Are you mostly a DM or a player?

[darjr]

I'm mostly a DM. Actually it's more like I'm always a DM. I think I've played once in the last year but run once or twice or more every week. And throw in a few conventions as well.

But I love to DM. And I kinda rather prefer it.

I'm not entirely sure why. I think in part I love to entertain, but I must admit that I also like being the center of attention and kinda in charge, plus I'm part of all the turns.

Dave.

[PhoenixPhyre]

I'm mostly a DM. Actually it's more like I'm always a DM. I think I've played once in the last year but run once or twice or more every week. And throw in a few conventions as well.

But I love to DM. And I kinda rather prefer it.

I'm not entirely sure why. I think in part I love to entertain, but I must admit that I also like being the center of attention and kinda in charge, plus I'm part of all the turns.

Dave.

I'm usually a DM. I'm in a group as a player, but during the school year I'll be DM for at least 3 groups.

I can do either, but like DMing because I love seeing what the players come up with. I'm not too creative as a player, but love having prep time to throw twists. I also like worldbuilding. For me, it's the difference between being the conductor of an orchestra (made up of people all playing different songs simultaneously, with no control over what they play) and being a player in such an orchestra. I love trying to herd cats, I guess.

[Hooligan]

A player. So much.

I've played D&D for 20 years, DMd for half that. Well it's fun and rewarding in a certain way, I find it to be a lot of work. And I find the kind of fun and satisfaction it provides, to not be the kind of thrill I get from sitting on the other side of the screen.

[Sariel Vailo]

I dm i do it for when our other group members get involved dmpcs stealing spotlight or unnecasarry pc sacrifice doubles.i prefer to play

[mephnick]

I've been a player for like 3 session in the course of 15 years, so I can't really compare. I like DMing, but I distinctly remember having a blast during those 3 sessions as a player. My 4 on 4 off schedule really doesn't work for gaming unless I'm running the game and setting the schedule.

After my current campaign ends I believe someone else will actually be DMing and I've been sitting here for like 3 months making characters absolutely stoked to just relax and be player. DMing is fun and rewarding, but it's work and I definitely don't find it relaxing.

[INDYSTAR188]

I always DM. Aside from the AL, if I don't DM there's no game. I don't mind, I actually really like being DM but a break every once in a while would be nice. There are lots of character ideas I have and don't use as npc's to avoid DMPC.

[mephnick]

There are lots of character ideas I have and don't use as npc's to avoid DMPC.

I put character build ideas into NPC's that might follow the party sometimes, but there's so much other **** to keep track of they end up just being another monster and I don't get the satisfaction of actually trying out that build. I guess I avoid most DMPC problems by not having the energy to focus on my NPC :smalltongue:

[ZorroGames]

OD&D player morphed into DM; AD&D DM, rarely player. Today in 5e I just play in AL games but I resist the urge to DM a homebrew/offshoot campaign because I remember the work that creating two world settings were and I have other calls on my time this late in life.

[Hrugner]

I DM occasionally. We take turns DMing at our table based on who is available, has the free time, and a story ready. I'm currently DMing but I can go months just playing. I currently prefer DMing since the two other people running right now are using 5th ed and I just can't get into it.

[EvilAnagram]

I mostly DM. Fortunately, there are enough competent DMs around for me to get to play every now and then.

[hymer]

I DM pretty much exclusively. Which is annoying, because I like to be a player at least every once in a while. If I had to choose between always being a player and always being a DM, I'd pick DM. But it always seems to me that DMing gives me an appetite for playing, and playing gives me inspiration for DMing.

It's hard to argue with nobody else in my group having the time and inclination to DM. Considering how much of a chore it seems sometimes, no wonder those who can find the time don't want to do it.

[Gtdead]

Im mostly a player. I like to dabble in world building but I prefer to live in it rather than manage it.

[mgshamster]

There are only two DMs in my group, and when the other guy DMs, the other players hate it. So that leaves me.

I do try to play AL and do PBP games. I DM about half the AL games I play, and I don't DM PBP anymore unless it's an AL game.

[Draco4472]

I suppose that depends on the group. I prefer to play with more experienced players so that I can roleplay easier without overwhelming them, and reflavor spells or abilities without confusing someone. I can DM in either case but prefer contributing to a campaign's story rather then provide the framework.

[LaserFace]

I'm kind of a forever-DM. I get opportunities to play, but it's rare that I actually want to; I have particular tastes and feel like if I'm going to experience the sort of game I want, I basically have to be the guy running it. I do enjoy DMing quite a bit, though, so it's not really a problem for me. Other folks seem to enjoy it as well, so it works.

