I have 40 years of tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) experience with the last 26 years gamemastering (GMing) which means running several successful campaigns every other week in four hour sessions. In addition to running campaigns I run and GM at home conventions, GM adventures at gaming convention, and get paid to write for and about TTRPGs. I will explain what the TTRPG lifestyle is and why being a forever gamemaster (GM) is a benefit not a drawback. I’m starting with the forever GM in this first blog post.
The vast majority of people who play Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) don’t own a rulebook, don’t know who owns the brand, or who wrote the original game. Most players don’t talk about TTRPGs online and likely couldn’t name three classes that are options to play.
A small minority of players know that other TTRPGs besides D&D are available and may have played some. They likely have been online and watched content on TTRPG on YouTube, in forums, in Discord, and in other virtual spaces. They may know that Wizards of the Coast owns the D&D brand, that Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax created D&D, and that Gary Gygax wrote Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D).
An even smaller group of players actually run TTRPGs. These players are called GMs (gamemasters) or some similar version. Some GMs only run D&D but many GMs know other TTRPGs are out there. Many GMs struggle to get a TTRPG campaign going, keep it going, and actually bring a campaign to a successfully conclusion. Some GMs also want to play as a player or GM other TTRPGs other than D&D but can’t seem to make either option happen. GMs who never get play as players refer to themselves as forever GMs.
I am a forever GM (and I live a TTRPG lifestyle, more on that next blog post) although I do play as a player from time to time. However, being a forever GM is a benefit not a drawback. I make sure that my TTRPGs games get run on a regular basis, I get to entertain dozens (over the years hundreds) of players, of those hundreds I’ve made many lifelong friends, and I have the ability and will to finish campaigns with an exciting bang and a satisfying conclusion. I love being a GM. Much more than I enjoy being a player. Why? That is one of the many TTRPG lifestyle topics I plan to cover in Joyful GMing.
You don’t need forty years of experience to run a TTRPG. Joyful GMing will help you if you’ve never GMed before. It will also help veteran GMs, providing advice from the trenches and encouragement from one GM to another. Just like Gary Gygax did for more forty years ago when he penned AD&D.
We don’t need AI GMs or many more GMless TTRPGs. We need more human GMs who want to hone their craft and entertain their friends. And perhaps develop a decades long hobby that creates friendships that also endure for decades. If you want to GM, you can do it, no question. If you want, I’ll share what I know along your journey. If you get a chance, maybe you can share your experiences as well. GMs benefit from helping each other out.
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