Do You Consider GMing to Be Hard Work?

[Richards]

I don't burn every log I find because I want a fire in my fireplace. I like fire in my fireplace but I HATE dead wood in my yard.

I'm the same way with my face. I don't have a beard because I want a beard, I have a beard because that's the price I pay for not wanting to have to shave. (20 years of that while I was active duty was quite enough!)

Johnathan

 

[aramis erak]

Work? Not at all. It’s fun, almost like it were a game! I find it more fun than playing a PC, too. The GM is the player with the most fun. I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t fun.

False dichotomy fallacy there, Morrus.
Work can be fun. For me, GMing ranges from very little and light (15-20 min of ideas) to nearly ready to be edited into a publishable module dungeons which take 3-5 sessions to clear, following from 1 hour of draft map, 3-4 hours of writing, and then 1-2 hours of final map.
I enjoy writing dungeons. More than I enjoy playing them. When I do write them, my players generally seem to like them.
When I ran a BTVS campaign, I was spending more time prepping than running the game. I loved it. But I won't do it again the same way.

 

[Morrus]

False dichotomy fallacy there, Morrus.

I didn't write the question. Take it up with the OP.

 

[aramis erak]

I didn't write the question. Take it up with the OP.

You're the one who read it as having "fun" in the question; it doesn't. You introduced (wittingly or not) the fallacious dichotomy.

 

[Morrus]

You're the one who read it as having "fun" in the question; it doesn't. You introduced (wittingly or not) the fallacious dichotomy.

OK.

 

[meverz]

Question for DMs: what part do you consider the hardest work?

For me, it's definitely finding, maintaining, and scheduling groups. I wish that part didn't fall so much under the purview of the DM, but it often feels like it's one person's job to manage the administrative side of the game.

See this, tbh I just don't get - and I've heard the complaint from plenty of DMs. But if it is soo much time and effort to maintain and schedule a group, why not just play with different players - who actually put some effort into playing?

Admittedly, my current group is online (but previous rl groups have been the same), but Monday night (morning for our international players) is game night. We all keep it free, and if someone can't make it, they let us know. And oif the session is cancelled this week, we'll be back on next week.

But to answer the question, the biggest "work" for me is setting up the adventure in the VTT. Actually running the session is great, it's the prep and the recap that I need to make the effort to carve out time for.

 

[BookTenTiger]

See this, tbh I just don't get - and I've heard the complaint from plenty of DMs. But if it is soo much time and effort to maintain and schedule a group, why not just play with different players - who actually put some effort into playing?

Admittedly, my current group is online (but previous rl groups have been the same), but Monday night (morning for our international players) is game night. We all keep it free, and if someone can't make it, they let us know. And oif the session is cancelled this week, we'll be back on next week.

But to answer the question, the biggest "work" for me is setting up the adventure in the VTT. Actually running the session is great, it's the prep and the recap that I need to make the effort to carve out time for.

My theory is that it's personality more than anything. I dislike organizing and scheduling people in real life, too.

 

[tetrasodium]

See this, tbh I just don't get - and I've heard the complaint from plenty of DMs. But if it is soo much time and effort to maintain and schedule a group, why not just play with different players - who actually put some effort into playing?

Admittedly, my current group is online (but previous rl groups have been the same), but Monday night (morning for our international players) is game night. We all keep it free, and if someone can't make it, they let us know. And oif the session is cancelled this week, we'll be back on next week.

But to answer the question, the biggest "work" for me is setting up the adventure in the VTT. Actually running the session is great, it's the prep and the recap that I need to make the effort to carve out time for.

I don't enjoy finding new players so tend to make my players find a friend or someone ho would like to play d&d : to save myself the hassle. Generally my current group of players is pretty good at finding someone but I've had groups that are utterly incapable of doing that.

Also you have more leverage as a gm when PlayerBob's friend/coworker is joining to vet the character & say "these are the houserules, I'm sure bob mentioned some" than when you as the GM are doing it unless your poaching from one of your AL tables or something (running AL could be great for that before covid)

 

[cmad1977]

Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. Sometimes both.

 

[zarionofarabel]

For me, it's definitely finding, maintaining, and scheduling groups. I wish that part didn't fall so much under the purview of the DM, but it often feels like it's one person's job to manage the administrative side of the game.

I'm with you on this one.