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<blockquote data-quote="Blue" data-source="post: 9356852" data-attributes="member: 20564">I think one of the big reasons that there aren't more DMs are because in D&amp;D, the DM and their prep is seen as so important to a good experience, so it's a daunting step to many people.But that's an artifact of the DMing style that games like D&amp;D engender.&nbsp; If people's first taste of RPGs were games with a lot less GM prep plus hard and fast rules for GMs to follow just like there are for players, that would open up to more GMs.That range of DMing styles is a sacred cow for D&amp;D, and likely for good reason.&nbsp; An RPG where that DMing style wasn't the preferred wouldn't feel like D&amp;D to the majority of people who play.&nbsp; So it's a real sacred cow - one that needs to be kept around as a default to keep D&amp;D feeling like D&amp;D.But the amount of responsibility put on the DM's shoulders, combined with the cultural expectation that they are a master of the rules, makes DMing legitimately harder than playing, seen as another level beyond playing.This isn't nearly as true in GMing some other styles of RPGs.&nbsp; This isn't saying those styles are superior.&nbsp; It is saying that there is both a true and a percieved lower barrier to entry of GMing them then what is expected of a D&amp;D DM.&nbsp; A good example of the barrier to D&amp;D DMing was the &quot;Mercer effect&quot; from a few years back, when if you couldn't run a game like Matt Mercer you had no business being a DM.&nbsp; Which is bull in terms of reality, but the perception was there.&nbsp; And perception holds back potential DMs.We've had some DMGs (and DMG 2s) with great DMing advice in them - I don't think that ever made it such that the number of DMs running reached the number of DMs wanted by players, potential players, and those forever DMs who want to be players.&nbsp; So while good advice in the core books is obviously helpful, we know it isn't a whole solution.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Blue, post: 9356852, member: 20564"] I think one of the big reasons that there aren't more DMs are because in D&D, the DM and their prep is seen as so important to a good experience, so it's a daunting step to many people. But that's an artifact of the DMing style that games like D&D engender. If people's first taste of RPGs were games with a lot less GM prep plus hard and fast rules for GMs to follow just like there are for players, that would open up to more GMs. That range of DMing styles is a sacred cow for D&D, and likely for good reason. An RPG where that DMing style wasn't the preferred wouldn't feel like D&D to the majority of people who play. So it's a real sacred cow - one that needs to be kept around as a default to keep D&D feeling like D&D. But the amount of responsibility put on the DM's shoulders, combined with the cultural expectation that they are a master of the rules, makes DMing legitimately harder than playing, seen as another level beyond playing. This isn't nearly as true in GMing some other styles of RPGs. [I]This isn't saying those styles are superior.[/I] It is saying that there is both a true and a percieved lower barrier to entry of GMing them then what is expected of a D&D DM. A good example of the barrier to D&D DMing was the "Mercer effect" from a few years back, when if you couldn't run a game like Matt Mercer you had no business being a DM. Which is bull in terms of reality, but the perception was there. And perception holds back potential DMs. We've had some DMGs (and DMG 2s) with great DMing advice in them - I don't think that ever made it such that the number of DMs running reached the number of DMs wanted by players, potential players, and those forever DMs who want to be players. So while good advice in the core books is obviously helpful, we know it isn't a whole solution. [/QUOTE]

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