I love DMing, but I like playing too! :(

[darjr]

I GM alot. I don't miss playing a PC. I love it, i do. I just also love always having a turn and being the focus of attention and definer of worlds and .... well I love to GM.

Don't get me wrong. I'll jump at the chance to play. I have a few characters and ideas that are neglected.

 

[Nebten]

Try to find a Living Campaign in your area. While you may not be apart of a mega campaign, at least you can get your get your "Player" fix without having to hound your friends to DM.

 

[weem]

....Does anyone else share this experience?

I've had an opposite thing happen. I started running a 3.5 game leading up to 4e's release and then I started a new 4e campaign. Over time, more and more people wanted to play but also DM. Now I PLAY in multiple games a week with various DM's, and I run one myself every other week. It's worked out really well

 

[Wik]

We sort of had that problem, but I talked to my group about it, and now there are two campaigns running - my campaign, and then a "side" eberron campaign run by another player. It works out pretty well. And a friend of mine mentioned wanting to take the reins and running a campaign of his own... I'm a bit hesitant on that, though, because I've played with him before, and.... I dunno. Maybe with enough experience, he'll get better.

 

[Blackbrrd]

My current group of about 9 people have 4 GM's.
I am only running DnD stuff, started with AD&D 2nd edition, went over to 3rd edition, 3.5 and now 4e.

One DM who has run assorted campaigns but currently he is running a Dragonlance campaign in 3.5. We have played the campaing for 3-4 years(!) now and are level 17!

One DM runs Call of Cthulu and has run a few (rather large) modules

One DM who has run some shadowrun, warhammer and is currently running a 4e campaign

The interesting part is how some people are GREAT DM's but not as much when they are players. This goes for our Dragonlance-DM. Our shadowrun DM is a much better player than DM. Maybe because he don't get to play when he DM's? p

The player-lineup and dynamics change with who is DM-ing and not.

Currently I have limited myself to doing a hack-and-slash campaign in 4e on tuesdays from 1900-2300 in the evening. It's fast paced, variable amount of RP and lots of fighting. I have learned a lot about how to make interesting encounters*. I am contemplating running a proper campaign without the premade modules. Should be easier for me to get some RP going then. Instead of referencing the module and using time learning it, I can create the stuff myself instead. Better end result, not necessarily much more time needed...

*) Gotta do a thread on how to make interesting encounters for 4e. It is obvious in a way, but on the other hand - only after you have some experience.

 

[Dykstrav]

I have this problem something fierce. Back in high school, I was nicknamed "the campaign reaper," because every campaign I joined wound down or petered out as their players worked their way into my games. It actually made some of the other DMs pretty upset...

Since 4E came out, I've gotten to play exactly five sessions. I truly enjoy the occasions in which I get to play. For me, it's more about not having to be in an "authority position." I'm usually in positions of some responsibility at work, so I don't enjoy being constantly relegated to putting the game together, getting the players together, and determining the narrative. Nevertheless, I'm usually the only one in my circle of friends with the motivation to get a game together and make it happen.

Most of the games I know of going on around here are 3.5 or Pathfinder games. I'd love to play 'em, but I've kinda burned some bridges a year ago when I didn't reject 4E wholesale. The 4E crowd that I know of are almost entirely players.

But it's not all sour pickles. I've been Jonesing for a Vampire game something fierce the past few years, and I'm able to get virtually all my 4E players to go along with it. One of the great things about being "the only DM" is that you get to decide what's played. When the options are to either play what you run or play nothing, it's comparatively easy to find players for your game.

 

[pawsplay]

Yup. From the time I was about nine years old.

 

[DM_Jeff]

Yeah. I said OK at age 15 and here I am 27 year later.

edit: No, I am lucky. Every 2.5 years a player of mine will run a game for 2-3 months where I can see the light.

-DM Jeff

 

[pawsplay]

When I was thirteen, one weekend I ran a nearly round the clock series of games that included three sessions of Gamma World, two of DC Heroes, and one of my own homebrew gaming system. I drank approximately eight liters of Mountain Dew during that weekend.

 

[Derulbaskul]

I basically haven't played for 27 years and I don't think I could play in a campaign because my natural inclination would be to drive the story. My friends didn't enjoy having me as a player but everyone preferred me as the DM so that's just the way it is.

I wouldn't mind playing a couple of one-shots at my FLGS at some point, but that will be with people who don't otherwise know me... but I suspect if I like the group I'll be offering to run a campaign for them in no time.