Should you be a Game Master?

Do you want to be a game master / dungeon master? We take a look at what kind of mind set you should have to be an effective GM, if you have the passion to be one and also the personal aspect that makes a GM.
#GMTips #DungeonMaster #ForYourConsideration
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[@eventhorizon853]

I thought I couldn't be a GM due to lack of player experience. But in part thanks to this channel I did it anyway. It's been a month, we've had 4 sessions so far and despite the fact that I still think I'm pretty bad at this and need to improve a lot of things, after every session my players told me they've enjoyed it. What I'm trying to say is, you don't have to be a genius or great storyteller or great actor. Some creativity, a bit of leg work and actually caring about the game and group is enough to get started.

[@AteasDhavar]

Nah. My very first proper pen & paper experience was me GMing. I hated the idea and would have much rathered been a player, but I dumped a lot of cash into D&D and I was damn well gonna get some use out of it all. But I actually had one of my players tell me he couldn't even tell I was a novice. Felt good to hear that I wasn't nearly as garbage as I thought I was.(especially considering I pulled the whole thing outta my a**) Point is as long as you're having fun, you win the game!

[@deamongimli]

I am the same, should be starting session 3 in a few hours, though my problem is that my players don't seem to want to give feedback despite my prompting. I know that at least one of them is enjoying it, but I have very little clue about the rest.

[@BIGESTblade]

If only I knew of this channel when I was starting. Back then me and a bunch of my pals were playing D&D first time and we had no one to run the game, so it had to be me. Kinda hillarious when your GM just as green as his players.

[@adakahless]

Check out the channel "drunkin and dragons". They have some good tips there too! Especially ways to keep the game going even if you don't have a book full of rules. It helped me wing the crap out of a game session when I had no idea what to do or how to start it. I had to make up stats for goblins and stuff on the fly. I'm not the best story teller and too shy to be an actor but my sessions weren't terrible. The oldest fella at the table really enjoyed it. I had to stop though because I got too busy with work to make the session. :(

[@felbarashla]

This makes me feel better about trying to GM.

[@ryanbeverley1546]

I hate it when I am kidnapped en route to pay the bills....

[@Healermain15]

The ninja mafia is really getting out of hand lately. If only we had a small group of violently sociopathic mercenaries who could solve this problem for us.

[@rachelmcquade8910]

On my god same! I thought I was the only one!

[@narrawa2650]

I am going to become a GM!

[@iambecomejeff]

I agree with both of these comments - ForeverDM

[@legendnodensetsu8423]

"Your traps will be broken and you will learn to enjoy it" Refrain from breaking the little guys please...

[@fhuber7507]

I learned to kill characters and make the players like it. Just make the deaths epic.

[@ciaranlittle38]

"You'll suffer, but you're gonna be happy about it."

[@misad6308]

I have never played DnD in my life, but three of us said "We wanna play!" And someone said "We can't if there's no GM." I got caught up in the moment of celebration, and I really wanted this thing to work. So, with a scared, but determined voice said "Then I'll be the GM." Spent the following two weeks before our session 0 studying the rulebook and watching GM tips and others' roleplay sessions. We made characters, I started tailoring the plot. I finally got to GM session 1. I railroaded, I didn't roleplay, I got confused when to throw dice and not, but together with my players, we made this awesome sassy bartender, and we had a good time. At the end, I asked the dreaded question: "So, how was I?" And the players said I was awesome. And I was so suprised and happy, I actually tried talking them out of it. Persuasion roll: 1. And it's a thing now. We meet every wednesday, and I talk about it to other people and scout out who might want to play with us. I regret nothing.

[@RevAnnaCGheen]

After months of watching your videos, I finally started GMing last week. I had miniatures and maps and a sound track and a prop letter for them to find, all sealed in wax. The players' response was unanimously positive - SO MUCH FUN! I sent them a note today hinting that tonight's adventure may involve a dragon - provided we can negotiate his fee in time. Again, very positive responses.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

WOOOHOOOOOO!!! So awesome to hear!

[@felbarashla]

That sounds so cool!

[@m.ferashida7422]

I think the key is the passion. Its a LOT of work, if you dont love it thats gonna be a problem. Also i love my villians and that is a problem I undertand xD.

[@yzm2065]

damn, that sums up my entire thoughts. You are right!

[@Entaris]

It is a real problem in life. To make a compelling villain for a campaign, you have to dump a lot of passion into developing the character. And no matter how evil you make someone, if you dump that much passion into them you will end up wanting them to succeed.

[@pondrthis1]

I love my villains. But I also love the PCs, probably more than their players do. So I adore it when a PC takes revenge on a villain and splashes her innards all over the walls. And as much as you might love a villain, it's a pitiful comparison to the high you get from a well-executed story arc or battle. When your rogue takes down the dragon after the rest of the party fell in battle, you've lost a dragon--but you've gained a legendary trickster-goddess with a weapon coated in undying flame. And you've earned an out-of-character yarn about how that "kill-stealing halfling" finally saved the day with her kill-stealing.

