D&D General The DM Shortage

[Reynard]

Is there a market for paid DM tutoring to teach folks how to DM?

Two hour sessions, over x number of weeks. 4-6 participants. Teaching/Discussing a range of methods and skills.

If someone can learn to complete open heart surgery then more than a few folks can learn to DM

I've taught GMing classes at cons as a regular table slot. We round robin the adventure scene by scene with me giving the individuals as much or as little lead as they like and step in as needed.

 

[overgeeked]

Well, I think the choice of system does have some influence on what style of game you can easily play, and the fact that 5e is so pervasive makes it difficult to play games where the PCs aren't superheroes. I use Level Up as a compromise, but if I had my way I would be playing an OSR game like ACKS or DCC.

Split the difference and go with WFRP 2nd Edition. You get all the gore, nastiness, and lethality of most OSR games with a relatively more modern / recent design, a little metacurrency, and a magic system that absolutely rocks. You get to hear things like, "Oh, no! I've fumbled a spell and mutated into a beastman...again!"

 

[TheSword]

Split the difference and go with WFRP 2nd Edition. You get all the gore, nastiness, and lethality of most OSR games with a relatively more modern / recent design, a little metacurrency, and a magic system that absolutely rocks. You get to hear things like, "Oh, no! I've fumbled a spell and mutated into a beastman...again!"

It’s a great system. Only beaten by the current WFRP 4th edition. I think my players prefer 5e to any incarnation of WFRP but to be honest as a DM (and an occasional player) I much much prefer it.

I feel like every WFRP has genuine surprise. You just don’t know what will happen. It allows you to be far more free form and natural with the game, than the heavily orchestrated 5e.

 

[FrozenNorth]

I dunno. You can have a ton of playtesters who simply never think to do this one game-breaking thing.

One nifty trick to break D&D! DMs hate him!

 

[overgeeked]

It’s a great system. Only beaten by the current WFRP 4th edition. I think my players prefer 5e to any incarnation of WFRP but to be honest as a DM (and an occasional player) I much much prefer it.

I feel like every WFRP has genuine surprise. You just don’t know what will happen. It allows you to be far more free form and natural with the game, than the heavily orchestrated 5e.

I agree with everything but the bolded bit. It's 2E or bust as far as WFRP is concerned. It's an absolutely fantastic system. A few minor tweaks and it does just about everything I want out of a grubby fantasy game. There are definitely some bits where 5E is smoother. Like monster stat blocks and talents. Every time I look up a monster in the Old World Bestiary I see the list of talents and groan. Just put the changes in the stat block and list what the thing can do. List their actual damage. Etc. Otherwise, actual play, etc...an absolute dream.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Split the difference and go with WFRP 2nd Edition. You get all the gore, nastiness, and lethality of most OSR games with a relatively more modern / recent design, a little metacurrency, and a magic system that absolutely rocks. You get to hear things like, "Oh, no! I've fumbled a spell and mutated into a beastman...again!"

That does sound great. I played a lot if WFRP 1e back in the day, and read a lot of 2e, and I loved how dangerous magic was in that system. But Level Up mostly uses the 5e rules my players are familiar with, so it's less of a jump.

 

[Reynard]

I just had a though: maybe the expanded revision of LMoP will be more of a teaching adventure, designed specifically to on-board new DMs.

 

[MNblockhead]

Quite simply, the mechanics have very little impact on play style, and people with playstyle preferences (which are most people) will tend to run most games according to their playstyle, regardless of mechanics,

and will probably also tend to dislike or be frustrated with games who's mechanics make their playstyle more difficult to pull off—or they will ignore or houserule significant portions of the mechanics anyway.

Your second point seems to contradict your first.

 

[MNblockhead]

Sure, but you don't always get to choose your players, especially if they're your friends.

Yes you do. Pretty hard to think of circumstances where one is forced to DM. One may not be assertive enough or be worried about hurting people's feelings, not being able to game because no players are interested in the game you want to run, or a hundred other reason DM's compromise. But compromising is still a choice.

If I felt a strong desire to run a game to a very specific vision, I would take a start up approach--fail fast. If it isn't working. Bail and try again. It can be tough, but if it leads to finally finding the group that shares your vision--or at least is sincerely interested in a playing in the game you are offering, it'll be worth it.

That's not my personal approach, the current group of players is more important than any vision I have for a specific game or campaign. I can enjoy all kinds of campaign settings and play styles, so I just pitch ideas for the next campaign as the current one is wrapping up and the group decides together what we'll play.

If I had more time to run a second campaign, however, I have some very specific things I would like to try that would not appeal to most players. I wouldn't waste my time trying to accommodate anyone. If I can't find anyone to play in it...well, I have my other campaign. With on-line gaming, I think it would not be that hard to find a group of players for any system, setting, or play style.

 

[MNblockhead]

Is there a market for paid DM tutoring to teach folks how to DM?

Two hour sessions, over x number of weeks. 4-6 participants. Teaching/Discussing a range of methods and skills.

If someone can learn to complete open heart surgery then more than a few folks can learn to DM

I'm sure you could hire someone on Start Playing to do that. If you find a DM whose games you really enjoy and you asked them to help you prepare for a few sessions and sit in as a player and give feedback, I bet they would happily take that gig.

But what would be better would be to have DM mentoring as part of organized play. I know a lot of FLGS will have employees teach board games to people. More of an ask to have them do that for TTRPGs, but if you compensated DMs who have a good reputation with perks, like free store membership, food vouchers, store credit, etc. You could build up a mentorship programs and organize how-to-DM workshops.

I read about one D&D Gaming Club at a FLGS in New York City that in order to join you have to DM. You can play in X number of sessions and then you have to DM a session before you can play another session. Since you are DMing for people who you have already played with and folks who have DMed games you've played in, it makes the transition smoother. Also, because EVERYONE has to do it, and because nearly everyone is going to be a bit rough and awkward their first few times, I think it would be a more supportive environment which players more patient with less experienced DMs.