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Message: <blockquote data-quote="3catcircus" data-source="post: 7757391" data-attributes="member: 16077">So, being a GM/DM, is, for me, a love/hate relationship.I love to DM - I'm a big picture kind of thinker, so I like being able to set multiple things in motion.  The math of multiple NPCs is no problem for me.  I love this sort of stuff.  What makes it a drag for me is the following:1. Players who want the game to be all about them rather than about their place in the campaign world.  Especially when they have set up a backstory for their PC totally different from everyone else's PCs or they want to use material totally out of synch with the campaign world.  God love 'em, but I had a campaign set in the Forgotten Realms in the Moonsea region using the Mysteries of the Moonsea book for much of the core adventures and my players wanted to play were-creatures who were part of the Fangshields.  Now, I have to do a bunch of extra work to fit that into the campaign and *invent* a reason for Fanghshields to (1) set foot into human cities in the area and (2) even care to begin with...2.  Players who don't want to give new/different games a try.  My group are pretty much D&D/Pathfinder snobs.  I've tried to get them to try some old games - Paranoia, WEG Star Wars, TORG, Twilight:2000/2013.  DMing the same genre over and over again can make you get burned out.3. Companies that produce supplements that result in a PC/NPC arms race.  How often have you had players get overly-creative to the point that their PCs are totally overpowered for either the campaign world, or the NPCs in an encounter of the "appropriate level?"  As a DM, you don't have the luxury to min-max every named NPC - your players have only one PC to worry about...4. Player engagement.  How often have you set out a trail of breadcrumbs that the players never figure out, or never even pursue?  I've in the past taken to mind mapping relationships of people, places and things to try and make it easier, but come on, you have to think things out as a player...  Additionally, how many times have DMs spent hours working in adventure crumbs and the players go and do something completely different (sometimes just to be contrary).  I generally try to have one main plot path with 2 or 3 different branches that can split off to pursue.  Even so, players oftentimes want to try and force DMs to step outside the confines of their campaign.  While I understand wanting to pursue PC goals, it needs to be within the confines of the campaign.  In that same Moonsea campaign, I added plot hooks that would allow them to travel far to the south with the intent of using Red Hand of Doom if they did so.  "Let's pay no mind to the threat of a potential invading army that could slip through this portal into the Moonsea, we're more interested and upset about why xxx."  That, and they oftentimes refuse to play within the confines of the campaign because metaplot.  "Why should we even bother trying to sneak into Hillsfar because we are nonhuman and they are racist, even though the trail of breadcrumbs leads us there."5. Players being upset that you play the NPCs intelligently and/or have them do not-nice-things to the PCs because that is part of their character.  Yeah, why should the captain of the guard who is intended to be a thorn in your side *not* be a thorn in your side until you deal with him (whether bribing, killing, framing, or bringing to justice due to his corruption)?  That, and not just rolling with DM fiat when it is called for.6. The inability for publishers to really make their supplements (especially adventures) mesh together.  Yes, I realize you may have multiple authors, but as a publisher you ought to set up a "bible" in the very beginning.  In order for DMs (especially as you get older and have work and family commitments) to want to DM, it needs to be easier to pick up a product and make it work.  There are some notable exceptions, but for the most part, it is difficult to "drop in" an adventure into a campaign without some work.  Many DMs (like me) will use a published adventure path and then have branches into other plots using other adventures.  It needs to be easier to do this without having to invent contrived reasons or having to change information.</blockquote>

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