D&D 5E What's fun about being a DM?

[Khelon Testudo]

It's an absolute rush to see how the players react to your npc's, how they respond to your setting and set-ups, and ask you questions you have to come up with answers on the fly, and then how they run off with your ideas in ways you never thought of. And inspire your own imagination to heights you'd never have reached otherwise. Those aren't every session, but the best, most memorable sessions.

If you've ever played a game like table tennis: it's like verbal, mental version of having to respond to each volley from your opponent. But you both win if you or they hit a ball in an entirely unexpected way.

 

[Flamestrike]

It gives me a chance to show off my epic DMNPC's and show my useless players how awesome I am.

Seriously though it's incredibly rewarding running a campaign that the players beg you to run, talk about events in game during the week as if they really happened, and that you can see they're genuinely enjoying as they play it.

You're creating and facilitating a social event where your friends are getting together, working together, imagining together and having fun.

That's the reward. It's incredibly satisfying when it all comes together.

 

[Ancalagon]

the joy of being surprised by my players

getting to play a system I want (that rarely happens as a player.... )

Getting to create.

 

[ClaytonCross]

I have only GM'd a maybe 10 times so maybe I am not qualified to answer... but, I enjoyed the prep work about as much as the game. I liked building the dungeons, finding the maps, making the puzzles, make the traps, drawing it out / sorting tiles, and programing for my digital sessions. It was all fun because I was doing it for my players and with them and their characters in mind. Its the same excitement I get when I am making my character to fill a role in a party. Maybe I am weird because the "work" was fun.

I haven't done it more because I was nervous wreak during the games, one group didn't enjoy it enough to keep playing (I blame myself, it was my first 4 games, I think I didn't give enough reward, it was a bit on rails because I needed some training wheels, and the party wasn't sure they wanted to play to begin with I kind of drug them into it) and the second group was enjoying it but one of them invited a GM friend to play as a player on my 10th game and apparently he is only happy when he controls everything so everyone quite to avoid playing at the same table and by everyone I include myself. I could not restart a new game because it became clear I could not invite that person or the person who invited him and I didn't want to start a new game without them because I would have to explain why they were not invited. They moved away, but I ended up as a player in another game because I am too nervous about how those two went to try with people I don't know well.

I was certainly surprised by my players a few times and designed my second campaign to allow a lot of player freedom, but our games were restricted to 2 hours for second campaign and just as I got setup to follow the party instead of hook and pull down a line, "the other GM" player showed up. Still kind of wish I could have used all my work. Maybe I will once I have 4 people I want to play with who are interested and willing to let me try.

 

[Khelon Testudo]

Yeah, running for strangers is much harder than running for friends. I've run a couple of convention games ("con games" might be misconstrued! ) but only well after I'd been running for my friends for years. There has to be trust on all sides of the table, and to appear trustworthy it helps to appear confident.

 

[Charlaquin]

Killing PCs!

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

There's a lot of talk about "spotlight time" and how player's either compete for it or the DM hands it out evenly.

As the DM you always have the spotlight whenever the characters are interacting with your world.

 

[Stormonu]

Creating stuff - player content, adventures and worlds.

Watching the story unfold. Sure, you can present five different paths, but its entertaining to see players take the sixth and where they end up.

 

[Zardnaar]

Stability, no one else really wants to do it and most groups fall apart for various reasons.

If you can make it and want to play I'll DM for you for a decade or more.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Crushing your enemies, seeing them driven before you, and hearing the lamentation of the women!


- because someone had to say it.