This Is What Makes Me a Happy DM

I've been playing in the same D&D 3.5 edition RPG adventure since 2005.*

It's been a really great time. I've learned a lot since we started playing this game. My previous experiences with D&D was a much looser form of play, not nearly so much Rules As Written (RAW) like I play more often now.

Some of the players have joined & left since we started way back when, but a few core people remain and the last and current iteration of the group works really well together. We're a bit large for a normal D&D group. Like any team, the most effective size is 4-5 people. We have 7 currently, including myself as the DM. This game has been co-ran since it's inception, so although DM's typically don't get a PC to play, in this game they do because you will need your PC when someone else is taking their turn at being DM.

Did I mention that added to this large party size, we all had god-like ability stats to start with? That through one DM or another we've had access to just about every "goodie" a role-player could ask for? And that we have several NPC's that are badass all on their own?

For you non-role players out there, this would be like the equivalent of giving kids all the caffeine, sugar, ability and access to all kinds of mayhem they could ever desire, and then trying to get them to settle down and sit quietly.

All of these ingredients could very well turn our game sessions into one big disaster. Luckily for us, we are a group of people who really want to play and enjoy it. We've figured out a formula for our sessions:

1) Have a start time 1 hour earlier than you actually plan to play (this helps to ensure you get started within 2 hours of everyone's arrival, at least).
2) Potluck the food--no one person should have to pay for the Cheetos & Mountain Dew all the time.
3) Take mini-breaks to allow for socializing and off-track moments.
4) Have an awesome group of people who respect each other & just want to have fun.

Currently we're wrapping this game up. It's a bit scary--I'm the DM right now and there's a lot of pressure to end this game in spectacular fashion. We've had these characters for several years, watched them grow and change from 1st-20th level. Most likely we won't ever see these PC's again, unless a DM takes them out of retirement for future game use as NPC's.

But I must be doing something right...witness comments from our email chain after this Saturday's game:

That was just about one of my favorite games ever.  We got to crack Amanda and Sarah's secret language, we go to blow up a ziggaraut, and we got to do some awesome fighting.  It was like the perfect combination of puzzles for thinking, mindless destruction for fun, and combat for everything in between.  Keep it going Sarah!!!

Agree, kudos on the game! I was loathe to stop, it felt like one of those games I could play all night if it wasn't for stupid job... :P

Anyone call dibs on recap? Speak soon or I'll be starting it.

 Totally completely frickin awesome fun! Everything about it was great. I agree I would have kept playin if not for damn cheeldren! Playing as Kevel was a sweet bonus to go along with it!

This is completely validating for me as a DM. I've worked hard on the plot to keep everyone interested, to keep the sense of drama high, and to give our PC's a slam-bam exit and finish to this game.

We played for about 6 hours Saturday evening. The group got a chance to crack a code giving a clue for the next game session. No easy-out for these PC's by using the Skill Decipher Script here! (May my BFF forgive me for using our secret language developed in school to keep boys from reading our notes to each other).

Although I have to say, the boys who stole our notes in middle school either weren't very smart or very curious about their contents, even if they did steal the notes & complain about not being able to read it. My friends and hubby had that code cracked in less than an hour. (In my BFF & my defense, we were little when we created it and it was pure substitution, ie each letter had a corresponding symbol).

It makes me a happy geek girl. Especially since I once had someone give me the stinkeye when he heard I was going to DM. He actually had the nerve to say to me, "Oh, you're going to DM? I don't think girls can DM well. I haven't had good experiences in the past."

You can believe that I showed him the error of his beliefs that night.

*For those of you not "in the know" or who don't speak the geek dialect of role-playing, here's a glossary:
DM: Dungeon Master, the person who runs the game & is responsible for directing what happens and keeping everyone on track.
D&D: Dungeons & Dragons
RPG: Role-playing game
PC: Player-character, a character created and ran by someone playing the game
NPC: You guessed it, this is a non-player character. Could be a previously used & now retired character brought out by the DM, or someone the DM created for the game, or could be a PC's "follower" and is controlled by that player.