I've been playing D&D since I was 8, DMing since i was 11 and am now near 25, i wouldn't consider myself a veteran but i'd say experienced and yes, yes i do still get nervous.
dungeon mastery is a performance art and like any performance art, if you have put all the effort in, done all the research, poured in your heart and soul to craft an experience for your audience and you are not nervous? well that makes you a sociopath, or a moron...
I get nerves before sessions. I don't like to call it "nervous" because it doesn't have the same negative connotation - when I get nervous in a social situation, I tend to want to leave it, but when I am DMing I don't want to be anywhere else or doing anything else.
But there are a lot of thoughts that race through the mind before the session starts; Is everyone going to show up? Are they going to enjoy what I've got in mind? Will I be able to build on what the players add to the game?
It's no different, to me, to when I used to get on stage to perform (band, choir, theater, doesn't matter). The nerves always come, but I have them drive me to put in my best effort, not away from the activity itself, and it has always worked out well enough for me.
I have been playing for a long time and yes I still get nervous before I DM. I pace, read, pace some more, read some more. However, it is fun prepping for the session and I know the more I prepare the smoother the session will be. D&D beyond has made the process easier for me.
Without a doubt. You're the showperson. I've been playing since I was 8 and I turn 40 next month. I still get nervous with first sessions even if they are the same friends I'e been playing with for nearly 30 years. I can't say this is the best option for everyone, but I usually have a single drink to loosen up, but keep it to that while running the game. Drunk DMing is never recommended.
I'm getting back into DMing after like 20-some years away and yeah, it can be absolutely nerve-wracking. I appear to be faking it well enough, though, and my players are having a good time, so it's super rewarding. Two of my players had never played before and were really skeptical about the whole thing, and now they're really into it, so I feel really grateful to have provided such a positive experience for them.
Its a bit like a rookie soldier asking a veteran if they're still afraid going into battle: you absolutely are, or you're stupid. The players are going to eventually throw you a curveball you aren't prepared for. That's part of what makes a tabletop game better than a video game, imho.
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Do Not Meddle in the Affairs of Dragons, for You are Crunchy and Taste Good with Ketchup,
I think every dm gets nervous , because we are under more stress to do well. that and everyone is looking at you the whole time, peering into your soul. Just staring...waiting for you to do something wrong and catch you in a mistake....>_> that's just an example......
Only time I've ever gotten nervous about DM'ing was for Adventurer's League when I'd had very poor sleep for two nights prior and was struggling to stay conscious.
Well, and that one time when the creepy player came up behind me and started massaging my shoulders...
"How far off the general plot are they going to do THIS time, and can I adjust and still make it fun."
Personally the experience and challenges are different to me, mostly on how well I know the group. The longer I know the group and habits, the less severe the jitters. But for me, it never quite goes away.
About the only time I got nervous DMing was when I jumped back in recently after about 7 years of not playing/running any RPGs at all - and that was mainly due to using a new system (5e) after not running a new system - well, ever. I started with AD&D 2nd edition and skipped the 3.p - 4e eras.
Even then, though, I had a lot of experience running various systems and genres back in my heyday, so it made no sense to get nervous about it. Still, for those first few sessions, I was racked with nerves. Now that I've gotten my sea legs back I rarely get nervous *before* a game. During a game on the other hand... "Oh, no, was the CR for this encounter too high? Will my players have a decent chance of surviv - oh, nevermind, they curbstomped that deadly encounter."
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About to run my second on ever and yeah im gettin nervous.
I've been playing D&D since I was 8, DMing since i was 11 and am now near 25, i wouldn't consider myself a veteran but i'd say experienced and yes, yes i do still get nervous.
dungeon mastery is a performance art and like any performance art, if you have put all the effort in, done all the research, poured in your heart and soul to craft an experience for your audience and you are not nervous? well that makes you a sociopath, or a moron...
Always. Even with a group of friends that I know well, I still get nerves before a session,e specially if I have written something myself.
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I get nerves before sessions. I don't like to call it "nervous" because it doesn't have the same negative connotation - when I get nervous in a social situation, I tend to want to leave it, but when I am DMing I don't want to be anywhere else or doing anything else.
But there are a lot of thoughts that race through the mind before the session starts; Is everyone going to show up? Are they going to enjoy what I've got in mind? Will I be able to build on what the players add to the game?
It's no different, to me, to when I used to get on stage to perform (band, choir, theater, doesn't matter). The nerves always come, but I have them drive me to put in my best effort, not away from the activity itself, and it has always worked out well enough for me.
I have been playing for a long time and yes I still get nervous before I DM. I pace, read, pace some more, read some more. However, it is fun prepping for the session and I know the more I prepare the smoother the session will be. D&D beyond has made the process easier for me.
cheers,
Jocanuck
Without a doubt. You're the showperson. I've been playing since I was 8 and I turn 40 next month. I still get nervous with first sessions even if they are the same friends I'e been playing with for nearly 30 years. I can't say this is the best option for everyone, but I usually have a single drink to loosen up, but keep it to that while running the game. Drunk DMing is never recommended.
For sure . . .I look forward to it all week then as the time draws near start to stress out.
Tried jumping up & down, flopping around like NFL player before the big game, or like we used to do in drama class haha!
Try not to be hard on myself, always nitpick after things I forgot etc but guys keep coming back so I guess everyone is having fun.
I'm getting back into DMing after like 20-some years away and yeah, it can be absolutely nerve-wracking. I appear to be faking it well enough, though, and my players are having a good time, so it's super rewarding. Two of my players had never played before and were really skeptical about the whole thing, and now they're really into it, so I feel really grateful to have provided such a positive experience for them.
Hell yes I still get nervous! :D
Its a bit like a rookie soldier asking a veteran if they're still afraid going into battle: you absolutely are, or you're stupid. The players are going to eventually throw you a curveball you aren't prepared for. That's part of what makes a tabletop game better than a video game, imho.
Do Not Meddle in the Affairs of Dragons, for You are Crunchy and Taste Good with Ketchup,
I think every dm gets nervous , because we are under more stress to do well. that and everyone is looking at you the whole time, peering into your soul. Just staring...waiting for you to do something wrong and catch you in a mistake....>_> that's just an example......
Only time I've ever gotten nervous about DM'ing was for Adventurer's League when I'd had very poor sleep for two nights prior and was struggling to stay conscious.
Well, and that one time when the creepy player came up behind me and started massaging my shoulders...
Nerves and fear yes.
Personally the experience and challenges are different to me, mostly on how well I know the group. The longer I know the group and habits, the less severe the jitters. But for me, it never quite goes away.
Your personal mileage may vary.
About the only time I got nervous DMing was when I jumped back in recently after about 7 years of not playing/running any RPGs at all - and that was mainly due to using a new system (5e) after not running a new system - well, ever. I started with AD&D 2nd edition and skipped the 3.p - 4e eras.
Even then, though, I had a lot of experience running various systems and genres back in my heyday, so it made no sense to get nervous about it. Still, for those first few sessions, I was racked with nerves. Now that I've gotten my sea legs back I rarely get nervous *before* a game. During a game on the other hand... "Oh, no, was the CR for this encounter too high? Will my players have a decent chance of surviv - oh, nevermind, they curbstomped that deadly encounter."