The GM's Greatest Challenge (pollish)

[BlueNinja]

I thought I'd ask some of the other GM-type folks here what they think is the biggest challenge they face when running a game. World-building? Getting players interested? Wonky rules? Drawing maps? :)

Personally, I'm finding my biggest one is with the games I'm running on a forum - having to wait on the people who can only check the threads once a day.

[Kalzazz]

Coming up with an adventure idea. Particularly when you can see no reasonable way the characters the players came up with go at all with each other, or the setting, or even should go on adventures at all. And irate players are waiting for you to hurry up and start the game

After you get that it generally flows pretty well

That and dealing with irate players when they encounter a simple challenge and determine its impossible and want to take off the DMs head and finally you wind up having to list the dozen or so different ways they were supposed to get past this minor flavor text of a challenge and get on with the real stuff

Or irate players when due to the will of the dice gods and/or other things they are all horribly horribly dead.

Or coming up with how to fix things when there all dead for some reason or another, often times with irate players

Hmm. Actually! The Players are the problem!

[JasonStarfire]

Personally, I'm finding my biggest one is with the games I'm running on a forum - having to wait on the people who can only check the threads once a day.
I was guilty of that before my computer finally died. Sorry 'bout that. :(

Actually, I find that getting a new group started is the hardest part. Especially when you get those self-righteous players who think they've done it all, and get their kicks by making the GM's job more difficult, so they make a character with absolutely no interest in adventure. I usually show those players the door after one session (or sometimes earlier :D ).

I find that once I get the ball rolling, I can pretty much wing it from there.

[Wook]

Meat
MEAT
MEAT
MEAT!!!

I've never had any problem coming up with good ideas, have learned well how to roll with the punches PC"s throw me, and have yet to encounter a rule set that I can't fathom. What I have a problem with is taking the good idea on putting the meat on them that would breath life into them and create a story that my players buy into and help build into a campaign. It's that meaty substance to the story that gives it that life. It's very much an art all it's own IMHO.

[Parzival]

Co-opting the players into seeing characters (PC & NPC alike) as more than just a collection of numbers.

[ldygmr1]

I thought I'd ask some of the other GM-type folks here what they think is the biggest challenge they face when running a game.

Rules Lawyers.

I hate them. And at the same time, I owe my world to a rules lawyer who beat me at the technicalities EVERY FRACKING TIME. So I changed the bloody rules. From my need to beat him and his irritating little "so you think your the boss huh" smirk I created my own world that flows beautifully for me and my groups.

[Hitcher]

Keeping it interesting. So many storylines die because people lose interest.

[JasonStarfire]

Keeping it interesting. So many storylines die because people lose interest.

I find that if you build up to the story gradually (but fast enough to keep it from getting boring), you can help to avoid losing interest in your game. If you just rocket from high adventure to high adventure, it gets stale pretty quickly.

Of course this is anything but fool proof. Players are a fickle lot.

[Lost Soul]

Making the players interested beyond the game. It's pretty easy to have fun during the game, but most of the time, the game isn't memorable enough for anyone to really remember it the next time (of course, we play roughly bi-monthly these days, so that's part of the problem.)

[Baelfyre]

Writing things down. Specifically, NPC names. I'll run, come up with a great NPC on the fly... and not write any details later. Then, I'll forget the name the next week.

[JasonStarfire]

Writing things down. Specifically, NPC names. I'll run, come up with a great NPC on the fly... and not write any details later. Then, I'll forget the name the next week.

I'm bad about that. My trick is to write down a list of random names appropriate to the genre I'm running. When I use one of the names, I jot down a note next to the name such as "captain of the guard", or "seedy bartender in Three Dragons inn".

[Baelfyre]

That's a cool idea. Thanks. That's very quick and very simple.

[JasonStarfire]

That's a cool idea. Thanks. That's very quick and very simple.

That idea works best for minor NPCs, but if you keep a few generic NPC templates handy, you can have a mostly fleshed out character at a moment's notice. :lecture:

[carmachu]

Consistancy.

Every freaking group I've joined as of the last couple years has imploded for one reason or another. And not because it tore iteself apart either. They just faded away......

Its annoying to no end.

[Cranky Dog]

My last DMing experience wasn't too bad.

The most difficult part was giving each character something to do, a personal plot hook or something for character development. It's cool that everyone has their moment in the spotlight, but it is very time consuming since every time on concentrate on one character, the others are waiting.

Though with my group, they were plotting together to try and legally overthrow the city. They were making their own individual plotlines while I was trying to nudge them into the next adventure.

It was a lot of paperwork, but I managed to keep things organized. I have several binders specially made for taking notes and managing everything.

Rules Lawyers.
Never had to much trouble with them since -I'm- usually the groups Rules Lawyer. Though I tamed myself over the years, I prefer a rapid paced game that book searching unless someone asks (especially the GM).

Though I have made myself enough of a reputation that a guy I know, who bought the Dungeon Mastering for Dummies book, crossed out the title of the Rules Lawyer section and put in my name instead. Yeah, I got my name published! (sort of):go:


Cranky Dog
"I have a DMing hardships opinion, international!"

[carmachu]

Rules Lawyers.

I hate them. And at the same time, I owe my world to a rules lawyer who beat me at the technicalities EVERY FRACKING TIME. So I changed the bloody rules. From my need to beat him and his irritating little "so you think your the boss huh" smirk I created my own world that flows beautifully for me and my groups.



Never had a problem with them myself, for two reasons:

1) I'm one myself. Never play a player....But more importantly.

2)DMs' word is the final word, no matter what the book says.

Doesnt matter what the books say, at the table what the DM says, goes. No matter what. As long as the DM is being fair and balanced, if he doesnt want X rule, class, spell, or magic item.....its final.


Never understood the one upmanship that folks seem to try and display against a DM.

[Parzival]

I admit having rules-lawyer tendancies.
But I'm pretty good about restraining them. The only time they really come out is when somebody's trying to fast-talk the GM. (Then Katie bar the door!)
When I'm playing obviously. When I'm running, I'll just laugh at them, and say "No".

[JasonStarfire]

I have rules lawyer tendencies myself, but I've been behind the DM screen so often that I use my powers only for good... er.. I mean I try to limit my rules lawyer tendencies to helping the DM run a better/smoother game. I also tend to give an adventure hook the benefit of the doubt and run with it just to keep the DM from getting frustrated.

I'm courteous like that. :D

Also, another challenge I've had since circa 2000 has been trying to get a group of players to play something besides d20 system.

[StarkDaddy]

Good thread.

My biggest problem as a DM is setting massive goals for myself that require oodles of prep time, and then trying to find the time to make it all just right. I've actually had nightmares about showing up to a game with nothing prepared and having to wing it - can't do it.

So I guess that would be my second biggest problem, I'm not confidant with improv. A little RP here and there is easy, but suddenly changing course in mid game on player whim is hard to cope with realistically. That is why I try to prepare for all possibilities, and thus far have done so pretty well.

[SD Anderson]

To get paid enough for
GMing to be able to afford that nice little 30' foot boat... ;)