Sometimes I just get too busy to run regular sessions, though, so, when a good friend grabbed the reins and started a new campaign, I was eager to sign-on. It's really nice to get a chance to be a player in a good game.

[Inchoroi]

I'm a ForeverDMTM. If I get to play, its usually when someone wants to be a DM, thinks they're ****ing amazing at it, but suck giant monkey balls at every aspect of the game. Not even know the damn rules, to the point where I have to pull out my Monster Manual and tell him how a monster works.

No, I'm not bitter about it, why do you ask?

I'd like to be a player, occasionally, for a good DM that's prepared and able to keep up with me. I've yet to find one that can do the kind of games I enjoy, the sort of gritty, mystery-laden travails that are dramatic yet allow the Players to be the ones that drive the plot; the saying, "The setting drives the characters that drives the plot," is about what I'm saying. The previously mentioned DM had this thing where we were "playing" his story, and had to have our characters do what he thought we were supposed to do, and when we didn't do that, he got angry and flabbergasted and couldn't figure out why we weren't having fun. His campaign and setting were just so original!

Blegh. The whole experience left a bad taste in the entire party's mouth. Unfortunately, the guy in question wanted to be remembered for his game, and, in a way, he got his wish...just really not in the way he intended. All in all, though, I do miss the bastard, as he was an awesome player, even if he couldn't accept that his characters weren't immortal demigods (I killed two of them, one with piranha swarms; he did not take it well).

[Waterdeep Merch]

I'm usually a DM, though I've been getting a lot more player time in 5e thanks to more of my usual player-base getting the gumption to try their hand at DMing.

Even so, I'm very much the preferred DM for a lot of these players. So the light's already fading from a lot of their eyes, and it's likely I'll go back to getting to play only during one-off sessions and conventions.

I'd be upset, but I really do like world building and the art of game design.

[Twizzly513]

I'm a ForeverDMTM. If I get to play, its usually when someone wants to be a DM, thinks they're ****ing amazing at it, but suck giant monkey balls at every aspect of the game. Not even know the damn rules, to the point where I have to pull out my Monster Manual and tell him how a monster works.

No, I'm not bitter about it, why do you ask?

I'd like to be a player, occasionally, for a good DM that's prepared and able to keep up with me. I've yet to find one that can do the kind of games I enjoy, the sort of gritty, mystery-laden travails that are dramatic yet allow the Players to be the ones that drive the plot; the saying, "The setting drives the characters that drives the plot," is about what I'm saying.

This is exactly what I feel. I almost wish I had more experience as a player...

[Ninja-Radish]

In 5E I'm always the DM, by choice. I don't like being a player in this system, the classes are all just too simplistic and basic. There's not enough to keep me engaged as a player so I'm always bored. As a DM, there's enough to do to keep me interested.

In 4E and Pathfinder, I was always the player. Those systems have more complex mechanics that keep me interested and engaged as a player.

[Inchoroi]

This is exactly what I feel. I almost wish I had more experience as a player...

I have to admit, however, that if I'm honest I'm a better DM than a player. With the exception of one character, they're all very similar sorts, usually based off whatever book I happened to read last. The only one that wasn't...well, was for that last game with that terrible DM. It was quite disappointing, as it was the most fun character I've ever gotten to play, but it was in such a terrible game.

[Theodoxus]

I started as the DM for 5E, coaching my group on the differences between 3.P and 5 (I dabbled in 4E, but none of the current group at the time 5E came out had.)

After the first campaign finished, a couple guys tried their hand - they were old hats at 3.P DMing, so it wasn't a bad transition. I got to play for about a year, before the DM bug bit again. At that point, the original group had split up due to mundania, so I entered into the Meetup quagmire of players. Found a few games, played in them - didn't really like the experience and decided to run my own.

I enjoy finding gems in the rough - players who aren't full of themselves. The kind who aren't so jaded they think they're gods gift to gaming, but either grok the rules quickly, or come prepared to have fun. My least favorite experience is the BS sessions before you start the days' adventures where the old timers start off "no ****, there I was..." and go into some remembrance tirade of some session they played 15 years ago that no one else at the table was there for, and we all smile and nod while quietly not giving a rats behind about some ancient game session with outdated mechanics.

As a player, you have to tolerate the banality of humanity. As a DM, you get to pick and choose which gems you'll keep and which you won't invite back (or make life so miserable, if they return, they won't come back). That's probably why I don't play/run AL - from what I've seen, you have to let whomever shows up with an official character, play - regardless if they're a roleplayer, roll-player, troll or deviant...

