D&D General The DM Shortage

[Paul Farquhar]

And my theory is that the shortage of DMs is due to the high workload of DMing certain popular styles and subgenre of D&D which are low or slow support.

And my opinion is your theory is pure unsubstantiated nonsense.

Playstyle matters, but subgenre is just putting labels on things. It's applied by other people AFTER the creative process is over. If you are wasting time worrying about "what subgenre is my game?" you are already doing it wrong. It DOESN'T MATTER.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Is the almost criminal lack of support for new DMs due to genre switching though?

Though I suppose it depends on what one considers a genre. If one thinks of 'rulings over rules the DM makes everything up with no guidance or help' to be a genre, then yeah, I guess.

If you hold a child's hand you make them afraid. If you tell them to get on with it and ignore them it gives them confidence.

 

[MGibster]

And I'm not sure new DMs would be trying to convert old modules they likely know nothing about anyway.

I've coverted some older modules, but then I'm not an new DM. I'd be really interested to know if there's a significant interest in older modules among newer DMs and players both. Are there a lot of people born around 2000 who have any interest buying those Dark Sun and Planescape materials and converting them into 5th edition?

 

[Vaalingrade]

If you hold a child's hand you make them afraid. If you tell them to get on with it and ignore them it gives them confidence.

This... is kinda terrible childrearing advice.

Like, this is just going to result in a lot of kids lost and annoying other people in the mall and flattened by cars.

 

[MNblockhead]

If you hold a child's hand you make them afraid. If you tell them to get on with it and ignore them it gives them confidence.

This. But In my experience is isn't the kids wanting the hand holding. I think its the 20 somethings that are getting into the game and worried about being able to run it.

Kids just make it up and learn the rules as they go along. When introduced my kids to TTRPGs after the FIRST session they wanted to run games.

I really, strongly believe that any DM shortage, if it exists, is best addressed in the long term by getting kids into the hobby. They just don't have the same hangups that adults have. As adults who want to grow the fandom, we just need to spark the interest and then get out of the way.

 

[Minigiant]

And my opinion is your theory is pure unsubstantiated nonsense.

Playstyle matters, but subgenre is just putting labels on things. It's applied by other people AFTER the creative process is over. If you are wasting time worrying about "what subgenre is my game?" you are already doing it wrong. It DOESN'T MATTER.

Subgenre typically help decide which playstyles you might choice, houserules you made,and 3pp you snag.

It's "I like X & Y. How do I make my game feel like X & Y"

I've coverted some older modules, but then I'm not an new DM. I'd be really interested to know if there's a significant interest in older modules among newer DMs and players both. Are there a lot of people born around 2000 who have any interest buying those Dark Sun and Planescape materials and converting them into 5th edition?

They might be fans of a lot of settings, monsters, races, and classes that have never been converted officially to D&D.

 

[overgeeked]

This. But In my experience is isn't the kids wanting the hand holding. I think its the 20 somethings that are getting into the game and worried about being able to run it.

Kids just make it up and learn the rules as they go along. When introduced my kids to TTRPGs after the FIRST session they wanted to run games.

I really, strongly believe that any DM shortage, if it exists, is best addressed in the long term by getting kids into the hobby. They just don't have the same hangups that adults have. As adults who want to grow the fandom, we just need to spark the interest and then get out of the way.

Exactly. It’s a hobby of unbridled imagination. Let that run wild. Don’t worry about getting things perfect or even right. The point is to play. Just play. Don’t worry about the rules. If more adults could just relax, let go, and enjoy the ride we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.

 

[Faolyn]

If you hold a child's hand you make them afraid. If you tell them to get on with it and ignore them it gives them confidence.

Or makes them even more afraid, because they have no one to fall back on should they need the help.

 

[Clint_L]

Im on year two of running 5e dnd games after a long hiatus. Since 1e, the game has evolved and continues to evolve. To me, one of the hinderances to running 5e isnt so much prep time as it is managing in game time. Combats are still just a drag of time and I find myself just continually cutting out combat encounters for the sake of game flow.

I agree, though that's not a 5e problem, that's been a D&D problem since Day 1. Time consuming tactical combat is in its DNA.

Edit: Also, might not be a problem - depends on taste. It's a problem at my table.

 

[Willie the Duck]

I agree, though that's not a 5e problem, that's been a D&D problem since Day 1. Time consuming tactical combat is in its DNA.

There are so many times I see something laid at 5e's (or Wotc-era) D&D's feet that I feel was either there from the beginning, or at least present since way back in the day.