the players are having fun anyway, then it's all good- because thats what its all about.

Re: canning's comment, I must second the notion. D20 D&D is a b*tch to run. Most of my Gm anxiety comes from not knowing the rules. What does this spell do again? Was there supposed to be an AoO there? Whats the deal with that special attack? I break into a cold sweat every time the game comes to a screeching halt while we flip through our growing pile of books. What a nightmare.

 

[Caspian Moon Prince]

I'm getting it right now because I've got a game I'm running tomarrow, and quite frankly, I am having a problem with ideas. Way too many ideas that are too different from each other that I'm having to decide between. Eshh...it's too much

 

[PoppaGunch]

I have found that DMing D20 games is harder on the DM, and easier on the players. Maybe it is just me. I can get over the spells, feats, and all thart crap. Prestige classes drive me batty though. Don't know why. Oh I still allow them, but they make me cringe every time someone in the group brings me one to check out.
I have found that using my laptop and convenient computer programs has sped up my game though. I used to use Etools somewhat, until I discovered DM Genie (well also until I got screwed over on my data set order from CMP, but thats another story).
Strangely I have also found minitaures have freed up my time more believe it or not. And I was one of those people who said I would never use the bloody things.

 

[Henry]

I only get performance anxiety when I'm about to DM a group I've never gamed with before, like at Gamedays and such.

With my regular group, I'm there to have a good time, same as they are, and I know what they like, so I've got their needs in mind already when we game. But since I'm there to have fun, too, if they DON'T like what I'm doing, then screw 'em.

 

[demiurge1138]

I'm pretty good about it, but I do get performance anxiety every now and then, usually when approaching a "big scene", or worrying about an NPC's mannerisms. Fortunately for me, this usually manifests in the game as forgetting names and details, which my players never remember either. Which is a little annoying, to be sure, but occasionally fortuitous, as they assume I know what I'm talking about.

I do get nervous DMing for an audience that does not consist of actual gamers; for example, I get a little nervous if somebody else enters a room where we're playing. But I usually can cope. Usually.

Demiurge out.

 

[the Jester]

Wow- I can't recall ever feeling nervous about running a game, even a tournament game.