Stepping Away from being a DM

[MrStabby]

In a few months I will be pulling together about three years of a campaign and stepping down from the DM role.

During the time I have been a DM I have also played quite a bit but they have always been short side adventures with temporary characters - still fun but not a new campaign.

To be honest i am a little worried. As a DM things are pretty easy when you get used to it. No rulings can go against you and if you think you have been to tight in an interpretation it is your prerogative to loosen up the interpretation. Everything is disposable - the PCs kill an NPC and the world changes. You just use it to move the plot on. When you have one character does it become harder to actually portray the self sacrificing guy for fear of losing the character you have invested so much in (although to be fair fear of survival is still probably a pale imitation of the fear that would be felt were the PC to be real!).

As a DM there is not much by way of lost opportunity - that cool thing you didn't do because a PC counterspelled it or killed an important person before it happened? No big deal. There is an unending stream of potential cool things. For a PC a great use of a fun ability is a bit tighter - develop your character and your character's reputation through what they can do is great, but you don't always get many more chances to use some niche abilities, at least not before levelling up and those abilities becoming surpassed.

As a DM it doesn't matter is someone doesn't find some treasure they would have appreciated. A few sessions later they can probably raid a different treasure vault. As a PC you don't know how long it will be till you find a new toy.

How have people found the shift back to being a player after DMing a long campaign? Is it easy or is it hard? Is it refreshing to be able to flesh out one person rather than a world or is it really constraining to have such limited control over what is happening? I don't think this is a big issue and I am sure I will get used to it pretty qucikly but just curious as to how other people have found it?

[sophontteks]

You'll probably be thinking all these toxic thoughts in your head. Something like "If I was DM..."

[MarkVIIIMarc]

Play a Bard at least. As a DM even when we do premades I have to study between sessions and pretty much be on my game during the session.

As a PC there is not as much pressure. Between sessions its easy, sometimes we group text or Facebook a plan or joke.

During sessions as DM I have to make clear what is going on and get the PC's near death but not hopelessly.

As a PC I really have my character to worry about. One time the Rogue decided to pretend to be on the bad guy's side and bolo'd my PC but that is about the worse.

I suggest playing a Bard. They take a bit of planning to set up right the way they have magic but can't trade out spells ever/except on leveling up.

[hymer]

How have people found the shift back to being a player after DMing a long campaign? Is it easy or is it hard? Is it refreshing to be able to flesh out one person rather than a world or is it really constraining to have such limited control over what is happening? I don't think this is a big issue and I am sure I will get used to it pretty qucikly but just curious as to how other people have found it?

It's been a while for me since I last got to play as player, but the thing I most remember is the relief of just having to show up with an updated character. No hours long work sessions before each session, and very little pressure to 'perform'. My most annoying moments were with a GM who decided to change the rules to some (pretty poorly thought out) homebrew about eight sessions in. That campaign died about two sessions later.
There's also the matter of every time a ruling is called for, some players will look at you. You may know the rules better than the GM, but I suggest you repress blurting out the ruling, and try to redirect attention to them GM.

All in all, it wasn't as hard on me as it was on the ones taking up the GM mantle, I think, and it did do wonders for my creativity and joy of working on campaigns when there was no immediate pressure to publish.

[Blood of Gaea]

I've bounced between being a player and a DM. My best advice is to try to relax, become your character, and let the DM be the on-scene judge. A bad ruling messed you up? Give a correction if you can do so quickly, then roll with the answer and then discuss the ruling out of session. You'll also need to accept that whoever is DMing will not have an identical style to you, so some things may just be done in ways you wouldn't.

Don't be afraid to give the new DM advice/help, but avoid doing so mid-game.

[Darth Ultron]

I find the metagame part hard as a player. I know the rules and have a good understanding of game play.

So it's hard when DM Dumbledorf can't remember the DC for a locked door....and ruins the whole game with that one detail.