"RPG: DM/GM or Player?" Topic

When playing roleplaying games, do you prefer to be the Dungeonmaster/Gamemaster/umpire, or do you prefer to be a player?

Both about equally. I like DMing and creating the story (taps into my nature as a writer), but I also like participating as one of the heroes. Back in the days when I played RPGs, I always enjoyed taking a break from one to do the other.

I would love to play, but I'm one of those guys who DMs mostly because I like things to be just so. Not an*l retentive or anything like a back-seat driver. Probably a lot more of a thing where I'm willing to put in the time on whatever little thing comes up so that it works. Versus many casual DMs who might play looser than I enjoy.

Or maybe I'm just fussy and and competitive, and hate feeling cheated by the DM.

Player, but usually end up as GM

GM-i stink as a player

Either, though nowadays I'm generally the GM.

Rob

Both… depending on the group. I've got no urge to put on the GM hat for the guys I play with on Saturdays… but I'm having a blast running intermittant games for another group.

I've always loved to GM, but rarely get the opportunity these days.

DM, that way I know there will be a game

Would love to be a Regular player

Sometimes I like being one and sometimes I like being the other.

GM. I find being a player too boring. As a GM I have to be constantly on my toes, creating the world, and being a dozen NPC's or enemies. As a player, I end up stacking dice while the GM's attention is diverted elsewhere.

When Im playing Id rather DM. If I DM, I wish I could just sit back and play.

I'd like to be a player but I don't think that has happened in 20-25 years.

So I end up being the DM which is OK because of a lot of the previously mentioned reasons.

Some of you pointed out another main reason that I'd forgotten for me being DM. Nobody else wants to do the work so if there is gonna be a game it's gonna be me. And if someone else does volunteer, it quickly becomes a chore for them and the lack of effort makes me want more, so there I go running.

Now a real question is: how is it all the DMs are on this board? Did all the players grow up to have real lives and aren't bothering to chat about their pastimes?

DM. I love world building.

Both. I like playing as there is far less work, but I do enjoy tormenting my players. I'm lucky to be in a group with a number of people who can GM and enjoy doing it as well.

DM – I am an ego maniac.

Both.

I tried to go over the player, but I found out while I can run a fun game, I cannot play in a game to make it fun.

I am a Screen Monkey. And I know what side of the screen I belong.

"Screen Monkey" KOTDT reader?

"how is it all the DMs are on this board?"

I think DM's post to TMP and Players lurk.

DM's are generally more outgoing then players.

GM, because no one runs the games I want to be a player in.

I alternate. Usually, I play for a while, and then I get a hankering for GMing, run something for a while, go back to playing…

50/50 usually, although I probably prefer to be a player as I find so little time to prepare scenarios these days.

"Player, but usually end up as GM"

This, unfortunately. :/

GM as I always had plenty of detailed NPCs in there to satisfy that side of the game.

I do both, but mostly, for the past 32 years, I've been DM'ing. I love it, my players love my games, and we cooperatively tell the stories. I have a hard time as a player, though, as I have a very strong sense of "how it should be", and that can be difficult in other DM's games… It's all good, though, as it humbles me, and sometimes I gain insight into things I should have done differently in my game. I enjoy both, very much. RPG'ing is my favorite pastime, by far. Cheers!

DM – I hate not knowing what's really going on in the game world.

Skippy is too down on himself
he is a good GM if inconsistent but
everyone loves his games when we can get
him to run them.
He always surprises me as a player and has
the most varied characters in our group
(IE he doesn't play a nazi drow, a brooding loner, or
a fey gawd in every game and he knows who does!

With me it depends
I'm a player lots because
when I do run I spend alot of time
researching and creating background.

so both but about 75% player and 25% GM

I like the idea of being a player but the reality is I just do not have the tolerance for the average player to be willing to cooperate with their antics…that said, if I could find another quality gaming group I would be happy with either title.

As it is, I prefer the GM aspect as the creative process is rewarding in itself.

So I can get recreational rewards for setting up a game regardless if it gets play time.

I do both. I love coming up with stories too much to ever give up being a GM. And I love creating characters too much to ever stop playing. The challenge is getting players interested in what I want to GM, and someone interested in GMing something I wanna play.

I like being GM, but I rarely get to play because my group likes my scenarios & rules.

About 50/50….

I far prefer to play, but I wind up DMing more than I play. Something to do with the players enjoying my attempts to wipe them out. They haven't taken the hint and seem to come back for more..

Do not mind

My group had started because several of us had wanted to run games, but there was one yahoo that basically refused to play (or played very, very stupid).

So we all took turns. I suck at DMing… I just cannot come up with a decent story.

"I just cannot come up with a decent story"

Look to classic American Westerns or the Japanese Chanbara movies for assistance in this direction.

You get the settings, the story structure, characters to insert, etc.

Lion in the Stars-Only write 1/3rd of your story, the players write the other 2/3rds, just don't let them know it.

Take a cliche and twist it. Villains never see themselves as a bad guy..and what if the villain is right?..Give choices to the players and remind them nothing is without cost.

Every player should have a Edge and a Doodad they feel comfortable with. Make sure your npc's also have theirs.

Always end a campaign with another beginning, not neccessarily the same genre or timeline but a theme connection.

Thanks guys. Unfortunately, I feel into the Mission:Impossible trap. I had some scenes that were cool, but not enough story to tie them together worked out ahead of time.

GM, otherwise it's the same dungeon, week after week.

Ho-hum, kill the orc mooks, burn the Gelatinous cube in the pit-trap like every other week…

Then I took the DM role, created a holy war between the North(Dwarf/human/elven/halflings) and South (Orcs/Goblins/gnoll/drow) that is consuming the border lands, political intrigue and made their clandestine raids decide the tide of war.

The games went from a drag to a blast.

Player for me.

GM, if only I had players :-S

When I am a player I keep thinging about being a GM.
When I Gm I keep thinking about how great it would be to just play the game.

Ideally I'd love to play more, but I'm nearly always the GM.

Best method I ever enjoyed was a group of six regular players with a single campaign, each player running adventures they had written in the context of the campaign, trading off GM duties each week. Everybody got to play, everybody got to GM. It was a blast.

I'd prefer to be a player, but being the GM can be fun as well.

In a perfect world, it would be great to be able to be both, for many elements of the game. Assuming some automated processes and/or random die-rolling charts, that might be possible, in some cases.

DM. I've had trouble finding DM's to play with who didn't have the misconception that the game is "their" story. It isn't.. the DM simply has the map and if the players want to spend the night chasing chickens around the inn's back lot, that's their problem. I have coffee, pizza, dice, and time to kill until they get back to their senses.

Valator.. nah you have it wrong.. you let them chase the chickens until the rabbid stray dog arrives and all hell breaks loose.. then you eat the pizza whilst killing the party. ;)