[@chron874]

"You're going to beat yourself" wink wink nudge nudge Joke aside, this video couldn't have come out at a better time. I'm currently looking to introduce some people into GMing and this is like a godsent, thank you guy! You and your channel are a blessing!

[@standardnerd2046]

My main problem as a returning GM after 15 years off is getting honest feedback from my players. They're all friends and I don't think they're comfortable giving negative feedback. Either that or I'm somehow a natural amazing gm that never makes any mistakes... :D

[@HermannMehrmann]

Liam Ryan unlikely... speaking from experience. :D

[@Entaris]

I know that Feeling. I like to end a session with "Hey guy's, thanks for playing, What things did you like, what things did you dislike" and its always "everything was great!" Like...Come on. I'm sure i'm not a terrible GM. I've been one for a long time... But I know i'm not the best GM. I WANT to be the best GM, but I'm not going to get there without some honest feedback.

[@larsdahl5528]

People are often happy that someone will do the GMing, and that give them a positive bias. And people often average the total experience, thus if it was more positive than negative they ignore the negatives completely.

[@MadManMatrix]

One of my players is honest with me and it is the best thing ever it has greatly helped me improve in a very short amount of time. I’m still awful with providing enough description which I’m working on but it’s unbelievable how much having just one honest guy does for me because he gets everyone else to talk about the problems to him then lets me know of everything.

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

There is a video coming to address this very thing! I hope it helps!!

[@carsonm7292]

The thing that first drove me to start GMing is how much easier it is to organize games when you're the one in charge. It's much easier to find players than it is to find GMs, so when *you're* the GM, then you only need to find players. Then I stayed because I love seeing how my players interact with what I give them, and it's gratifying to try something new to elevate your game and have it pay off. It's more work than most other things in my life put together, but getting to experience the story as it happens instead of just writing it like in a book makes it all worth it.

[@briangriffin9793]

lol I became GM out of necessity. I really enjoy it; been rotating campaigns between my buddy. I had to tag him into it after getting really frustrated with my players.

[@SuperMohamedadil]

Oh I think I'm ready to be a GM but I can't find players

[@carsonm7292]

BlueThunder It's pretty easy to find players for online games on Tabletop Simulator or Roll20 (I would strongly suggest the former over the latter; it's immeasurably more intuitive). Guy also has a website called RPG Table Finder to find local or online players.

[@SuperMohamedadil]

@@carsonm7292 oh this is for you Americans. But in Belgium... Also I don't have a car, so knowing the people I play with is really the only way. Actually I'm very lucky to have found some cousins that love d&d just as I do and having my DM living a few steps from me. I guess I'm just gonna wait this campaign to be over then I will masterise cuz we don't have free time enough

[@SuperMohamedadil]

My DM is really nice he really wants to make us have fun and I love him how can there be so much love and mutual respect between people seriously... Also, all the problems that Guy speaks about ... We never really encountered any. We just let people speak. The "leader" of our group is listening to others, this is such a great balance I love it. I love to speak in d&d but I'm an introvert I never talk to much and also we're all family. D&D with family, approved

[@acrefray]

You're supposed to be a collaborative GM, not an adversarial one. The game is for everyone, not just the GM, and not just the players. Everyone works together to tell an awesome story!

[@elgatochurro]

since when? my players dont contribute to the world, they want the world to contribute to them lol

[@Wolfsspinne]

I already became a GM, thanks for your help! :-) GMing Call of Cthulhu, I'm allowed to win sometimes.

[@mythridel9558]

This is perfect timing and perfect advice for me considering that I'll be running my first session tomorrow and I'm hoping my players like what I came up with.

[@Eric_The_Cleric]

If you think it's cool, your players will too. It's just how I have seen it happen time and time again. Just remember, as others will always say, your players will totally derail what you thought would happen. No matter what, it will be an amazing experience. Happy gaming!

[@matthewjackson8301]

Good luck with your first session. Best advice, don't be afraid of mistakes. Even the best GMs make them. Don't stress, and have fun!

[@mythridel9558]

I expect them to derail me like a lot so I built it from the ground up with that in mind and thanks

[@charlesgray6385]

Good luck man. It’s fun and exhausting being a GM. And yeah.... they’re gonna derail it so hard, and break it so irrevocably that ya gonna need to think on ya feet: but that’s fun!

[@jonathanstroupe2706]

It never goes according to plan, but that's what makes it so much fun.

[@destinyotto3201]

Been a gm for almost a year now, and I'm actually running a short campaign with the help of these videos. And so far all my players seem to really enjoy it.

[@N7Stryder]

I've never thought I'd make a good DM, I've always helped my friend who is a DM with narrative structure. But now I'm sure i can at least try to DM and see how it goes. First session is tonight.

[@mgb360]

N7Stryder how did it go?