[Jophiel]

When I started back in 1st edition AD&D, I was almost always the DM. Played for years like that and, to be honest, the few times I was a player I wasn't very good at it since I never had to really fit into player dynamics as a DM.

These days I only own the PHB and let others run the campaign. Maybe someday I'll take up DM'ing again but for now I'm happy to let someone else run the table.

[Scripten]

Outside of the internet, I'm almost always the DM. Mostly because I enjoy worldbuilding, but also because game design is a particular hobby of mine. I do enjoy playing, though, hence why I come online to play.

[WhiteWolf]

I have two 5e games a week, one is a homebrew campaign that I DM and the other is Curse of Strahd in which I'm a player. I've been DMing my campaign for 6 months now, and in a few weeks I'm going to take a break and allow a player to take over as DM with his own campaign. From then on we're going to switch back and forth between the two every few months or so, to allow us both some time playing and DMing. The CoS game I'm in will be ending soon and I'm going to take over as DM in that group after, to allow the DM to get a chance to play. I'll be running a pirate campaign for that group and have homebrewed some firearms rules that I'm going to introduce when the players reach Lvl 8-ish, (they're starting at Lvl 3).
So I'll continue to have one game a week where I play and one where I DM, I'll just be switching which group I DM for.
I would say that in an ideal world I'd prefer playing, but in reality, I find it hard to find DMs that give me exactly what I want as a player. On the other hand, as a DM I can run the game exactly how I want, include whatever house rules I like and add in homebrewed content but getting some of my players to invest is proving challenging. I'm looking forward to switching which group I DM for, I think this arrangement will be a better fit for what I'm looking for, both as a player and a DM.

[Anonymouswizard]

In 5E I'm always the DM, by choice. I don't like being a player in this system, the classes are all just too simplistic and basic. There's not enough to keep me engaged as a player so I'm always bored. As a DM, there's enough to do to keep me interested.

I'm the opposite, I tend to find 5e doesn't give me enough when GMing. This is actually relatively common with me and D&D, but it's the worst in 5e.

Now I love to GM. I absolutely adore it. I leave tweaking the bits of the system to fit my world, making up my perfect selection of mooks and NPCs, crafting a couplefolder full of major NPCs, detailing the world or universe, coming up with the military's tactics, and so on. But D&D has just felt too static for me, like there's not enough flexibility baked into the rules. All the games I love to GM are either lighter than 5e or use a more flexible core mechanic (such as Fate), with 5e I either get bogged down on how much hp a decent soldier would have or I just use premade monsters, which is much less satisfying.

5e's combat is also far too central for me. The games I like tend to make combat relatively deadly or deliberating, something to avoid because everything else will be challenging. In 5e if I include a combat encounter I can expect it to take an hour, compared to the 15 minutes it takes in some games, as once you leave the early levels hp bloat kicks in. In Rocket Age most combats will end by talking to the opponents or completing your run away action before the enemy has a chance to fire, in Traveller a single hit has a decent chance of wiping out your ability to resist disease. I'd much rather have the PCs try to outmanoeuvre their opponents via some other means.

So I mainly GM, except for 5e.

[KorvinStarmast]

OD&D: mostly play, a little DM
Empire of the Petal Throne: DM only
AD&D 1e: DM a lot, play a lot
AD&D2e: player mostly
BX/BECMI: DM only (Easy to run, but didn't play a lot of it)
3.x: a little play and then no thanks
4e: NA
5e Play only so far, but am putting together my part of the shared world our group is piecing together so that I can DM starting sometime in the fall to give our DM a break. (I wish my nephew would restart his campaign, it was pretty fun, but RL happens ...)

My favorite part about being DM is the unexpected decisions players make. You have to think on your feet, sometimes while cracking up with laughter.
Oh, and usually someone else buys the pizza.

[jas61292]

I probably DM a bit more than I play. Ideally is prefer to play a bit more, but with my group, I'm the only one who both is consistently willing to DM and consistently has the time for it. I'm hoping in the near future my personal favorite DM friend will have a better living situation that will let him DM more, but currently, I'm definitely the one who has to do it most. I don't mind. I like DMing. But I have so many characters I want to try playing and never seem to get the chance.

[Beastrolami]

I prefer to DM for a few reasons.

1. I may be a control freak.
2. I like to know everything that's going on and I like complex plans. Both fit the DM position pretty well.
3. I like complex characters. Yes, you can be a complex character as a player, but the DM allows you to roleplay multiple complex characters who have motivations besides stay with party to defeat bbeg, and beyond. Often my PCs will retire, or become hostile npcs depending on how much they like the party.
4. I have so many stories to tell, and it is easier to tell a story as a Dm than as a player.

[MrStabby]

DM... almost always. No regrets.

