Nice things players have done for DM's/GM's

[Olaf the Stout]

With March Fo(u)rth for GM's/DM's day almost upon us again it made me wonder what sorts of nice things players have done for their DM's, not just necessarily on the 4th of March, but any time.

Unfortunately I don't have much to share personally. I get the occasional "thanks for a fun night" from my players, but that is about all I've gotten in the last 6 years that I've been regularly DM'ing.

Prior to that I was almost purely a player, but I don't really remember doing anything to thank my DM either, so I guess you reap what you sow!

I'm sure others have some nice stories to share though, either from a DM or player point of view.

Olaf the Stout

 

[Piratecat]

For my 40th birthday, Sagiro wrote -- and my players, several of whom are professional musicians, performed -- a 9 song original musical based on an adventure from my last campaign. It was absolutely amazing.

 

[kitsune9]

I only wish my players knew about this, but we don't even hang out or celebrate each other's birthdays and I've some of these guys longer than a decade.

 

[Nebten]

I was given a set of elven dice for one DM day.

On the final game of our WotBS campaign, my players got together and made for me (but everybody ate) a cupcake-cake in the shape of the Torch of the Burning Sky.

Of course food bribes are standard fare at our table as well.

 

[Piratecat]

People are great about kicking in for soda and snacks.

More importably, it's traditional for people to buy Japanese candies and bring them to the table. The one rule is that they can have no English on them at all. Bonus points if they end up tasting nasty; the best compliment is "This is revolting. It tastes like Worcestershire-covered cigarette butts. You have to try some!"

 

[Loonook]

I did get the Japanese grabbag once.. But the best things really come from my players who are also DMs. I have a couple of characters who have gone viral in other campaigns including a vindictive over-the-top rakshasa who loved slow-clapping to introduce himself, and a fat merchant who uses a wind-elemental fan to keep himself cool/Gust-bull's-rush others far away from him and into the hands of his more mercenary companion.

Beer, sex, and food are also acceptable, though I guess the middle one really only works when you're single or happen to be married to the DM . Sadly these day I would probably give more XP and consideration for a good beer or excellent meal (Steaks will get you some fudged rolls for sure ).

Slainte,

-Loonook.

 

[JamesonCourage]

My players are cool.

Once, when I had no money, I asked if someone (anyone) could bring me a 2 liter of soda for game night on our Facebook "Game" group. When game night came, I wound up with 10 different 2 liters.

Three weeks ago, a player showed up with a Batman knife (this, but red and black): http://www.lmpenterprises.co.uk/ekmps/shops/pearl/images/bat_double_bladed_throwing_knife.jpg.

The week before a different player's girlfriend brought me a cardboard mask of Batman that she cut out of a cereal box. She told me she grabbed that cereal box a month ago and had been working on it specifically to get me the "mask" (she cut two holes and tied a string to it to make it work).

I've been brought pizza, chicken, cake, and the like, but I rarely take any of it. I did take a vanilla cupcake on my player's birthday, and a cookie that was baked for me, specifically.

I've had players try to arrange game day too often, and quit other groups because they didn't find them satisfying after joining my group. While not explicitly a compliment, I'll take it (even if I feel bad for the other groups; my players are pretty good).

These have been this year (save for two players dropping their old groups). I'm sure there are many others over the years. Rides in the past, pencils, ink for the printer, and other mundane objects. Telling me that my game is the best, or they'd love to see it as a book series. Or, more heart-warming to me, putting up with me as I made created my system over the course of a few years, and even writing some for my "Player Advice" section. I made sure to include them all, individually, for their contributions. Thanks to X for Y and Z contributions to my game, etc.

Overall, great bunch of guys, too. We hang out outside of game. Camping, hanging out. I've known most since before high school (all but one since high school), and I was the best man at one player's wedding. Lots of thanks goes unsaid, but I think it's pretty genuinely expressed, nonetheless.

I have a player texting me right now about our current campaign (we played yesterday). That's often something that makes me smile. As always, play what you like

 

[S'mon]

It's pretty well traditional in these parts that someone buys the GM a beer.

 

[Jon_Dahl]

My players bought me the Core 3.0 books (they were used). There were no special occasion.
One of the players made a prop dungeon for me, it's kind a big. I had just bought my first apartment.
I carpool with one of the players (he drives) and he doesn't ask for money for gas.

I guess that's all. We don't celebrate birthdays or anything like this.

