Why do you DM?

[CrazyMage]

I DM because
--I love creating my own little world (a major factor)
--I've got the stuff and the time to prepare a game
--I've only got one player, so odds are 50-50 anyway

Well, the first two matter anyhow.

 

[Furn_Darkside]

They're lying to you. Get their scrawny little butts in there and start DM'ing.

I agree with your basic idea, but two of the three players are extremely casual players. One did not buy a ph for about a year after he started playing.. heh. I can barely get them to make characters outside of gaming time.

The other player just doesn't have the time.

If I thought they were capable of it- then I would push/support them. That is just not the case. Sadly.

FD

 

[Hikaru]

I've got too many ideas for characters, to many to play them as PCs. As a DM, it makes for many NPCs, and I can switch from one of the other and roleplay them out. My worlds tend to lack in coherence, my plots are often created on the fly, but my players like my NPCs, descriptions, the atmosphere I can create, which they readily sink in and make really alive.

 

[Henry]

I agree with your basic idea, but two of the three players are extremely casual players. One did not buy a ph for about a year after he started playing.. heh. I can barely get them to make characters outside of gaming time.

Furn, I'm sorry to hear it. You really have much more patience than I have. Were my players that casual, I would have ceased DM'ing for them long ago. It wouldn't be worth my time putting it together for a group that didn't seem to appreciate it. More power to you, friend!

 

[Ruined]

Let me chime in here: It's all about the story. The cooperative effort with me and four or five friends to evoke a story that is so enjoyable, so memorable. I like to play, don't get me wrong, but there's something about bringing my visions to light. I may not be able to sit and churn out those ideas as novels or movies, but the games will suffice for now.

And with the ongoing 'why me and not my friends' question, I'm the only one who seems to have staying power. Some of the others run some excellent games, but they peter out quickly. They either get burned out, or other facets of life interfere. My campaigns tend to go on for lengths of time, and everyone enjoys themselves. Why not keep it going?

 

[Shadeus]

Some good bits of info in here. It seems the majority of DMs are either:

1. control freaks
2. like story/world building (aka, control freaks in denial )

So it seems the secret to keeping a campaign going is to keep it fresh and new....keep the ideas coming. One of the things I do like about being DM is that you get to play a whole bunch of characters, and not just one.

 

[Henry]

ME?!?! I'M not a control freak! How dare you call me a control freak! You only call me a control freak when I tell you to, got it?

Seriously, my reason is simple: I learned the rules by myself, and in the early days I was the one who started players playing. Later, I ran into a group of nothing but Player/DM's - almost every person in the 6 person group had some DM'ing experience. They shaped much of my learning experiences with D&D.

I like building worlds and challenges that my players find fun, and I like the feel I get when they find a clever way to defeat something. I like creation of worlds and places as well - it's the closest I'll ever get to writing a published novel.

 

[Quickbeam]

Well said. I've DM'd much more than I've played and so generally I bitch about not being able to play enough, but for the first time in probably 20 years I'm not DM'ing I'm only playing and it's only been a month and I already am thinking of a campaign I would like to run.

Thanks.
I'm in much the same boat you are. For the first time in several years I'm only playing, and not DMing whatsoever. As much as I enjoy my PC -- and I do, this is perhaps my favorite character of all time -- I still can't keep thoughts of my next campaign as DM from creeping into my mind throughout our sessions. I'm an addict.

 

[XanthorDrathos]

Definately a mix of things for me. There is the control freak aspect. There is that element of wanting to do it your own way. Then add in my nature sadistic streak, and it's no surprise.

I do love DMing and playing, but DMing more than my players want to DM. I love reading source materials and debate how they would work in my setting.

My biggest joy comes from watching the light bulbs go off and the gears turn when 5+ years of stories and subplots start to come to fruition...FINALLY!

I love putting out a story and get the party's take on it and how they solve it or mold it into their own. Scary enough, it's almost like parenting and I get a kick out of it too. I've seen players develop along with plots and their influence in the setting. They give a hoot about their character and the setting and not simply how much treasure they got now. It's now as much their world as it is mine (or so I lead them to believe ).