Afraid you’re a bad Dungeon Master? Do it anyway
So, you’ve run a couple of Dungeons & Dragons games as dungeon master, but you’re not feeling great about it. The sessions seemed to drag. You felt like you were always flipping through the Player’s Handbook.
A couple of characters bickered and you couldn’t do anything about it. Maybe there were even technical issues if you gamed online, or if you were at a table, maybe the chips tasted stale and the soft drinks flat. Maybe, dread of all dreads, a total-party-kill took place. Against flumphs.
In other words, the games sucked, and you feel like you’re to blame for all of it.
Don’t become discouraged, be a Dungeon Master!
It happens. No matter your game or your experience level, every once in a while there is a bad gaming night. Sometimes there are a couple or several in a row. For players, it can be a drag, but for the game master, it can feel downright personal. After all, the game master is the person in charge, the one who spent time putting together the adventure for the night, maybe including hours upon hours of work.
A bad gaming session can feel especially disastrous for a beginning dungeon master or game master. Their nerves are shattered. Maybe they are embarrassed. Maybe they feel as if they have let everyone down. They fear the gaming group will fall apart, or maybe even that they will lose a friend or two.
Don’t think that way. Please. Keep in mind there are always other games and players are always looking for a DM or GM. Game masters often seem in short supply, and the role playing hobby needs as many as possible. You had a bad night. Big deal. Move on.
Easier said than done, of course, but realize not everything during a bad session is necessarily the fault of the game master. Technical issues can abound, and there is no way to anticipate them or of what they will consist. Sometimes a player is in a bad mood for whatever reason and they bring it to the table, and sometimes a pair (or more) of players simply can’t get along no matter what.
And keep in mind, after a bad night of playing game master, even an old pro might think he or she should take a step back for a while. Sometimes that is necessary, giving oneself time to think about how to improve. Sometimes all one needs is a change of pace or a period of reflection.
However, if you are new to being a dungeon master, consider the emotional momentum you could lose by not pressing ahead. If too much time passes between games you run, your anxiety level will possibly increase, not decrease. You might give yourself too much time to think, allowing your mind to wander down negative paths which you would be better off ignoring.
See, one of the general rules for being a good dungeon master is that the more you do it, the better you will be at it. It might take time, but eventually you will get into your own flow. With that time you’ll learn the rules, at least the most-used ones, and you’ll become familiar with where to find other rules in a quick manner. You’ll become more familiar with feeling out players and characters, getting to know their individual styles of play, what they want from a game. You might even discover after a while that you’ve grown comfortable with being the game master, that you like it so much you want to run a lengthy campaign that could last months or even years.
Tips for Dungeon Masters
Besides sticking to it and continuing as a GM, there are a few other things you can do to help yourself.
1.) First off, don’t forget about a Session 0. If you aren’t familiar with the idea, a Session 0 is the first gathering of the players with the game master. Often this is when and where the players will create their characters, sometimes with guidance from the GM.
Usually there will be little to no actual role playing or gaming during this session, but that is not always the case. Session 0 can be instrumental in helping the GM learn from his or her players what they want from their time together, and it can give the GM time to inform the players of the style and direction of play he or she hopes will take place. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of a Session 0, because often the difficulties a GM or players might run into later could have been circumvented by clear communication from the beginning.
2.) Go easy on yourself. If it’s your first time as a DM or GM, or even if it’s your second or third or tenth time, don’t beat yourself up too much. Everybody has a bad session from time to time. There will always be other games.
3.) After the game, ask the players what they thought. Keep in mind here you have to keep an open mind and be willing to take criticism. Most players won’t go out of their way to trash you, but criticism can still sting. You might ask their opinions right after the gaming session is finished, but you might also ask it a day or two later, giving them some time away from the immediacy of the experience.
4.) Always keep in mind that everyone is in the game to have fun. As game master you hold a high level of responsibility for that fun, but you are not the only one. The players have some responsibility, too, so don’t be afraid to let them roll with some good old role playing for a while during a session so you can have a moment or two to catch your breath.
5.) As a general rule, side with the players. No game master wants to be walked on, and if things are too easy for the players there might not be much fun, but far worse is an antagonistic game master. If you come off as being unfair to your players, they are not likely to want to play with you again.
6.) Don’t be afraid to make it up as you go. This is one of my personal favorite tips for dungeon masters. Some dungeon masters like to have everything planned out before hand, maps drawn, stats for villains at their fingertips, etc. All that is well and good, and it can be handy at the table, but planning too much can make a game feel stale. More importantly, all that planning could go by the wayside within the first few minutes of a gaming session because the players might decide to do something different than what the GM wants. Again, it happens. But don’t force the players into encounters and situations which they do not seek out simply so you can tell the story you want or to make all your work seem worthwhile.
Okay, that’s enough for this week. I hope some of my suggestions will help anyone new to being a dungeon master. Remember, if you’re new to being a GM and it doesn’t feel right to you, don’t give up too soon. Maybe you’ll eventually decide playing the GM isn’t right for you, but give it a proper chance first.
And while you’re at it, Stay Nerdy!
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