 

[Lwaxy]

Well, they bought the food and drinks, often enough, and the adventures they want me to run that are not in my cousin's collection (I get the adventures my cousin's groups are done with). I got ink for the printer before. Recently, a whole buttload of maps from drivethrough RPG was paid for by them, including the amazing Cleric's Cathedral map we really needed.

And, best of all, they usually don't argue and work together with each other and me. That includes a group that was deemed "un-GMable" by other GMs before, turns out they just needed a different style.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

Actually I guess one of the nicest things a couple of my players did for me was something they didn't even realise they were doing.

I had 2 players (who were also brothers) leave my Shackled City AP campaign to play in a band on a cruise ship overseas. After the first brother left their dad joined their group in his place (and is still in the group).

When the dad would give us updates on how the guys were going on the cruise ship he would always mention about how they were asking about the game. They didn't just want a general sense either. They wanted details of exactly what had happened. So much so that the dad started taking detailed session notes just to make sure he could remember what happened to tell them!

Looking back now, them wanting to know all the details about the campaign did make me feel quite chuffed. I was obviously running an engaging enough game that, even though they weren't there, they still wanted to be kept up to date about exactly what was going on.

As luck would have it, the finale of the campaign happened over the Christmas/New Year period, when both of them were back in Australia. So I ended up with a group of 7 (including all 5 original players) to finish off the 3 1/2 year campaign. It was great to have everyone there for the end of a very memorable campaign (and the first that I have ever run to a planned completion).

Olaf the Stout

 

[Papa-DRB]

My guys did two things for me, in different years. Now you have to realize, we are all over 40, and we have been playing at my house since the late 1980's.

1) They gave me and the wife a gift certificate to, at that time, our favorite restaurant for a buy 1 get 1 free dinner for six months. They said, you buy yours and your wife gets the free one!

2) My choice of drink is a good single malt Scotch, so one year they bought me a 21 year old bottle of Glenlivet with glasses and flask.

-- david
Papa.DRB

 

[JamesonCourage]

When the dad would give us updates on how the guys were going on the cruise ship he would always mention about how they were asking about the game. They didn't just want a general sense either. They wanted details of exactly what had happened. So much so that the dad started taking detailed session notes just to make sure he could remember what happened to tell them!

Looking back now, them wanting to know all the details about the campaign did make me feel quite chuffed. I was obviously running an engaging enough game that, even though they weren't there, they still wanted to be kept up to date about exactly what was going on.

That is a great feeling. One of my players went to Iraq for a bit over a year to serve at one point (the same player I was the best man at the wedding for), and I sent him long updates after each session. We played multiple times per week, and I went into a good amount of detail.

He said that it was usually the highlight of his day whenever it happened, and it always made him happy and gave him something to look forward to. And, he's said that it helped him get through his deployment that much easier, which meant a lot to me.

Players wanting to know about Game stuff between sessions feel pretty good, too. Players who don't even play anymore asking about it is an even better feeling, in a way. As always, play what you like

 

[was]

food, drink and dice

 

[Blacky the Blackball]

I've known most of my players for at least 20 years, since we were at university together, and we're kind of like family; so we've all done so much for each other over the years.

Two things particularly stick out though...

One of my players got me a job at the software company he worked at. I'm still there after 15 years (and so is he, although he's now my boss!)

Another of my players married me 11 years ago, and we have two children together.

It doesn't get much nicer than that!

 

[MortalPlague]

On two occasions, my players have gone out of their way to really surprise me. Once, they picked up a mug for me with "World's Greatest DM" engraved on it. I need to break that out for next game, I think.

When 3.0 came out, we decided to switch over. We hadn't been playing for very long as a group (probably a year), but one of my players bought the core books for 3.0. On his way home from the mall, he got mugged, and someone stole the books. So he went back and bought 3 more, and presented them at game the next day.

 

[Li Shenron]

Two children.

 

[Piratecat]

Two children.

Nice! Never even mind the free yard work, you can resell those for a ton of money.

 

[Elf Witch]

My players have often pitched in to buy me gaming books because my budget has been so tight.

They also buy me food and bring me my Coke Zero.

 

[Evilhalfling]

One of the players in my game made deerskin dice bags for everyone.
He personalized each bag with some kind of symbol that represented thier character / role at the time. we all still use them.

Another player bought me a great metal Ogre mini. He also primed it and blackwashed it. It took me weeks to remember that there were no ogres in the world I was running. They had specifically been wiped out. Although not involved he was well aware of this, and had occasionally asked for a knife of ogre slaying, or suggested 1/2 ogre PCs. Some jokes are on a slow burn