The Advantages and Disadvantages of DMing

[Scorponok]

Due to unforeseen circumstances and timing, I now find myself with enough players to have a pretty good gaming group. However, I know I am right when I say that DMing consumes a lot of time and commitment. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of being a DM?

Advantages
- get to create storylines and characters to fill your world with. Not so much like being an author of your own interactive story.
- fuels your creativity and for those who recharge their creative energy this way, it is a great outlet.
- you and you alone know what will happen next in your story.

Disadvantages
- less time to consume on video games, TV, and other forms of entertainment.
- can consume your thoughts as you try to make sense of your NPCs thoughts and motivations.
- worry about how players may break your encounter and/or story.
- if you cannot make it due to illness, the game essentially stops.

What are other advantages and disadvantages of being a DM?

[Baldin]

One of the biggest disadvantages I find exist being a DM is that hou have to prepare before every session. As a player you just tel your character sheet with you and hou are done. As DM you need time to prepare before every session, no exeption.

Positive piont however is being able to create original encounters and even test character ideas. If you want to know hoe a curtain class combination Works, you can just put that combo in as a npc.

[Dousedinoil]

DMing is a lot of work but man is it worth it when everyone tells you how much fun they had :)

[John Longarrow]

For me, the greatest joy in DMing is putting forth an adventure that the players enjoy. I also get to tailor the game to the players desires. I always avoid trying to railroad a party, but I do break out the rat-bastard DM shirt from time to time. Nothing like catching the player by surprise...

I also run the kind of game I'd like to play in. Hopefully I'll be able to find a new group (since I've moved) where I can get others who enjoy the same style.

Biggest down side to DMing is the amount of time it takes to learn what your players are interested in. For me, I put a lot of the work in developing story arcs in their hands simply by making them tell me what they want. Makes it a LOT easier for me then. It is still more time-intensive than playing, but I also get to develop a lot of fun adventures!

[avr]

Unmentioned so far is that you're always involved and often the centre of attention. Whatever the current plot is it involves you, and you can't be taken out by having your character disabled.

That's fun, but it is tiring. If you're especially prone to being tired - because of sickness or chemotherapy, or because you tend to go out partying the night before - it can be too tiring.

[Darth Ultron]

Advantages
* You get to create something that can be great and make a long lasting impression on others and have it remembered forever.
* You get a chance to teach people things like moral lessons and other things.

Disadvantages
*You often have to be the adult of the group, no matter everyone's ages.
*You often must be tough to stop one person from ruining the groups fun

[Amphetryon]

Advantage: You get to craft the story around the PCs so that everyone has fun and thinks the adventure, and the world, are cohesive and satisfying.

Disadvantage: You have to craft the story around the PCs so that everyone has fun and thinks the adventure, and the world, are cohesive and satisfying.

[Uncle Pine]

Main advantage: you get to play all the cool characters you come up with as you introduce them in the story.
Main disadvantage: you never get to play the cool characters you come up with because you always know more or less what they'll do, how they'll die and what they'll be up against until that happens.

[OttoVonBigby]

An important disadvantage that I often think of is "that one player who turns out to be terrible and you just want him gone but you can't just kill his character and expect him to leave and why did I even invite him in the first place." You say your group is "pretty good." I hope that's true. (In other words, I'd DM way more than I do if I had a deeper bench of accessible and reliable players. I've really only DMed a "bad" group once and I'm so averse to repeating the experience that, well, I do fewer campaigns than I might.)

[atemu1234]

Disadvantages
*You often have to be the adult of the group, no matter everyone's ages.

Isn't this the truth. I DM for someone 10+ years older than me, and he's still one of the more immature ones of the group sometimes. Honestly, if I have to hear one more 'Rod of Lordly Might' joke, I may just need Snowbluff's help to hide the body.


An important disadvantage that I often think of is "that one player who turns out to be terrible and you just want him gone but you can't just kill his character and expect him to leave and why did I even invite him in the first place." You say your group is "pretty good." I hope that's true. (In other words, I'd DM way more than I do if I had a deeper bench of accessible and reliable players. I've really only DMed a "bad" group once and I'm so averse to repeating the experience that, well, I do fewer campaigns than I might.)

Eh, I find telling someone to correct their behaviour or leave is a worthwhile tactic, especially when you can explain why to the group.

[Pluto!]

Advantages:
I get to pick the game system/sources list.
I get to set the tone.

Disadvantages:
A player isn't buying off on a village besieged by Weremoles!? Inconceivable!

[John Longarrow]

Disadvantages:
A player isn't buying off on a village besieged by Weremoles!? Inconceivable!

We ALL know weremoles don't exist! Its just an urban legend. The truth is it all started with this fashion trend ONE wererat bard started after being hit by acid splash one to many times (or maybe dropping acid one to many times, still not clear on that). All those others are just slaves to an outdated fashion trend.

Course as DM you COULD make that be the reality and watch your players blank looks of abject horror... Especially when they start thinking of HOW the wererats get all of their hair removed...