I hurt, beause I love…

Creepy title, I know.  Still, there’s a measure of truth to it with regards to being a GM.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from having run about nearly a dozen games for nearly twice as many different people, it’s that a great amount of fun in RPGs come from uncertainty.  Certainly players behave in a manner that is supposed to remove or minimize uncertainty, sometimes honing their characters to a keen edge where the fickle nature of dice can be minimized in their chosen fields… but ultimately, there’s a certain perverse thrill to rolling the dice and hoping you succeed.

As such, it falls squarely on the GMs shoulders to push that limit, to drive events and stories up to the point where players are just about to cry foul… but can’t because they know you’re going to be fair, that they’ve been given a chance to overcome this challenge.

Of course, I never forget to celebrate their successes.  Unlike the stereotypical 80’s cartoon villains, I like seeing my players succeed… but I want them to succeed fairly.  I might seem like a harsh GM, but each time they overcome what I throw at them, I applaud them because in some way, I am the audience of their achievements.  They can pat themselves on the back for a job well done, but I’m the guy who can tell them just how incredibly badass their achievements are, and confess to the ways that they’ve upturned my plans and expectations.

And so I admit it.  I level the most devious of traps, the most sadistic of situations and try to put my villains just that iota short of unbeatable because I know you guys can do it.  And when you do, I’ll be there to celebrate your victories right along with you, because that was one hell of a show.