Is EN World really DM World?

[Elf Witch]

I have been on Enworld for several years and for most of that time I was a player. I just stepped in the role of DM.

I have always found En world to be a good place for advice for both DMs and players.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

We're five members in our group, and everyone has to DM his own campaign. This means I can't be a primary DM in the first place, and I am not sure I would want to. Playing is a lot of fun to me, and DMing feels like work too often.

That said, there are two important reasons for me to be on this board:
- Read all the cool DM advice and anecdotes you guys so happily provide.
- Read on interesting game products and design.

I am rarely here to find my next "min-max" fix (though I can enjoy reading related rules discussions..), or to find a good roleplaying advice on how to play a lawful good paladin or chaotic evil halfling ranger or stuff like that. That's usually stuff I could do on my own, though sometimes I get inspirations here (most of the time, digging through an actual book gives me more in that regard...)

 

[Wombat]

I became the GM when (back in 1975) I was the only one in town with the books.

Subsequently, I have found that it is easier to find new games if I say, "Hey! I'll run it!"

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

I primarily DM because I am a terrible player.

 

[MonkeyDragon]

Middle of the road for me. I'm in two groups. In one I DM about 50% of the time, rotating back and forth between myself and another DM. In the other I play the vast majority of the time. In that game there is one primary DM who occasionally takes breaks from the main campaign to run mini-games or have someone else take over for a little bit. I'm running a game there right now. So I'd say that I DM only about 30% of the time.

However, when I come here, I tend to come here AS a DM. The stories and advice that I read/solicit/dispense are generally being given as a DM and applied to my gaming as a DM. I get inspiration for NPCs, plots, and worldbuilding rather than my own characters most of the time. Meta bits like XP rewards or encounter design are used my make my own games run more smoothly.

Now...I have only until tomorrow to prep for my game AND design a new character to take the place of my bodak'ed Ogre Mage.

 

[Simm]

Definately a DM more's the pity, because I'm a player at heart. The last major campaign I played in ended six years ago and that was because the DM quit and I took over. my only play in the last year has been a PbEM I'm in. But if I didn't do it I'd never get to play at all so I suppose it's for the best.

 

[Dave G]

You know, it's funny. I primarily only come to EN World when I'm running a game. I was here back in the day as BillyBeanbag, but got my username changed and then drifted away for a while. Now I'm creating a campaign, running a game, and heavily reinvesting myself in the message boards again.

I think the 4th edition buzz has something to do with getting me back, but I'm coming around several times a day and trying to become more a part of the place.

 

[Orius]

If this place is DMWorld, it's only because it's populated by balding, narcissistic Napoleons who gleefully shove their derivative homebrew and railroad plot points down their players' throats and come here to whine when the group collectively gags on the absurdly improbable scenarios and idealized DMPC avatars.

It makes for a nice break from the WotC boards, where feral, sub-literate uber-munch players, scurrying around like cockroaches having conquered their fear of the lights coming on, relate stories of how they most recently frustrated their DM's attempt at role-playing by groping every female NPC and attacking every male NPC with their +7 Axe of Hewing in Twain, pausing only to question other posters' sexuality in text-speak.

They provide a nice range of options, I think.

When you put it that way, I'd rather be Napoleon.