[@Billchu13]

Thanks for the inspiration as always Guy. Going to day 2 of PAX west as a first time official DnD DM for Adventurer's league. My biggest challenge yesterday was keeping the players interested in the provided storyline. I love to go off the rails in my own stories, but because I am telling someone else's story it is hard for me to keep players interested in it. Good news is my players told me they weren't interested in what the provided storyline, and I listened. The provided scenario for the convention was a 5-part story without an ending and my players wanted to do a 1shot, so after parts 1&2 I took them to "part 6" where we went off the reservation and I gave them a proper climactic fight and conclusion. My players had a great time, so mission accomplished. My challenge for myself is that I need to work harder on my adventure hooks so my players are interested in parts 2-5 next time.

[@jordanpickthall0619]

I love challenging my players so that we can all relish their success together. It’s the best feeling as a GM. The looks of determination on their faces slowly shifting to sheer joy as they conquer their obstacles. It’s seriously why I do it.

[@jammie7822]

Just wanna say thank you for these incredible videos~ I never thought I'd ever stumble upon the motivation to be a GM, but I've been doing it for a year now -- your channel really helped me get organized along the way. Much love!!

[@brandoncole121]

I just ran my first session ever last night, and found this video this morning! It was so much fun and I can't wait to get back to it!

[@jeltec28]

I have been trying to become a gm for a year now. Im an rail roader, i have to be for my group. (Trust me) This channel taught me so much. I truely thank you ^-^

[@brutalfunkcore]

Thanks for all your great Videos and especially this one, which i fell like is the essence of what gming means. I had a session yesterday after a two and a half year hiatus, and even though we all had tremendous fun i noticed quite a few things which i will certainly try to get better at and perform better the next session. like you said, in the end it all comes down to dedication and passion, everything else you can learn.

[@witchapparatus]

This sounds wonderful! I can't wait to give this a try!

[@Nerosus]

Exellent points.. I've seen allot of GM's having problems with the "finding joy in the players winning". But it is one of the greatest things I've experienced with GM'ing, seeing how they overcome the challenges and find joy in their victories.

[@DungeonMasterElite]

Well, thank you for these videos, for I am getting back into the GM chair so to speak after about 20 years of being just a PC or not playing any games at all. These videos are helping me out quite a bit.

[@BomberSteve]

Having just returned to GMing in the last few weeks in covid world, this channel and videos like this one, have been an amazing resource and inspiration.

[@bannanameds3217]

I've been a gm for a few years. But your videos have helped me alot over the last few months. Thanks guy!!

[@IceCoolTea]

I always wonder if I'm a good GM to my players, or there is just no one else to GM for them...

[@adakahless]

Never hurts to ask them after your next session. If they dodge it, you could always draft a survey and have them answer some questions anonymously. Sometimes people don't like confrontation or they don't want anyone to feel bad if their opinion isn't good.

[@mayodog2866]

I'm going to DM my first game of D&D this week, and I'm super excited! And so are my friends :D

[@mayodog2866]

I played my first session last night and within the first 20 minutes my head hurt from laughing along with my friends. They absolutely loved what I planned for them and are excited to play more! Thank you for ur vids for helping me get a better understanding on how to be a good DM :^)

[@LeeRuss]

Brilliant advice! I'm so glad I took the leap into GMing!

[@decaffeinateddrumsticks]

I'm GMing my first game in two weeks! Watching someone else's sessions inspired me to pick up a copy of the actual books, which gave me an idea for an one-shot, which might lead into a full campaign if my friends like my GM style and I enjoy it. I've been watching a lot of videos here and on other channels to make sure I'm as ready as I can be when we start. Thankfully my group are all friends of mine who know I'm a newbie and have offered to help me through rule regulation and stuff during the play, so fingers crossed it all goes well!

[@AustinRea27]

Your channel is THE most intelligent, and in depth yet concise videos on GMING I've found. Thank you so much for taking the time to create such high quality contnent. It's really helping me create my first campaign.

[@MoMoFoSh0]

This was super helpful. Thank you. Constantly trying to figure out what I can improve on as a new GM :D

[@simorris6222]

Great video Guy, I have just started GMing for D&D and after two sessions (which i felt went horribly) one of my players has told me I have inspired him to create a world and write a campaign. Another has started up a new group for ToA, that he will be DMing and I am lucky enough to have a spot in tomorrow. I have been giving them both as much support as I can and it was so good to hear you say that, as I know I wouldn't have continued without the kind support of my group. OR perhaps I really am that bad that they felt they had to start their own projects :) Thanks for another great video.

[@sirilundgren4288]

I'm holding my own first session as a DM tomorrow and I have always been sure I could NEVER do it! After some support and advice from my own DM and some serious studying of the DMs handbook and I feel ready and excited! :D

[@Aharpoon24]

I am currently planning a dnd 5e campaign for my group of friends and family. They have all DMed before and this is my first time. I am nervous and excited all at the same time. Wish me luck! I love your channel Guy!

[@nataliegooding962]

I am going to GM for the first time in a couple of weeks! I am exceptionally nervous and excited. Your tips so far seem invaluable.

