I stole the idea for this article shamelessly from this post about writing by Brunonia Barry: Why Do You Write?
Think about those moments just after your friends leave your house after a game session. For me, it's a matter of trying to shake off that good, emotionally tired feeling long enough to clean up a little, feed the dogs and cats, and even pay a little attention to my wife, who I've ignored for the sake of an afternoon of gaming.
I'm usually relieved when the session ends. I'm not naturally an extroverted person, and taking center stage for 4-6 hours can be tiring. We have a great group, and almost always have a great time -- even when the game itself is a little wobbly (we're play testing). And I'm totally comfortable with our group -- we're very old friends at this point. But I'm still tired, wrung out. And everyone in the house needs something from me, so I have to push on.
And this is what I do for fun? This is how I rest up for another week of work?
View attachment 57626
The Pool Table Question
I've got other hobbies and pastimes. One of them is pool (billiards). I play in a little local league one night a week, and my game is gradually improving from terrible to meh. When I'm there on league nights, I'm focused on my game, on watching other players as they plan their shots, and put good energy into getting better at pool.
In a few weeks, a good friend is moving out of state, and she has a pool table in her basement that she needs to unload. I'd love to take it off her hands, but the problem is space. I've got a pretty sweet gaming setup these days, and to make room for a pool table in the house I'd have to take that down.
So, there's the dilemma. Snap up the offered pool table, or preserve my gaming setup.
Our group manages to play a depressing 1-2 times a month lately - we used to be more regular, but RL has been a real cranky SOB lately. I could use the pool table every day -- and when game days come around either play somewhere else or find a way to play on top of the pool table.
I thought about it a long time. We used to play at a friend's house, sitting around a 4'x8' sheet of plywood on top of a pool table. It was a little too high to sit at, the pool table made it hard to get your legs under it, and so on. Far from ideal. But it worked.
But, in the end, a more important factor occurred to me. I focus on my pool game while I'm in the pool hall, but when I walk out the door, and start the drive home, my head drops right back into thinking about my campaigns.
I'm always thinking about my campaigns. When I have down time, what I'd rather be doing is gaming. If gaming isn't on the table, and Pool is, I'll play pool. Or go to a movie. Or read a book. Or walk the dogs. But as soon as my brain can go back to zero, it's going to fall right back into thinking about my games.
Discover Your Bliss
So, I like playing and running games. But what is it about the game that I like so much -- especially given that I find the sessions tiring?
We've all heard that old Joseph Campbell saw a few too many times, but I think it's important as a DM to think about the things about your game that provide you that satisfaction.
Which part of the DMing experience is the most satisfying for you?
Your Game Master's Statement
In her article about writing, Barry recommends an exercise she picked up at a recent conference -- creating a guiding statement.
I think the same careful consideration can be a good moment of self-discovery for each DM or GM. Why do you run your games?
I would hope that it's more than just "I was the one who owned the books" or "No one else in our group wanted to". DMing is simply too much work if you are not taking it on to earn some sort of sense of satisfaction.
Personally…. like most of us, I'm not just one type, but a mix of many. I enjoy the tactical combat game, I enjoy creating set-piece encounters and experimenting with game mechanics. I like a little roleplaying and value the dick jokes. But when I'm at my best/happiest I'm building stories that respond organically to the choices that the PCs make -- because I try to create interesting, multi-dimensional NPC antagonists that drive that story -- and we all discover the story together.
Mission Statements Suck
No, they don't. The way they're used most of the time does, though. For organizations, there's often a need to find a way to get everyone to agree with what the organization is; why they do what they do, and how do they get there.
On a personal level, thinking about why you really do the things you do -- what you value most about it, what keeps you coming back, and so on -- that can be a valuable tool. It's value will be in direct proportion to the amount of honesty and depth which which you consider your personal gaming statement.
For me, thinking about the statement I'm playing with -- "I create interesting, multi-dimensional NPC antagonists that drive organic, responsive, collaborative stories for my players" -- that has a powerful ability to change the way I think about preparing for a game session. If that's really what I want carved on my DM gravestone, I need to be more mindful of that than I might be of my company's mission statement. It can help me understand why I find running someone else's adventures less satisfying that creating my own. It also helps me focus my energy on aspects of my game that will be most satisfying for me in my game sessions.
Your Turn
I double dog dare you to write your own Game Master's statement and share it in the comments below.
Think about those moments just after your friends leave your house after a game session. For me, it's a matter of trying to shake off that good, emotionally tired feeling long enough to clean up a little, feed the dogs and cats, and even pay a little attention to my wife, who I've ignored for the sake of an afternoon of gaming.
