when u wanna dm for ur friends but they all listen to taz & ur nervous
Aw man, I know this is a joke but this makes me sad.
Did you actually listen to TAZ? Like actually? Griffin was a garbage DM at first. The show was good anyway because he and his family are funny. His DMing was the pits. He figured it out as he went. So will you.
DMs are always in short supply. It’s like finding a top at an S&M club. Everybody wants to show up and get into character and have a good time, very few people want to do the work.
Here’s what I think you need to be a good DM:
- Be totally comfortable not being the center of attention. This might sound weird, because the DM literally gets to sit behind a special screen and call all the shots, but if you’re a good DM, you fade into the background. The PCs are the stars of the story. Your NPCs are there to facilitate their story. Your plot exists to enrich their story. They are the party: you are the host. If that sounds rewarding to you, perfect.
- Be flexible. When you’re out with your friend and your friend suddenly changes all of your plans for the day, does that stress you out? Or are you just like, sure, cool, whatever, this new bullshit sounds good too. Because your plans will need to change on the fly all the time, as a DM, and that has to be not just okay, but natural and expected and fun.
- Have a weird knack for keeping track of a lot of things at once. When you play videogames, do you always go for the class that has as many buttons to press as possible? Great, that’s what you need.
- Don’t be too put off by thankless tasks. You’re going to work really hard preparing for every session, and if you do your job well…your players going to be too excited talking about all of the amazing stuff they did to remember that you put in hours and hours of work on the back end to make that happen.
- Be okay with confrontation. Sometimes, your players will challenge you on something unexpectedly. Sometimes, your players will be dicks. Can you see yourself looking your friend in the eye and saying, “Hey, Jeremy. You’re being a dick. Chill”? Then you’re good.
I think that’s it? Does that sound like you? Then you’ll be a great DM. Don’t compare yourself to people like Griffin, a professional entertainer who has the power to edit out awkward silences from his sessions before you hear them, or Matt Mercer, who has been DMing for a bazillion years. They’re great and fun and I’ve learned from watching them, but they have very different styles and so will you.
DMing is honestly one of the most rewarding creative things I’ve ever done. Don’t let yourself miss out on something so good because you think that if you don’t get a laugh a minute, or create a custom soundtrack, that your players will be disappointed. Your players will like your game better, because they’ll get to PLAY in your game.
This is *chef kiss* wonderful advice!
Don’t be afraid to DM kids. Just because there are great DMs out there doesn’t mean you won’t be one too!