[@venterry]

wonderful video! really needed this, i always worry a lot and just want my players to have fun & be fully immersed. i always do a little feedback round after a session and so far i couldn't tell if they honestly loved it or are just afraid to hurt my feelings. at least videos like this help me keep track & look back on my actions/decisions, i've noticed myself getting a little more confident with time :)

[@funsiesfinest8137]

I love these series so much. I didn't have any player experience, but I love storytelling. I binged most of the DM playlist and some of the Player one and went on to start my own campaign. I am on session 3 and everyone is having a blast! Even my vet that has been playing for 6 years now. DMing has become one of my passions and I now look forward to every Saturday night :)

[@lemonbar77]

"I AM GOING TO BECOME A GM!" Even though I've only played one 3-session campaign, this coming Tuesday I'm running a one shot I wrote! Mainly thanks to all I've learned from this channel 😁 I'll report back on how it goes. Thanks so much for all you do. You're a literal inspiration.

[@andysimmons2648]

I thoroughly enjoy GMing and for me “winning” is when everyone has a good time. As for improvement; I watch your videos and others and “steal” techniques or anything that will help. New GMs need to remember that not all games will run perfectly; I’ve had a number of bad sessions this year alone. But you need to keep plugging away and it’ll get easier. Above all, you’ve got to enjoy GMing. For me, writing a story and seeing it played (and enjoyed by my players) is the best reward.

[@Ringulfr]

I know this is an old thread but I recently watched through all of your Saltmarsh campaign and was enthralled by it, and by the style of GMing you use. I have seen quite a few of your videos but I am going back to the beginning and viewing all I think I can use. Thanks for that. I am 60 this year and first played D&D in 1979. I have loved playing and have been a gm on many occasions, but I was always feeling like an imposter because I am not Numbers and statistics oriented or a "Rules Lawyer", I am just a storyteller faking my way through and rolling a few dice here and there. My players have always enjoyed themselves and want me to start a campaign and after watching your Ghosts of Saltmarsh and this video, I am going to accept your Challenge Guy! Thank you and you will hear more from me!

[@corruptedtemple]

I've already been writing a campaign for the last few months, but this video solidified in my mind that I really have it in me to be a GM. Thanks for being such a contructive force in the world, Guy.

[@diederikwillems6782]

Hey Guy. Thanks a lot for your videos. Have been GM-img (5E, via Fantasy Grounds) for a group for almost a year now. Starting a second group next week. Your videos (along with Matt Colville's) have been a great help. Yours even more than Matt, IMO. I discovered your channel relatively late. I was already running. But I binge watched in order to get up to speed. I genuinely can say I learned a lot. You've got a excellent mind set for making play fun for the entire table. I even watched the entire second season of the Bacon Batallion. After a couple of episodes I was glued to the screen. It was good stuff right up until the end. Wish there was more of it. The Windswept group didn't click as well with me. But watching these episodes was very insightful as well as your short videos on this channel. Thanks. And a Drow barkeep badly pretending to be a spy badly pretending to be a barkeep? Stroke of pure genius, that.

[@moosher12]

I ended up becoming a GM out of necessity about a month ago. My first earnest attempt at the game. Videos like yours have been a huge help. And fortunately, my players seem to be having a blast. Been utilizing a lot of cues like what Matt Mercer and you offer, such as getting in character with a wide cast of NPC's, trying to be adaptive with a more sandbox approach, and letting them have some free roam and helping them towards the goal. Even been reading the core rulebook in my offtime to make sure I can execute rules better. Tried my hand at our first fight and somehow managed to be lucky and not do a team wipe without it being too easy, according to my players. So I'm happy for that. Session three starts this weekend. Either way I have a long way to go. And here's hoping I can do a good job growing as a DM, so far I'm having a blast and my players don't have complaints, so I hope I continue to entertain them.

[@01ShadowStorm]

I've only been GMing for about a year but this has hit every point that my players have loved about my current campaign. I'm also looking to get another player to take the GM seat and this is just AMAZING!!!! Thank you so much for ALL your videos! They are such a great help for all of us ❤️

[@VMSelvaggio]

You have to be able to Cheer on and root for your players. It's like watching a friend untangle a puzzle. -- and I am absolutely a tour guide! Great video Guy, thank you for this!

[@RhaegarStorm]

I became a GM yesterday! It was a blast, went better than expected and I can only recommend it.

[@Dan.the.Guitarman]

I've been working on a homebrew campaign for a few months now. Being a first time gm, I have learned a lot from your games and videos. We've got 5 sessions down now and my players can't get enough. They even try to attract more players into the game.

[@ashenwalls3558]

Hi, I'm a new player and GM, and loving every minute of it!

[@tophat3d513]

I have been a GM for a long time now. It has been a slow process to get better. I only felt I got worse when I cared more about doing things correctly and by the rules. When I started watching this channel I scraped the campaign we were on and started a new one. The passion that I found was not of structure but of creation. I love it when the PC's think out of the box so much that it changes the story. There is always a story to tell. GM's are just there to help it along. Good luck with your stories and happy gaming! 😁😁

[@larsdahl5528]

Yes, thinking about what you are doing can make you feel you become worse over time. When in reality you become *better* at detecting where you can improve!