I'm usually relieved when the session ends. I'm not naturally an extroverted person, and taking center stage for 4-6 hours can be tiring. We have a great group, and almost always have a great time -- even when the game itself is a little wobbly (we're play testing). And I'm totally comfortable with our group -- we're very old friends at this point. But I'm still tired, wrung out. And everyone in the house needs something from me, so I have to push on.
And this is what I do for fun? This is how I rest up for another week of work?
View attachment 57626
The Pool Table Question
I've got other hobbies and pastimes. One of them is pool (billiards). I play in a little local league one night a week, and my game is gradually improving from terrible to meh. When I'm there on league nights, I'm focused on my game, on watching other players as they plan their shots, and put good energy into getting better at pool.
In a few weeks, a good friend is moving out of state, and she has a pool table in her basement that she needs to unload. I'd love to take it off her hands, but the problem is space. I've got a pretty sweet gaming setup these days, and to make room for a pool table in the house I'd have to take that down.
So, there's the dilemma. Snap up the offered pool table, or preserve my gaming setup.
Our group manages to play a depressing 1-2 times a month lately - we used to be more regular, but RL has been a real cranky SOB lately. I could use the pool table every day -- and when game days come around either play somewhere else or find a way to play on top of the pool table.
I thought about it a long time. We used to play at a friend's house, sitting around a 4'x8' sheet of plywood on top of a pool table. It was a little too high to sit at, the pool table made it hard to get your legs under it, and so on. Far from ideal. But it worked.
But, in the end, a more important factor occurred to me. I focus on my pool game while I'm in the pool hall, but when I walk out the door, and start the drive home, my head drops right back into thinking about my campaigns.
I'm always thinking about my campaigns. When I have down time, what I'd rather be doing is gaming. If gaming isn't on the table, and Pool is, I'll play pool. Or go to a movie. Or read a book. Or walk the dogs. But as soon as my brain can go back to zero, it's going to fall right back into thinking about my games.
Discover Your Bliss
So, I like playing and running games. But what is it about the game that I like so much -- especially given that I find the sessions tiring?
We've all heard that old Joseph Campbell saw a few too many times, but I think it's important as a DM to think about the things about your game that provide you that satisfaction.
Which part of the DMing experience is the most satisfying for you?
- Telling a Story
- Getting a sincere reaction out of your players (laughter, horror, triumph)
- Mastering the Tactical Challenge
- Building complex set-piece encounters
- Roleplaying many different characters
- Improvising something awesome
- Pure Rat Bastardy
- ….or something else?
Your Game Master's Statement
In her article about writing, Barry recommends an exercise she picked up at a recent conference -- creating a guiding statement.
at some point, burned out or just beginning, we should ask ourselves these questions and give the answers due consideration. Why do we do the work we do? Why write?
I think the same careful consideration can be a good moment of self-discovery for each DM or GM. Why do you run your games?
I would hope that it's more than just "I was the one who owned the books" or "No one else in our group wanted to". DMing is simply too much work if you are not taking it on to earn some sort of sense of satisfaction.
Personally…. like most of us, I'm not just one type, but a mix of many. I enjoy the tactical combat game, I enjoy creating set-piece encounters and experimenting with game mechanics. I like a little roleplaying and value the dick jokes. But when I'm at my best/happiest I'm building stories that respond organically to the choices that the PCs make -- because I try to create interesting, multi-dimensional NPC antagonists that drive that story -- and we all discover the story together.
Mission Statements Suck
No, they don't. The way they're used most of the time does, though. For organizations, there's often a need to find a way to get everyone to agree with what the organization is; why they do what they do, and how do they get there.
On a personal level, thinking about why you really do the things you do -- what you value most about it, what keeps you coming back, and so on -- that can be a valuable tool. It's value will be in direct proportion to the amount of honesty and depth which which you consider your personal gaming statement.
For me, thinking about the statement I'm playing with -- "I create interesting, multi-dimensional NPC antagonists that drive organic, responsive, collaborative stories for my players" -- that has a powerful ability to change the way I think about preparing for a game session. If that's really what I want carved on my DM gravestone, I need to be more mindful of that than I might be of my company's mission statement. It can help me understand why I find running someone else's adventures less satisfying that creating my own. It also helps me focus my energy on aspects of my game that will be most satisfying for me in my game sessions.
Your Turn
I double dog dare you to write your own Game Master's statement and share it in the comments below.
