Player, or DM?

[Jdvn1]

I haven't DM'ed in a while, sadly.

 

[IamTheTest]

Id rather play than DM though.

 

[The_Gneech]

So, do any of you ever have a problem playing or dm'ing and thinking that the other DM is doing all wrong. Or is that just not an issue to any of you.

I try not to be too picky when I am a player, since GMing is a challenging task, and because I'm usually so grateful just to be a player for a change. However, there are plenty of times when I've found myself biting my tongue about other GMs' habits -- Superstar NPCs, Getting the Genre Wrong, and You Guys Play My Novel being the most common offenses.

I do occasionally play in a game where the GM doesn't like to throw any real challenges at us, which gets terribly dull. Cutting through the foes like a hot knife through butter is fun sometimes, but sorta takes the thrill out of it when that's all you do.

-The Gneech

 

[MonsterMash]

With one of the groups I game with out of 5, three DM for that group (including me) and I think one of the others DMs with another group. The other group has 6 (very occasionally 7) and of those I know that three of us DM, but so far only one of us with that group of players.

I'm not surprised to see that most of us play and DM here.

 

[Ferret]

Do you mean, which do I do the most or which do I like the most?

 

[sniffles]

I'm exclusively a player. I'd like to try DMing sometime but I'm a little nervous of it as I'm not a master of the rules. Most of my gaming group are DMs/players and I don't want to look foolish in front of them (well, not any more foolish than I already do!).

 

[palleomortis]

That, too. But on every forum I have ever gone to, there seems to be VERY little for the players to enjoy, and it's mostly DMs. I guess that kinda makes sense, with the DM's puting "so much work" into it and all, while the players just kinda sit back and enjoy the ride.

 

[Quickbeam]

Both. Right now I'm playing in two games, but will DM a game at the upcoming Chicago Gameday and at GenCon. I wanted a DM hiatus after running RttToEE!!

 

[moritheil]

Is is that you don't like to play, or would you just rather DM?

Neither really. I can't stand to see most DMs at work.

For a DM, I would like to see someone more intelligent and articulate than myself, with a greater capacity for retaining coherence, challenging the party, and just generally making things fun. They would also, in theory, be trustworthy, charming, and always more knowledgeable about every aspect of the game.

Having seen mostly travesties (8 level 7-8s kill a beholder without any serious injuries) when DMs attempt to run intelligent monsters and the like, I am also skeptical of anyone who claims to be such a DM.

So, in summary, you could chalk my stance up to arrogance.

 

[moritheil]

Most DMs I've played with weren't very good. Many of them even were really, really bad. So... Yes.

Hurrah! I am not alone in thinking this!