Getting Behind the DM Screen
It’s not that I have panic attacks, my palms sweating and the room spinning at the thought of talking to other human beings. It’s those situations where everyone is meeting and greeting and going through the small talk that I feel out of place. I never quite feel like I have anything to say. Other than jokes.
I got lots of jokes.
But experience, and a sharp wife, has taught me to keep those to myself. It’s for the better.
Whether that makes me an introvert, I can’t say. Because while I don’t relish talking to people in those cordial situations, I love entertaining. Having guests or friends (not always the same thing) over. It’s like they’ve given me license to play host and cater to them like I’m Steve Martin at the Oscars. That I can do because it’s like I get to put on a show.
I absolutely adore performing for people. It could be because my head’s not screwed on just right. It could be because I’m making up for an attention/praise starved childhood…But please don’t ask why, no one quite knows the reason. For whatever the reason, my head or my heart, I love to perform, it’s my preferred work of art.
But I only get so many speaking opportunities. I make the most of every public speaking event I get, but the rest of the time I have to get it out of my system by dramatic readings of Berenstain Bears books to my kids, taking on personas in family board games (I play a fantastic doofus frontier guide when we play Oregon Trail) and…perhaps best of all, when I climb behind the Dungeon Master’s (DM) screen for the comedy podcast, SciFi Writers Playing Old School D&D.
To give our usual DM, Christopher Boore, a break, I’m leading the second season module. A little ditty called Feast of Goblyns.
Am I over the top as a DM? Entirely likely.
Am I having fun? Absolutely.
Am I entertaining? Check out the latest episode and let me know!
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