[@asmaasultani8849]

I've always wanted to try being a GM but I was too afraid of all the rules and frankly all the pressure to run a game. After a couple of weeks of reading rules and watching your very informative videos I'm about to start a campaign tonight! Let's hope all goes well!

[@k.n.fitzwater5157]

I love this video! I had been dm'ing for a long while with my family and I agree with all these points. A piece of advice: use modules, then build from there. Most modules have everything set up for you: monster numbers, experience, loot, npcs. You may have to improvise for random encounters, or when the player's take a detour from the story plot, but you don't have to do all of the work. From there, you can dip your toes in creating stuff from scratch. Happy gaming, everyone!

[@hnaoto2]

I'm going to be a GM for the first time in about two weeks and have been binge watching your content to prepare.

[@BarneyxStinson98]

I'm actually about to host my first session next Saturday! I've been researching and crafting for many months now. I recently started doubting my capability of being up to the task but this helped a lot! I'll definitely be back to report on the disaster that should be my first session, but hopefully not my last!

[@aps-cal511]

I’m gonna become a GM. Thanks for all the info you put out in your videos.

[@julyol119]

Session 1 went well! Not super great, everyone had a ton of questions (me too) and we've basically spent half the session answering those. But we've had a lot of fun and I've got them actually invested in an NPC :D Who's now very close to dying. But that's cool, now we can learn how to heal. A ton of thanks to you, Guy! Your GM Videos were the first ones I saw and your advice really gave me courage :))) My favourite is the "Someone wants something badly and has difficulty getting it." It gives my NPCs and villains life. Quite literally so xD Thanks a ton!!!

[@Physinaut]

I've been a GM in the past, and it was really useful for my non-GMing time as well. Before, I played a paladin as I wanted to be the frontline-wall that's always in the thick of it (and getting a fair amount, but not overbearing proportion of the glory in battle). But after GMing, I now really enjoy playing a Kobold Bard (one of the stories I GMed was 'the Sunless Citadel' so I brought Meepo forward with the team), he's kinda cowardly and definitely playing the support role, but I enjoy it now because it's helping the team succeed; while in hindsight before I GMed I wanted to be one of the main party members/characters in our story. It also means that Meepo has been able to be one of the more flaw-filled characters and makes it much more fun to roleplay with the team once i'd worked out my own guidelines for how to make/let meepo behave in different situations.

[@larsdahl5528]

Yes, maybe it is one of Guy's reasons to make this video. Being GM do help becoming better as PC! I think a healthy 'diet' consist of 20 % of the time spend as GM and 80 % of the time spend as PC.

[@briangriffin9793]

This is one of my arguments for why everyone should GM a few times.

[@pizzaelf]

Im starting my first gm campaign this winter with the lotr humble bundle :) Very exited and 3 of my players are veteran gm's so it will hopefully work out

[@paximilian4037]

I am going to be a GM. I read the rules, the DMG, and have started my story. I am just playing with my brothers, but I have been trying to prepare for so long I've been kinda psyching myself out. I've watched a lot of your videos and they have helped (as well as temporarily satisfied my need for DnD. Wish me luck!

[@Techran]

The openness that you mentioned hit the nail on the head for me when I attempted my first game. I had been attempting to tell a story instead of letting the players and they were wanting to do other things and I remember repeatedly thinking "Should I just kill them off and try again?" I wasn't completely like that for everything but something I think was one of my main issue was me trying to tell the story instead of forming the plot for them to tell the story about. But I have difficulty being fast on my feat when it comes to improv. I don't know how to improve that easily and because of that I've been nervous about attempting to run another game.

[@Renato99873]

Another great video, Guy! I really appreciate your content!

[@mandolinbee]

I love you so much! Thank you for this channel... And I'm going to become a GM!

[@missmariel1479]

Ran my first game yesterday actually!! Sadly one of the players had a panic attack halfway through, bc they couldn't deal with so many people talking at once, but we're working on a solution for next time together as a group, and I've gotten positive feedback from the rest of the players! One guy said he really liked my dming style, it apparently got that "special Mariel touch" :D I'm really proud of myself and excited to continue now, I've got so many great plans for this group!!

[@albertchristian1]

I only very recently started on this hobby with a long-time friend as my GM. After a few sessions of the main campaign, he's asked to run a one-shot which I will be doing this coming Saturday. Wish me luck!

[@AssasinZorro]

I've GM'd around twenty games and only now I'm starting to apply rule set. It's been all about the story before and now I'll be able to give players valuable items and measurable danger.

[@The_NoBrainer]

I’ve only played a total of 3 sessions as a player with 2 different GMs. Asking around I realized GM’s are few and far between, and wanted to bring this beautiful game to my friends. I did my homework and held my first session as GM last night. I misjudged the challenge rating and the timespan and was probably too hardline “galactic force”, but the players said they had fun. Thank you Guy, you gave me the encouragement I needed to take the first step!

