Is it cheating for a GM to use a published adventure?

[dead]

On occasion, I use a published adventure to suppliment my own creative efforts. The most recent adventure I used was "The Banewarrens" (albeit, significantly reworked). Anyway, I was bashed recently for using published adventures in my game. I was told that I was not a "true" GM if I could not write my own adventures EVERYTIME. This person said: "50% of the fun of GMing is running the adventure; the other 50% is writing them". (They also equated it with miniatures gaming. They said that 50% of the fun was playing, while the other 50% was painting them. Those who didn't paint their minis, were only pretenders.)

In the end, I felt a little dejected. I felt a little inadequate.

I keep telling myself: "Who cares if I used published adventures on occasion. Indeed, who cares if I used published adventures ALL the time! The aim of the game is to have FUN, right? And not all of us are professional writers, or on fire in the creative department 100% of the time."

What do others think?

 

[AIM-54]

On occasion, I use a published adventure to suppliment my own creative efforts. The most recent adventure I used was "The Banewarrens" (albeit, significantly reworked). Anyway, I was bashed recently for using published adventures in my game. I was told that I was not a "true" GM if I could not write my own adventures EVERYTIME. This person said: "50% of the fun of GMing is running the adventure; the other 50% is writing them". (They also equated it with miniatures gaming. They said that 50% of the fun was playing, while the other 50% was painting them. Those who didn't paint their minis, were only pretenders.)

In the end, I felt a little dejected. I felt a little inadequate.

I keep telling myself: "Who cares if I used published adventures on occasion. Indeed, who cares if I used published adventures ALL the time! The aim of the game is to have FUN, right? And not all of us are professional writers, or on fire in the creative department 100% of the time."

What do others think?

I have never used a published adventure, but that certainly doesn't mean I look down on those who do. Indeed, having read through PirateCats Story Hour, it's been made quite clear to me that there is nothing wrong with using them. They can be quite enjoyable to the players, GM and third party observers (SH style at any rate) as long as they're well run and don't disrupt the flow of the campaign (or even if they do for that matter).

As long as you and your players are having fun, that's what counts.

I wouldn't worry what other people think.

 

[Ao the Overkitty]

It is not cheating. They are published to be used, after all. Otherwise, what is the point of publishing them.

Personally, I find creating to be a large part of the fun of DMing, but that is me. Our regular DM uses a lot of stuff from Dragon and Dungeon (which he is thankful none of the rest of us have subscriptions).

 

[CalrinAlshaw]

The guy bashing you is an idiot, tell him that if he has a problem with your DM'ing style, tell you, but otherwise, stay out of your face. Some of us don't have the time, initiative, or creativity to make our own adventures and need a "starter" to spark our ideas. Don't feel inadequate, this guy just sounds like he has HIS opinion on how DM'ing should be done, and thinks his way is the only way, it isn't.

Calrin Alshaw

 

[LostSoul]

Yes. If the players have to do the work at the table, roleplaying and everything, then the GM should do his part and actually sit down and write and adventure for them.

 

[cdsaint]

I enjoy coming up with adventures to challenge my players. I feel that the sessions where I run my own creations are substantially more enjoyable for everyone involved. No amount of reading and thinking about a published module seems to be able to prepare me to run as well as making things up myself.

That said, I will often run published modules. Work and family commitments only leave so much time for hobbies, and sometimes that means I won't have time to plan anything out myself. I'd rather get some mediocre game time in as opposed to not gaming at all.

Chris

 

[Firebird]

You can't be serious

Someone was actually rude enough to claim your DM skills were lessened by using published modules in your campaign? I have been playing this game for over twenty years and I've seen my periods of free time grow shorter and shorter as I've matured (full-time job, demands of children, etc.) and it is no longer possible for me to detail my adventures to the extent I used to be able to. These days, more often than not, I've got little more than a rough outline of the plot, a map, and a lot of experience at winging it. I freely scan stat blocks out of any source I can lay my hands on, tweak them to fit my game, and run with them.
Anyone stated out a high level spellcaster lately? The last one took me over an hour just for spell selection (finding, scanning, and tweaking one saves me 50 minutes to spend on the things that matter in the adventure. Remember, that wizard is going to live 4-5 rounds tops, so give him only as much detail as he needs to come across to te players.)
Someone else mentioned that it was the DM's duty to do all the design work because the players had to roleplay their characters. There is no comparison to the two and the person who said that is extremely shortsighted. Hours of prep work by the DM compared to simply showing up ready to play. Roleplaying one character versus roleplaying EVERYONE else in the world. Besides, I thought it was a roleplaying game. Making the effort to roleplay your character seems to be the point.
Borrow, copy, and steal ideas freely. It's your game, make them your own.
Just my two cents.

 

[barsoomcore]

50% of the fun of GMing is running the adventure; the other 50% is writing them

Well, I guess they must be right. You're only having 50% fun. Sorry about that.

Unless, somehow, there's a possibility that what's fun for them might be different than what's fun for you?...

Naw....

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I keep telling myself: "Who cares if I used published adventures on occasion. Indeed, who cares if I used published adventures ALL the time! The aim of the game is to have FUN, right? And not all of us are professional writers, or on fire in the creative department 100% of the time."

Keep telling yourself that, because it is exactly correct. The only caveat I have to it is that if you are playing a continuous campaign, don't feel you should be a slave to the published adventure. If you can find ways to tweak it to make it a little unique and special for your campaign you will probably take something good and make it great for your group.

 

[Mark]

Is it cheating for a GM to use a published adventure?

No. No, it is not cheating.