[RPG] I’m not a DM anymore. How to adjust to being a player again

group-dynamicssystem-agnostic

For the past 5 years or so, I've been a DM/GM across a couple of different systems for a few different groups of friends. Now, I've taken a step back and gone back to being a player. How do I deal with the difference in hard experience and book knowledge between myself and the new DM, and constraints that I am given as a player ( e.g. certain books, no X, everyone has Y)?

Additionally – I want to make it a point that there is no friction, this question isn't meant as a 'My DM is being dumb and I don't like it.' question, it is a 'I'm used to all of this power and responsibility, how can I go back to having fun as a player?' question. I would rather have answers of fellow long time DMs that dropped back into the playerdom on their personal experience as opposed to general 'Well he's the DM now, respect it' sort of answers – though they are still valid.

Best Answer

Enjoy the Mystery

Ruddy Mysterious

While you were a DM you crafted worlds, made them react to the actions of your players in the best manner you could all the while crafting villains and plots out of frame for the heroes to discover and tangle with. This type of world building and plot knowledge has a very particular flavor of enjoyment, but losing it does not mean its not replaced by a different, but equally valid type of enjoyment: Exploration of the unknown. As a player you won't know whats behind that door. Whether or not the town guard captain is susceptible to bribes or that the wizened wizards who's been helping you along has actually been using you to accomplish his own nefarious ends. Revel in the unknown and the promise of adventure it holds.


Become the Protagonist

HIS NAME IS AEOFEL!

You'll no doubt be playing with party members, but as a player the ball is now in your court to influence how events play out. As the DM your primary responsibility was to create scenarios, possibilities, and adjudicate actions as they occurred. You had to weigh different player goals, abilities, and balance them against the campaign and the monsters and traps you filled it wit, NO MORE! Now you can focus on saying what your character would say, doing what your character would do, and shaping the world as your character would wish it to be.


Be a Part of the Team

If it bleeds we can kill it!

Before you were on your own as DM, there may have been helpful rules lawyers to help you with tricky rules situations or help maintain rules balance at the table, but regardless of your DM style you were making a world and controlling the aspects of it that were directly antagonistic to the players. As such you were on the other side of the DM screen, a powerful but lonely place to be. Rather than focusing on the loss of complete control of one side of the game, focus on how you can work together with your team to overcome a milieu of obstacles, probably in ways the current GM never expected. Play up and indulge in in-character interactions with the other players at the table and really put the roleplay back in roleplaying game.