[@ezekiel753]

I've wanted to become a GM for a while but have held off for reason of having nearly no experience with the game as a gm or a player. I've sat on the sidelines for a year now, watching hundreds of hours of KZbin videos about D&D as well as reading up on every little mechanic and bit of lore I could find on the game. But I finally got fed up with enjoying this wonderful platform from a distance and began to start building my world and last week I ran my first games with my boyfriend! It was a lot of fun even though I made some mistakes ( having a room full of maybe a dozen kobolds that he had to watch me control while his barbarian got two swings a round lol) he said he enjoyed himself and can't wait till I draw up the next mission! His friend is even going to come join in soon and I might look to run a game on roll20 depending on how things go. Thanks so much for your content Guy! You've given me the courage and tools I need to help me be a great game master! Without your videos I'd probably be a plain old rules lawyer but now I have the ever growing world of Talf! Where ancient blue dragons plot the end of kingdoms in the contient of Haduj and evil liches seek to stain all life in another far away land! I'm excited to share this world with people and I encourage anyone even mildly interested in being a gm to give it a shot!

[@BloodRedRook]

I love being a Game Master. It's the most fun I have doing anything. I put so much energy and effort into it, and I love it. When I'm not writing for games or running them, I'm thinking about them and seeking inspiration for them. And it's all worth it, as I watch my players wind their way through the tale I've woven.

[@BIGESTblade]

Turns out I am a perfect GM! If only I wasn't so bad.

[@edgarseis]

I'm going to become a GM. I love all your content, it's very useful.

[@max-fightmaster7673]

I just started my very first campaign, its d20 modern with some homebrew elements with the players being mercenaries in Africa, the first session was a trainwreck but the 2nd was a great success and i was much better prepared, ive been working nonstop since for the 3rd and im super excited for it!

[@HowtobeaGreatGM]

My favorite system. D20 Modern.

[@cristiaolson7327]

It's funny, I just watched this after months of watching Guy's outer videos on the How-To's of being a GM. I started DM'ing back in March, during quarantine, as a way for my friends and I to hang out online since our old DM wasn't up to running a game. I was so worried I'd screw it up, so I watched hours and hours of these videos (and a few other channels too), and I've continued to come back regularly as new things have popped up in-game or I've had an idea or question. I also seek feedback from my players (who have DM'd before, and understand the work that goes into it), and try to tighten up each session a little more. I'm not perfect, but we're having fun, and most of the feedback has actually been very positive, and the rest has been helpfully constructive. For anyone considering becoming a DM/GM: if you enjoy the story telling, and you enjoy helping others have fun, then it's incredibly rewarding. I have found I prefer it to being a player, because not only do I get to craft a whole world for my friends to experience and explore, and instead of only one character I get to be hundreds, but I get to enable my friends to have a great time together. So, thanks, Guy. I'm still watching, because one should never stop learning or trying to improve, but the videos you make have been a huge help in my friends and I having a really great time, and helped me discover how much I love being on this side of the GM screen.

[@troyhenry6111]

Did my first seeion a week ago and everyone loved. I loved doing the research and making my own dungeons. I had a couple minor flaws that i can easily fix. They just did a vote for me to DM again for the rest of this campaign. Going for my passion over the previous DMs exp.

[@rustydeandarby]

I decided to try GMing and I absolutely loved it. I found that running things in a open setting where they can continue with my plans for a campaign or do their own thing is pretty fun. I wrote a few things that could be happening in different areas and see if any of the events get triggered but then end up doing a lot of improv. I really enjoy this aspect but I was also running Cypher System with my own setting that I created which was a 40s noir setting with elements of horror and the supernatural. I'm currently planning two more campaigns as well. I really ran with your advise on the baddie who wants something really bad and is having a hard time getting it. I don't want to put too much on here because you never know who might be on Roll20 and see the game posted soon as I want to try running it there. Good times!

[@lupeelnegro]

I am going to become a GM! thanks for these videos!

[@adrianbartko6789]

Funny thing I have noticed when I have been GMing recently is my over-thinking passion... I wrote a story.. It was kinda story with two plot twists and deep NPCs. But suprisingly the session didnt go well... Players were disapointed, they started to make too many refrences (usually the sign of boredom)... I was suprised after, becouse everything was prepared and here comes idea from your video... I was soo proud of my story, that I didnt help players with clue to get on track... All becouse I was feared of fact that they could crack backstory too quickly... I was feared of loosing... :D

