When I was younger, I spent a lot of time planning D&D campaigns. I wanted to build complete worlds before I started running them, for a lot of reasons:
- I had moments of inspiration that I simply had to flesh out and get down on paper.
- Many people in our group had something we wanted to GM, and I wanted to earn the right to have my shot.
- Once I got in the coveted GM seat, I needed to prove myself. I couldn’t allow myself to fail, or I might lose that spot before the story was complete.
- If I’m honest, I think I dreamed of producing a published adventure or campaign setting ( which I’ve technically done now, I guess! )
That was two decades ago, and things have changed. I don’t think these were very healthy ways of looking at the hobby, and I’d like to talk about some ways I’ve grown in those years. Maybe it’ll be helpful for you young whippersnappers just getting into this hobby.
There’s always time
Look, I’ve had more brushes with my own mortality than I would prefer. I’ve felt the obsessive need to get my game idea down on paper–like I’d go mad if I didn’t. I’ve felt a game I have prepped burning a hole in my pocket, waiting to be used, if only I could convince people to play.
Please understand: I’m not saying you have infinite time and you should be put everything off forever. Eventually, “someday” will become “never.” (These days, I like to say that “someday always has an asterisk.”)
But you have time. You don’t have to run that massive dream game idea now. In fact, you’re probably better off stewing on it a bit and testing out ideas with smaller campaigns and one-shots.
If you’ve got a lot of people wanting to run games, you might feel some big feelings if you don’t get your chance. But I went from everyone in the gaming group in my 20’s having a game they wanted to run to being one of 2-3 forever DMs in my 40’s—and it’s several of the same people.
I’ve started running one-shots at conventions and that’s another good outlet. That adventure that’s burning a hole in your pocket? Maybe you don’t get it to the table with the folks that you wrote it for, but there’s going to be other ways to get it to the table.
Opportunities will present themselves eventually. You don’t have to force them, you just have to be ready for them.