Am I a hypocrite?

[Morithias]

As I have stated in one of my older threads, I often get super attached to my PCs, often to the point of madness.

Am I a hypocrite for willingly being a Dungeon Master if that is the case? I'm currently running two games with a possible third on the way.

Or am I misunderstand the term.

Is it right to play D&D as just a Dungeon Master and never player? Willing to put others in danger, but never put yourself in such a stance?

[JustPlayItLoud]

You're not really being a hypocrite unless you insist that someone is playing the game wrong if they can't develop a personal connection with a single character and then refused to form said bond. Being willing to GM basically absolves you from all guilt associated with not connecting with a character, since so few people willingly do so.

[kamikasei]

No. If you're better at DMing than you are at playing, it's not "wrong" to DM exclusively.

Hypocrisy in this situation would consist of telling one of your players who's getting too attached to her character that she's being foolish and she needs to get over it, which is easy to do and no big deal. Or perhaps of being a sadistic killer DM who enjoys trashing the characters of those with a more average level of attachment, while laughing maniacally and calling them babies.

[Ashdate]

No, you're not a hypocrite. If you enjoy being a DM (and if you've got players who keep wanting to show up every week), then run with it.

[Morithias]

No. If you're better at DMing than you are at playing, it's not "wrong" to DM exclusively.

Hypocrisy in this situation would consist of telling one of your players who's getting too attached to her character that she's being foolish and she needs to get over it, which is easy to do and no big deal. Or perhaps of being a sadistic killer DM who enjoys trashing the characters of those with a more average level of attachment, while laughing maniacally and calling them babies.

I hate killing PCs. I DM to write stories, and if your PC is going to die, you're going to go out in a way worthy of Gandalf himself.

Or if you want to play another PC, I might kill him off if there is no other option. And I mean NO other option. I'm just as happy for the adventurer retiring with the bar maid and raising a family as I am him getting his head cut off, if not more.

[Kaun]

Not because of this.

Honestly i am not even sure what part of this warrants asking the question to begin with?

[Morithias]

No.

Honestly i am not even sure what part of this warrants asking the question to begin with?

Am I a hypocrite, with willing to put OTHER peoples characters in danger, but not willing to risk my own characters.

That's the question. I'm not sure how to make it much more clear.

What are you confused about?

[scurv]

If their char is not in danger, then why are they playing?

[Kelb_Panthera]

I hate killing PCs. I DM to write stories, and if your PC is going to die, you're going to go out in a way worthy of Gandalf himself.

Or if you want to play another PC, I might kill him off if there is no other option. And I mean NO other option. I'm just as happy for the adventurer retiring with the bar maid and raising a family as I am him getting his head cut off, if not more.

Just don't let that sentiment result in your players running around in nerf world.

It's one thing to avoid intentionally seeking the deaths of your PC's. It's quite another to actively avoid letting them die. Make sure you do your best to challenge them, but let the dice fall where they may. Adventuring loses most of its meaning, no matter how great the story, if there's no real danger.

Anyway, no, you're not a hypocrite. If being a player involves too much emotional investment in your characters then being a DM is probably the best thing for you to do. You build enemy NPC's knowing that they're going to die at some point (usually) so it drastically lessens the impact when they do.

As long as you don't get too attached to the NPC's you'll do fine.

Like the others said, you won't be a hypocrite unless you belittle a player for being too attached to his characters.

[tensai_oni]

If their char is not in danger, then why are they playing?

There are other ways to threaten or motivate a player than just their character's death.

Also no risk of dying does not equal the players automatically winning every battle. Just that if they lose, there are consequences other than the PCs biting the dust.

[Kaun]

Am I a hypocrite, with willing to put OTHER peoples characters in danger, but not willing to risk my own characters.

That's the question. I'm not sure how to make it much more clear.

What are you confused about?

ahh ok,

still no.

You would be a hypocrite if you were upset at your players for being unwilling to put their own characters in danger.

[ThiagoMartell]

There are other ways to threaten or motivate a player than just their character's death.

Also no risk of dying does not equal the players automatically winning every battle. Just that if they lose, there are consequences other than the PCs biting the dust.

He said danger, not death.

[valadil]

That ended abruptly. I didn't see any hypocrisy in the post.

Where I thought you were going was that you got attached to your characters and hated that they died, but as a GM tried to kill off PCs. That would be hypocrisy.

If anything, I think your reason for GMing could be called a little selfish, but since GMing is often a selfish endeavor it's perfectly justifiable.

I GM out of selfishness. I have my own ideal of how a game should be run. When I run a game it's because I want to be part of a game that's being run in that particular way. I don't see anything wrong with this, but I'm clearly pretty biased in this case ;-)

[Slipperychicken]

Am I a hypocrite, with willing to put OTHER peoples characters in danger, but not willing to risk my own characters.


That doesn't make you a hypocrite.

Hypocrisy is a contradiction between word and deed. If you said "putting characters in danger is always wrong and no one should ever do it", then put characters in danger, that would make you a hypocrite. But you didn't (as far as I know) say anything like that, so you're good.

[Jay R]

Am I a hypocrite, with willing to put OTHER peoples characters in danger, but not willing to risk my own characters.

Of course not.

I don't smoke, but it's OK with me if others choose to.

I don't like to hang out in bars, but other people can. I'll even drive them there when it's convenient.

I don't play evil characters, but I allow them in my game.

Accepting that other people can choose to accept risks that I don't choose to risk isn't being a hypocrite. It's believing in personal choice and freedom.