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

SO... you're the GM, and by default, responsible for the "insurmountable" odds, armies, monsters, villains, and obstacles... So what's the problem? Roll 'em up some basic stats, and engage the ACTUAL duty of the GM... Story Crafter... It's the PC's collective story that's important. Heroic or villainous, Virtuous or lecherous. They create the characters of focus, and YOU help them fumble and shamble the whole rickety misfit operation through it's clattering, banging, clanking, heaving, spluttering course throughout the "heroes' journey"... YOU help them knit together the misfits and obtuse profiles to form a dysfunctional team that's surly-personified underneath it's genuinely surly and crusty exterior. YOU manage their goofs and jokes through the obnoxious rampaging baddies that distract them just enough to avoid them killing each other... AND then you polish this horrible turd into a reasonably valiant story that includes their GREATEST capacities for virtuous and honorable intentions, because deep down, they don't even mean well. LOLZ... It's not about winning or losing in D&D, so creative backstory is MEANT to be found out. A villain that' more or less the archetypical loser-genius with a deathwish is just enough of a vicious threat to keep the PC's on their toes... BUT it's an important trope, giving them a perfect scapegoat for everything that goes wrong, and YOU can engage and even encourage this kind of awful behavior... BECAUSE it's a game. Players love their misfits. I know, because I've been one as often as I've been the GM. AND that kind of perspective helps... A LOT. In the same manner, SO DOES letting a Player into the GM's chair once in a while, and encouraging them to come up with some of this crap, too... They tend to be just a little bit kinder after a session or two of story arc. I generally run my own table with a "rotation rule" exactly for that purpose. (just something to think about)... It encourages me to be open-minded as the others also get to screw around with the world-building gear, too... BUT that just adds a dimension of "improv' or die" to my game when I get back to the GM-screen and wonder, "What the HELL did they do to my world???" ...AND never forget how to laugh. ;o)

[@cartagestudios]

Planning on GMing my first game on Sept 15th. Doing the module from the starter set in D&D 5e

[@chaddemink7731]

I am going to become a GM! I'll update you as soon as I have some experience. I'm really looking forward to this!

[@nicklarocco4178]

I started as I think many did as a GM of necessity. We had a group where we sort of round robined the GMs job. After a while I started running more even though I thought I didn't want to be a GM. But I put in time and thankfully I love reading and learning systems (not as much teaching them, read the books if you're going to be a player). We used to do fairly innane hack n slash sessions but I finally encouraged my group to get more into roleplay because that's what I wanted to do. I shaved my stories around the party, making sure everyone feels like their character is special in some way. And I loved it. I moved to a new city recently and I've been trying to find some players to run a game and I've been without a steady group for almost two years now and it's killing me. I have so many stories floating around my head and no one to tell them to, and that's the worst feeling.

[@Lionrhod212]

What an absolutely lovely rant! I got involved in D&D when back in 79 or so, there was an article in the NY Times...fantasy,storytelling, magic. Mom bought me the Blue Box for Christmas and I was onto a passion that has endured decades since. As a writer and author I love creating fantasy,but that isn't half as fun as creating the collaborative fantasy with your players. Some people do Crack, I do gaming. It's healthier and more rewarding. :)

[@flibbernodgets7018]

I've never felt so fired up about my role. Thanks

[@hanz9662]

Watching Vampires bloodline plays on yt and seeing how the GM behave just inspires me so much

[@rickwarren674]

I do enjoy seeing my players overcome a challenge I set in their path, that said I also enjoy it when they fail a saving throw because it ups the tension and keeps them on their toes.

[@GSqueakR]

I'm a brand new, shiny GM and I've run 3 sessions with 2 different groups in a homebrew setting of my creation. I've really started to question myself on how well I've been doing and if I should attempt to go further into this or not. I believe this video pinpointed the areas in which I need improvement and I'm really glad the information was given. I've been going through these videos quiet a bit and I'm so grateful to have found this channel and am able to use it as a resource as I move forward with my attempt at GMing.

[@kid9893]

I have been a game master for almost 5 years at my table. Had the exact same fears when I started out. You will develop these skills over time and become better just from trying new things. The best advice I can give right now is make sure the players and you are having fun. As long as everyone is enjoying themselves you are doing a good job. If they are not enjoying themselves, find out why. If they feel like all of the combats are boring then spice that up. If they say combat is fine but the merchants are always jerks work on that and leave combat alone. Just fix what is broken and you will have a great game.

[@daniellemiller8459]

I'm DMing my first one shot on Saturday! I'm nervous but excited. I have limited player experience and it's a new system on top of 5e (Adventures in Middle Earth), so we'll see how it goes 😅

[@isaacthek]

I loved the world building for my alternate history war campaign, but i refused to railroad my players (with rare exception) so i did a lot of creative riffing. Now i'm prepping to take over our powder mage setting game when my current pcs background catches up with him... i'm hoping i'll be better able to balance things as a result of your excellent videos (and book! )

[@kristiinahonkaheimo2797]

Was really insecure about running my own games, always assuming I should do as good as my friend's do when run a campaign or just a a one-shot. At one point I realized I needed a change and after getting some boost from other friends I just started to run an intro for my game. It was horror, but there was so much much laughter and wonderful moment's among the terror. Players were happy and it felt great to get all those reactions from the players during the game. The intro part has ended by now of course. At the end of the intro I asked players how they feel and would they like to play some more. The answer was unanimous and here were are, running the campaign for couple of years now. :)

[@EssenceOfThought]

