Be kind to your DM
SIGH
Anyone out there a DM? Do you ever feel unappreciated?
As half the people out there reading this probably know, I run a weekly epic D&D campaign. This takes no small amount of effort, as creating challenging material for a party of 4-7 40th level characters is ... challenging. Especially when the number and mix of characters that bother to show up is kind of random from week to week. Be nice if I could decide not to make it once in a while.
I've been doing this for about a year and a half now, and frankly, I could use a 'thank you.' Not only do I write the material for every week, I keep a campaign log as well, something that itself takes up a couple of hours per week. So let's do the math:
I dunno. Am I asking too much? Two of my players are DMs themselves, you'd hope they'd realize how much work it is. Perhaps they could say "hey, you put a lot into this, we'll chip in and cover your dinner and beer" rather than "geez Burt, you eat a lot of pizza, you should chip in more."
Maybe I'm just grumpy because they've been whining recently about it being too hard and how they don't get any in-game help. Personally, I think the main whiner should stop drinking a bottle of wine every time we play and should pay more attention to the game and less attention to how important he thinks his character is and how many times I use monsters that grapple. I guess I should count my blessings that he's stopped complaining that he's on the "low end of the power curve."
I suppose a second gripe of mine is that I said at the outset I did not want to run an evil campaign, and they're turning into a bunch of egotistical rat-bastards that are no fun to run games for. Okay, maybe they are the most powerful people on the continent - it doesn't mean they have to be a bunch of dicks about it - have they considered that I have to play the part of every NPC that they feel like abusing? Ya-hoo what a lot of fun.
Argh.
And now a follow-up...
So I had a chat with two of the people. Ironically, the one I have no problem with (an over-the-top druid) immediately agreed to tone it down and pass on the word. The conversation with the true instigator went something like this:
I run a gritty campaign. It's hard. The characters are behind the scenes, and for the most part nobody knows who they are (though it does tend to be obvious that they shouldn't be messed with). Think of it as like a D&D version of Men in Black.
Anyone out there a DM? Do you ever feel unappreciated?
As half the people out there reading this probably know, I run a weekly epic D&D campaign. This takes no small amount of effort, as creating challenging material for a party of 4-7 40th level characters is ... challenging. Especially when the number and mix of characters that bother to show up is kind of random from week to week. Be nice if I could decide not to make it once in a while.
I've been doing this for about a year and a half now, and frankly, I could use a 'thank you.' Not only do I write the material for every week, I keep a campaign log as well, something that itself takes up a couple of hours per week. So let's do the math:
- Campaign Log: 2 hours per week
- Preparation: 2-8 hours per week
- Running the game: 3-6 hours per week
- Background (reading rules, game materials, etc): 3-6 hours per week
I dunno. Am I asking too much? Two of my players are DMs themselves, you'd hope they'd realize how much work it is. Perhaps they could say "hey, you put a lot into this, we'll chip in and cover your dinner and beer" rather than "geez Burt, you eat a lot of pizza, you should chip in more."
Maybe I'm just grumpy because they've been whining recently about it being too hard and how they don't get any in-game help. Personally, I think the main whiner should stop drinking a bottle of wine every time we play and should pay more attention to the game and less attention to how important he thinks his character is and how many times I use monsters that grapple. I guess I should count my blessings that he's stopped complaining that he's on the "low end of the power curve."
I suppose a second gripe of mine is that I said at the outset I did not want to run an evil campaign, and they're turning into a bunch of egotistical rat-bastards that are no fun to run games for. Okay, maybe they are the most powerful people on the continent - it doesn't mean they have to be a bunch of dicks about it - have they considered that I have to play the part of every NPC that they feel like abusing? Ya-hoo what a lot of fun.
Argh.
And now a follow-up...
So I had a chat with two of the people. Ironically, the one I have no problem with (an over-the-top druid) immediately agreed to tone it down and pass on the word. The conversation with the true instigator went something like this:
GrouchyDM:
BTW, we need to talk a little about the campaign. I don't like evil campaigns, and have personal moral issues with torture, intimidation, and other such things - this is becoming rather un-fun for me.
17 minutes later
Player#2:
ummm ok
GrouchyDM:
Just thought I should mention that in order to halt the trip to CE before I got too frustrated.
Player#2:
then we probably should talk before we feel as if we are being pushed in that direction
GrouchyDM:
Hmm .. you'll have to rephrase that .. I can't parse it.
(a minute and a half goes by with no response)
GrouchyDM:
I'll be blunt.
GrouchyDM:
You guys are supposed to be good guys.
GrouchyDM:
You'll have bad guys after you.
GrouchyDM:
If your group turns into bad guys too, then I won't want to run the campaign.
Player#2:
I'll be blunt
Player#2:
at the beginning (Player3) and I were the only "good guys"
Player#2:
I was the only one who acted "good"
Player#2:
got me no where
Player#2:
there is no good
Player#2:
goood does not seem to exist
Player#2:
intimidation is part of the game
GrouchyDM:
not in my game
GrouchyDM:
If the game becomes "abuse everyone" then there will be no game
Player#2:
I grant you the torture last week was over the top I will not do that again
Player#2:
that is a promise
GrouchyDM:
I'm not sure if you realize or not, but the setup of the campaign is intentionally such that your group are meant to be behind the scenes troubleshooters. There will rarely if ever be any kind of super public support for you guys - I've planned it to avoid the ego trip.
GrouchyDM:
But you have to realize that limited help is not equal to obstruction.
I run a gritty campaign. It's hard. The characters are behind the scenes, and for the most part nobody knows who they are (though it does tend to be obvious that they shouldn't be messed with). Think of it as like a D&D version of Men in Black.
- Kay: We do not discharge our spells in view of the public!
Jay: Man, we ain't got time for this cover-up bullshit! I don't know whether or not you've forgotten, but there's a demon aspect from the Far Realms that's about to...
Kay: There's always a demon aspect from the Far Realms, or a volcano full of living magma, or an interplanar horde of ethergaunts that is about to wipe out all life on this miserable little plane, and the only way these people can get on with their happy lives is that they Do... Not... Know about it!
- Player: I want to intimidate this person. (rolls dice) I got a 22.
DM: Okay, that's high enough. They seem inclined to do as you ask.