Does DnD have a dungeon master crisis? There have been rumblings recently about Dungeons and Dragons 5e not having enough dungeon masters for all the people who want to role-play.
This article It’s Not Just You: NYC Has a Serious Dungeon Master Shortage seems to have kicked off a lot of conversations about the topic. A massive Reddit thread also sprung up about a Questing Beast response video.
I want to examine one paragraph from within the article before I dive into my thoughts about a D&D DM shortage.
What is the Dungeon Master’s Job?
Here’s a long quote from the article:
“Playing the role of Dungeon Master can be a rewarding job but it is sometimes thankless, and always taxing. D&D can be overwhelming to any new player; this is especially true for a DM, who needs to know all the rules, adjudicate them, create or manage the story, plan logistics for their group, and cater the experience to what each player wants. The amount of effort involved makes it inaccessible for new players and difficult for experienced ones to sustain long-term.”
Let’s break this down point by point:
- needs to know all the rules – This is false. Dungeon Masters should never be expected to know all the rules. Some rules? Sure, but very few rules are needed to run a game. Plus players should be expected to learn rules about how their characters work.
- adjudicate [the rules] – The dungeon master does have to make calls regarding the rules. There is no getting around this. However, this does not mean this has to be difficult. Common sense rulings can be made quite simply even without knowing the rules in many cases.
- create or manage the story – This is false. The DM does not bear the weight of creating and managing the story alone. The DM should think of situations to throw their player characters into and then the players build the story through their actions. No grand plots are needed for excellent games of D&D.
- plan logistics for their group – No, just, no. This does not fall on the dungeon master alone. Other adult human beings should help plan session times, be willing to host, provide snacks, or learn VTT basic functions.
- cater the experience to what each player wants – Wow, here we go. Yes, the session should reflect the players’ wants but it should also reflect the DM’s as well. Players should “cater” as much as the DM does.
There’s a quick breakdown of the points made in the article. More of my thoughts on the role of the dungeon master or the game master can be found in my book, The No Prep Gamemaster.
The main point I would like to make here is that the role of the dungeon master does not have to be the colossal task some would like to make it out to be.
Dungeon mastering can be done without heaping mountains of pressure on oneself or others.
The Game Master Shortage is Not New
Game masters and dungeon masters have always been in short supply. This is not a new problem. In the early 80s, it was extremely difficult to find a DM and in the 90s it was nearly impossible.
I quickly became the so-called “forever GM.” It wasn’t until D&D 5e came out that I could constantly play instead of GM. Why? The popularity of D&D surged.
Wizards of the Coast has reported that Dungeons and Dragons is more popular than ever with more than 50 million people saying they have played at least once. That should mean there are more dungeon masters than ever before.
Just one glance that Roll20’s game marketplace shows that a person could jump into a game of D&D nearly 24 hours a day seven days a week with about 15 minutes of notice. Could that of happened in 1984, 1994, 2004, or even 2014?
D&D Will Die Without Dungeon Masters
Of course, the question remains. Will there be more people who want to play a character than there are people who are willing to run a game? Yes, that will always be the case. However, it doesn’t have to spell the end of the hobby.
Claiming the dungeon masters bear all the responsibility for the game and painting the role as undoable unless you are being paid can certainly spell the end of the hobby.
Anyone Can Be the DM
Anyone with a desire to play D&D, even if they have never played before, can run exciting and fun sessions. Imagination and a willingness to be fair are all that is needed in a dungeon master.
All outstanding points. In the current WOTC “monetization” push, I have to wonder if the lynchpin in the survival and growth of D&D isn’t going to be the availability of DM’s, but the “entry cost” (which, in my opinion also impacts why many folks don’t want to be DM’s). Back in OD&D times, the concept of a “pencil and paper” game was really it. One person bought the boxed set and you were off. And the boxed set wasn’t expensive. Today, even if you accept the “you only need the three core books” (PH, DMG, MM), starting can set you back over $150 for a game you aren’t sure you will like or get to play much. Add in books for a “setting”, or additional rules/classes/etc. and choosing to be a “well-prepared DM” can be pricy. When your focus is on “monetization”, I’m not sure how this gets fixed. “Low cost/high volume” doesn’t seem to be in the cards. Add the new “push” for “professional DM’s” that charge for their time, and your hobby/pastime becomes a money sink. Not everyone is up for that.