Well your channel has been very helpful in my crash course. See, I've always been a world builder. I love fantography and developing factions, history, and the sort. I set my sights on becoming a DM this Summer. Problem is I live in Delhi, India and if you think DMs are scarce in the West, they're on the endangered list over here. I wanted to play for a while and then become a DM but the opportunity never came up. So when I went back to the UK to visit family and house sit for my parents as they went away on a couple of trips, I was happy to discover my local game shop was starting an Adventures League game. Now I got to play four sessions with three different DM's covering three chapters of Tomb of Annihilation (City on the Edge took two sessions) which was not as much experience as I'd have liked, but it's what I had. Upon returning to India I hosted my first session with five players that very Sunday, second the Sunday after, and tomorrow is our third session. And I feel it's going well. I often forget things but many of the players who are first timers themselves seem to understand this. I created a very lose campaign setting centered around an adventurer's guild in a merchant city which gives them contracts. Yet there are interwoven stories such as the fact that said city has no centralized guard, it's a libertarian anarchy with five houses known as the Merchant Sovereign who are descended from the surviving slave owners who built the city before a revolution occurred and an uneasy truce was reached. The houses all differ and the group has already taken to hating one of them to the point that in session one there was talk of revolution. Some contracts are within the city, others travel to different continents which each align with the four common elements. It's a bit cheap in that respect, but I made the choice to go for that so they could explore different sorts of terrain week to week and that way if they got bored with this one and wanted a more structured campaign I could ask them what sort of setting they'd like.

[@Vulture_princess]

I'm going to become a GM! My first session is a week from now! Neither me or my players have played this particular game before so it should be a learning experience for us all!

[@baydews]

Honestly, I only became a GM partly out of need, I had some interest in trying to set up a homebrew campaign myself after our previous one ended (we played for 7 months and it was my very first DnD experience) and I launched it two times before the third time it all came together. We had trouble managing time, the players didn't quite get along, etc etc. but now, it's all going just amazingly. I don't feel like we keep the rules a 100%, I make up a lot of things on the fly when the players take a detour from where I thought the session would head, and I definitely do a lot of mistakes still. But all in all, I enjoy every session and after every session, my players tell me they loved playing too, even though we aren't even at the more interesting bits yet. It's soon going to be two months since we started, and I owe a lot to your videos, as I definitely improved my storytelling and was able to come up with some really cool ideas and twists for later, and I can't wait to get there! Now I just love GMing, instead of looking at it as something I "had" to do in order to be able to keep playing with my friends, I still feel a little overwhelmed at times, this thing being new to me and trying to keep together all the plot lines, but I'm looking forward to every session, as well as your videos, because I was able to learn something from every single one I watched! Thank you!

[@kickslinging]

I'm running my first game tomorrow. It's a version of the one shot set-up Honey Heist (which I recommend everyone pay) which I adapted myself to be Cthulhu/H.P. Lovecraft themed. It has really simple rules and I'm pretty confident in my story so let's see how it goes. Nervous and exited! :D

[@wild-n-waste2119]

This Sunday I'm going to be DMing for the first time ever. I'm sort of terrified but totally excited. I mostly feel unqualified to be a DM because I've only played D&D on one session as a one off character but I really liked it. I don't have any friends who play so I'm starting a group with a couple guys who have never played and (thankfully) my younger brother who is a DM for his friends. Hopefully all goes well.

[@AABowser]

my goal this year is to become a GM. out of the things you mentioned in the video, being comfortable with talking a lot is going to be my biggest obstacle, but more than that I'm expecting to get overwhelmed by the enormous amount of information you have to keep track of at any given time. six different "types" of actions, five steps just to calculate the damage of an attack, really unintuitive hit point gimmicks... I might be in my comfort zone just shoving all this stuff on a google spreadsheet

[@ZaydenSkye]

I started GMing about 2 months ago. I used a module because I didn't trust myself to come up with something very good on my first time. It was an absolute blast. My party beat the module just last night, and I'm running another party through the exact same module. I think I'll be GMing games for a long time to come.

[@nicejungle]

"You (the GM) are there to lose" This quote is gold !

[@legonick357]

I would love to GM one day, my anxiety really prevents it right now but hopefully one day I'll get over the hurdle and do it

[@MasterTim1127]

I am currently running my first game since 2012. One of my players and I were talking about the game and he commented on how he enjoyed that the game isn't limited to the campaign that we are playing. The world feels alive, there are other side plots that are happening simultaneously with the story that the PCs are exploring. Other people within the world with agendas that at times conflict with what the PCs are doing. GMing is amazing fun.

[@faust5894]

I actually just started being a GM for my friends. I’ve done two sessions so far and it’s our first time playing any RPG (we’re using the Star Wars EOTE system). My first game wasn’t awful per say, but I’ve been watching your videos and trying to incorporate your advice and my second session was much better. Granted I made a colossal mistake with what can be stolen etc but other than that

[@Ramzadkm]

I guess many of whom are watching your channel want to become better GMs. In my experience, I've made most of the mistakes you've mentioned, but I've learned a lot from this channel and from my players. It's something good that most of them haven't played a lot before, because they're more supportive to me... Though sometimes they don't really know how many mistakes I've made. I (at least) have the constant improvement mind set, and I hope to become a great GM someday :)

[@HazenMire]

I actually just started my very first game yesterday as a GM. Was a session 0 just to establish characters, setting, campaign type, etc. Seems like everyone is looking forward to the first actual game session though. Here's to hoping it will be a great campaign!