The Busy DM and The Hectic Game

There's this old, outdated stereotype of RPG players who do nothing but play these games. While I, quite honestly, see nothing wrong with this way of living it is fairly outdated for how the modern world handles tabletop gaming. Currently, Dungeons and Dragons is one of the most played and most well known RPG's to grace the shelves of whatever store you may come across. The History Of book adorns the shelves of Wal-Mart and Target. Everyone and their grandmother is playing Dungeons and Dragons, and doing so between Classes, Work, family obligations. People aren't inherently busier but with a game that typically requires a large commitment it is very calming to be able to play the game with a smaller time commitment and looser rules, as newer editions have allowed for.

Now, I am a full time student currently. I have duties and things I absolutely have to do if I want my life to run smoothly. And we all live like this. Sometimes people can play a Game for twenty hours straight and I respect anyone who has the attention span. I don't quite have that attention or gusto for that long a game, however. I personally DM Dungeons and Dragons for a small group of local friends.

But here's the thing, I was not meant to DM. I showed up at a planned session, and the skittish new DM was certain they couldn't do it- Passing the torch to me. I had prepared nothing beforehand, except for the fact I always carried a pre-made adventure around with me. I pulled the adventure out and within thirty minutes I had managed to prep a game that I was not planning to DM for. 

The game was, honestly, a bit sloppy, but immensely fun. If you are a DM though, one of the first things you probably think of is of the fact that you don't have enough time to do what you feel you need to do as a DM. There are, simply, not enough hours in the day to prepare for every single possibility of every single move. I have planned entire campaigns before having to play the entire thing using absolutely nothing from my notes. DMing is very time consuming, but only if you let it be.

I am, at heart, a planner. I have multiple diaries and planners and notebooks. I try microplanning anything I can manage to. And with that comes the truth which is that planners don't always make good DM's. DMing relies a lot on being able to think on the spot and react to things as they occur. I am by no means a slow thinker but DMing takes quite a bit from me every time I play. My players would tell you that they can always tell when my wheels are turning simply because of the fact that I pause, and may pause for a while.

Being a good DM is a skill, you need to hone it. The truth is, if you're busy (and I'm betting you are) then try playing one game with as little prep as you can manage. Random roll a few NPC's, set the basic campaign setting, read your players sheets and see what happens. It may not work, but playing RPG's will always be a bit of a learning experience. You are probably busy, your games will probably be just as busy. As long as you and your players have fun the game will always be worth it. Always be sure to ask your players what their favorite part of playing is, as often as you can.

In the comments I'd love for you to tell me about your least/most favorite campaigns you've run (or played). What was your favorite method for running a campaign and what system did you use? Until next time, keep your pens poised!