Sometimes as a player I have to suppress some bad personality traits. Not much, but just aware that I can get a bit envious of other characters sometimes. Not that anyone would know. On the other hand as a DM I can balance things, i can try and make things awesome for everyone and when someone is having a tough time I can at least know that the encounter round the next corner will favour them.

I guess being a DM takes away my competitive edge and can make it more fun for me.

[CaptainSarathai]

I'm a ForeverDMTM. If I get to play, its usually when someone wants to be a DM, thinks they're ****ing amazing at it, but suck giant monkey balls at every aspect of the game. Not even know the damn rules, to the point where I have to pull out my Monster Manual and tell him how a monster works.

No, I'm not bitter about it, why do you ask?

I'd like to be a player, occasionally, for a good DM that's prepared and able to keep up with me. I've yet to find one that can do the kind of games I enjoy, the sort of gritty, mystery-laden travails that are dramatic yet allow the Players to be the ones that drive the plot; the saying, "The setting drives the characters that drives the plot," is about what I'm saying. The previously mentioned DM had this thing where we were "playing" his story, and had to have our characters do what he thought we were supposed to do, and when we didn't do that, he got angry and flabbergasted and couldn't figure out why we weren't having fun. His campaign and setting were just so original!

Blegh. The whole experience left a bad taste in the entire party's mouth. Unfortunately, the guy in question wanted to be remembered for his game, and, in a way, he got his wish...just really not in the way he intended. All in all, though, I do miss the bastard, as he was an awesome player, even if he couldn't accept that his characters weren't immortal demigods (I killed two of them, one with piranha swarms; he did not take it well).

I feel very similarly to this, really. I think it's something that a lot of good DMs fall into - you understand how to make the game that it could be, and the other person just isn't pulling through.
Recently, I quit as a player in a newbie DM's group, full of new players. I thought that the other players would follow me out, but the fact is, they didn't really mind that his campaign was a railroaded bore-fest. To them, that's what D&D was. They all have come over to play in my game as well (except one player who was already in another group) and they really enjoy it. Still, they always chase the most obvious, glowing lead as though they're on rails. At least I'm having fun though, and the game is being run with the correct rules, interesting encounter design, and they're not forced onto rails. I wish, so very badly, that I could play for an at least competent DM. But I don't. I have a very hard time finding them.

[mephnick]

I feel very similarly to this, really. I think it's something that a lot of good DMs fall into - you understand how to make the game that it could be, and the other person just isn't pulling through.

Yeah. Unfortunately it's natural, but I can't even watch podcasts without constantly thinking "Wow that was a bad ruling." Doesn't matter if it's some nobody's game or Critical Role. Actually the "good" streams everyone likes are probably the worst for this.

[Hooligan]

Wow. I'm relieved that some of you "elite" DMs stick to that rather than playing with bumpkins who can't keep up with you, as you sound like you'd be a red hot pain in the a**hole to play with.

[mephnick]

Wow. I'm relieved that some of you "elite" DMs stick to that rather than playing with bumpkins who can't keep up with you, as you sound like you'd be a red hot pain in the a**hole to play with.

Well..I feel I'm be a pretty elite player too, so I wouldn't want to deprive anyone of that experience either. :smalltongue:

[KorvinStarmast]

I guess being a DM takes away my competitive edge and can make it more fun for me. Yeah, nicely said. You've put your finger on something I could not quite put into words. I like that, as a DM, I have the ability to make sure everyone gets a bit of spot light time. That is to me important to keeping the group together. As a player, I sometimes try to help with that also, for two reasons:
I have to put a brake on my type A personality. Trying to support/enable another player helps do that.

I frequently guess wrong on what other players will do, and love the surprise (and occasional dismay) at decisions they make that I would not.


I'm relieved that some of you "elite" DMs stick to that rather than playing with bumpkins who can't keep up with you, as you sound like you'd be a red hot pain in the a**hole to play with. Hmm, any player can (during a given session) trip over the trigger that awakens the inner orifice you describe; for some people it lurks near the surface (and thus one must be aware of it, sort of a self awareness thing) while for others it is buried so deep that you never see it (or almost never). This is where the DM role in D&D is in part facilitator; you have to read the people at the table and adapt accordingly. When someone's inner orifice manifests itself, the DM response can be mitigated by the player group response. In some groups (ours) we know each other so well that when that arises (it's rare at this point) we have so many signals we send each other that it's almost self policing. In other groups, where either players don't know each other so well or the variations in force of personality are wider, the DM has to do a bit of damage control pronto. (And sometimes it means "Five minute break for beer/bathroom, another piece of pizza!" as a defusing method).