I got a chance to play 3e

[dema]

I've been DMing beta-3e and 3e for the past few years. Now my friend (a 2e person) finally got the balls to DM a game for our group. I chose to play a simple fighter, armed to the teeth. I felt like I was there swinging all my weapons. I tried to use each weapon in combat, going through them like a list. I had an NPC pick all my stuff up as I went along.

I fought orcs, and spiders, and some spider like things, and some vampire thing, worgs, and a black dog from some S&S book. I got to eat some fish from some undergroud lake (didn't taste too good, but it was worth the experience), and had a blacksmith make me some twisted metal bars (for making traps), set up a trap, healed some friends. Hung out at a tavern, visited a shrine, spoke to some farmer folk. Climbed trees looking for the bad guys, fought in the fog, in the dark. Had a very ALIENS like encounter.

And now the adventure begins . . .

Just thought I'd make all the DM who don't get a chance to play a bit jealous. No seriously, it feels great to play again. DM's are under appreciated.

One funny thing, the DM stepped out for a few, and I just jumped in and continued the combat encounter (as a DM), I was too hyped to stop the action.

 

[Zappo]

After 10 years of DMing and suffering from severe DM burnout, I put my feet down last week. So I got to play yesterday for the first time in a very long time!

My bard fought a pack of wolves and was completely surrounded and my companions had already fled to their horses and everyone thought I was going to die and then I Tumbled away and escaped without a scratch and the following day we were against a ghast and the paladin was paralyzed and I casted grease and the ghast slipped twice and the ranger whacked it hard and then I entered melee and dealt the final 2 points of damage with my dagger and being the boisterous bard that I am I started boasting "my" kill and then two more ghasts appeared and the sessione was over at 2 AM. God, I had almost forgotten why I love this game. I can't wait to get XP.

The only neg is, ugh, as a professional DM I know the equation multiple ghouls|ghasts+low-level characters=TPK. We're sooooo screwed come next session. Of course, that's part of the fun!

Players, you don't know how lucky you are.

 

[Holy Bovine]

I too was once the DM for our group and it looked like I would never get to play again. But a few things happened.

3E D&D came out.
Then more and more d20 games came out.

Now I have several games that I get to play in (everything from d20 Star Wars to Wheel of Time) and run Dragonstar and 2 D&D campaigns.

We alternate what we are doing each week and today is Dragonstar day!

Its all about balance and giving your poor DM a break once in a while.