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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sacrosanct" data-source="post: 7095747" data-attributes="member: 15700">Maybe they don't for ALL of the reasons, but I think they do know for some of them.  Two of the biggest ways to get more people to DM is:* Make the game easier to run.  Streamline it and try to remove some of the complexity, which they have done with 5e.* Empower the DMs.  5e's rulings over rules approach definitely helps this.I know this probably isn't all that popular of a thing to say, and I know it's purely anecdotal from my observations, but there is a definite correlation between how many people wanted to DM, and how much the game stressed rules over rulings.  That doesn't mean they are related of course, but IMO I think they are.  DMing is a lot of work.  The DM easily puts way more of an investment into the game than any of the players do, from both a time and work standpoint.  There needs to be some trade off there, where the DM can feel like they truly are in control of the campaign, and not someone who has to continually face their creativity get stymied because rules over rulings.  I get how a lot of players prefer rules over rulings, and I'm not saying allowing the DM to make rulings means they can be dictators and not be fair.  Bad DMing is bad DMing regardless.  But as someone who usually DMs over the past 35 years, if you take away my ability to come up with rulings on the fly, or if you tell me I have to allow certain build X Y Z because a published book somewhere has that as an option, my incentive to DM is going to be less.  Why would I put in all the extra work just to be told I can't run the game how I want to?  If you take away my creativity and freedom, then it feels like I'm just there to make sure all the players get what they want while my fun doesn't matter even though I'm the one doing almost all of the work.I've said it a million times, and I'll say it again.  If you don't like my DMing style, then DM yourself.  I consider myself a pretty decent DM because I'm always in high demand to run games and most of my players seem to have a great time, but occasionally I'll have a player who constantly criticizes my rulings over rules approach (which is fine), and when I tell them they are more then welcome to DM themselves, they all refuse.  Every time.  If you want more DMs, you have to allow them freedom to run games how they like.</blockquote>

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