What is a "Legit" Dungeon Master?
And do you have what it takes?
When I was just a fledgling Dungeon Master, also known as a Game Master, I was told I had to have all the rules memorized. I couldn’t make mistakes because all the players would know and ostracize me. Not only that, but I had to have an army of pewter miniatures (yes, I’m old) to represent the NPCs and Monsters in my games. It all seemed so overwhelming.
Truth be told, I was a broke kid with some thrift store Dungeons & Dragons books, a few gaming magazines, and some dice. I couldn’t afford the books I didn’t have, much less the miniatures. And no matter how many times I read and re-read those books, I still couldn’t remember everything. The prospects of becoming a legit Dungeon Master seemed bleak.
Adventures in "Illegitimate" Dungeon Mastering.
But as luck would have it, I also couldn’t find a Dungeon Master with an opening. And I really wanted to play Dungeons & Dragons. So I said “forget it!” I knew other folks that wanted to play. And they were more than willing to let me try my hand at being a Dungeon Master. At worst they would have to live with me being sub-par.
I ran dungeons and adventures from my books, magazines, and even made up my own. We wrote our character sheets on binder paper. Maps and grids were drawn on the same. Dice, pennies, bottles caps, and what ever else was lying around became our miniatures. And I had to look up a lot of rules… So many rules, like A LOT of rules. Almost constantly at first.
Mistakes were made, let me tell you. Rules mistakes, storytelling mistakes, continuity (keeping stuff consistent) mistakes, and so many others. And I learned from each and everyone of them. Slowly but surely I honed my craft, and I started seeing real improvement.
Turns out those “seasoned” role players were also lying jerks. My players and I had a blast! Without being experts, without being perfect, and without all the expensive supplies. We had a ton of fun, and created memories we talked about for months and years to come.
Game Over? Game On!
Eventually we grew up, grew apart, and quit playing. I was old enough to get a job. My time was filled with school, work, and girls. When I did have spare time, I enjoyed different hobbies with my current friends (none played D&D).
Years passed and life went on… And then by chance, while shopping in a Barnes and Noble, it happened. A pair of kids, in front of me in line, were talking excitedly. They were buying their the newest D&D book, a Monster Manual.
It hit me like Tommy Chong hits a bong. I was a grown-up, and I had a job! All that stuff it took to be a “legit” DM was within my reach! Oh, this is happening!
The clerk pulled me from my revelation. “Sir, may I help you? Will that be all for you today?” Clearing the daze from my mind, I responded “Nope, not yet. I’ve got some geek stuff to buy!” And with that, I was off like an shot, searching the shelves for D&D books.
Would I Finally Be a "Legit" DM?
Before long, I had found the right spot. Wizards of the Coast was the publisher now (I knew them through Magic: the Gathering). The current edition was 3rd, not 2nd anymore. But it was still the game I loved. I bought the Players Hand Book to start getting reacquainted.
Little by little, I bought the rest of the books. Core rules first, and then various supplements followed. Then came dice, miniatures, character sheets, battle maps, etc. I had the stuff! That magical pile of stuff that would make me legit!
Now all I needed was a test run, and for that I’d need players. My sister Lainney was my first player all those years ago. I asked her if she’d like to roll some dice and she said “Is that a trick question? Yeah!” Before long, I was DMing a small game for her and my cousin Nic (who was D&D curious).
Conclusion.
We told stories, rolled dice, killed monsters, and found ancient treasures. It really took me back. I knew I wouldn’t stop playing again. But it wasn’t really all that different from when I was young…
As it turns out, all that stuff mostly equated to quality of life improvements and visual ascetic. It looked cooler, it was easier to find info, and I had to improvise a bit less. It didn’t help me tell better stories, it didn’t help us role-play better, and it didn’t make for cooler combats. It didn’t even stop Nic from casting fireball in a 15′ square room.
In short, I found out you don’t need all that stuff. It’s nice, but completely unnecessary. And the best way to hone your craft is to practice it. You can’t get better at it if you’re not doing it. Lastly, a “legitimate” DM/GM is anyone who DMs/GMs. And If some gatekeeper tells you otherwise, they’re a lying jerk.
You see, the stuff that makes D&D great isn’t all the stuff you can buy. It’s the great time you have while playing it. It’s the stories you tell, and the people you tell them with. If everyone is having fun, that’s all that matters. Your a “grown-up” playing make believe. Own it!
Great content! Keep up the good work!
Thank you.