30 Days of Dungeons and Dragons Day 30: Best DM You’ve Had

            Well, here we are.  It’s the last day and conclusion of the 30 Days of Dungeons and Dragons challenge.  And the question is an incredibly tricky one, and awkwardly personal.  Strictly in D&D, I have only ever had 5 DMs, to the best of my memory.  This is already a tough call, so I’m discounting those who ran games for me that were of a different system (and sorry to all of you.  You know who you are and you’ve all been fantastic).  I have to say, I’ve never had a bad DM.  I’ve never had a game which I didn’t enjoy at all.  Oh, actually, thinking about it, there were technically a few other DMs back when I tried play-by-forum D&D, but they don’t count at all.

            In that case, this comes down to a rather close call.  In fact, out of three in particular, I’m really not sure who to choose. 

            Rich, you’ve only DM’d a few games for me, but every single one has been phenomenal.  I’ve already listed your incredible achievement which was the Labyrinth of Madness, and the castle with shifting gravity was fantastic.  You’ve been absolutely consistent in delivering an engrossing, action-packed plot.  If I can give a single point of criticism, sometimes play stops for ten minutes because you’re explaining a minute point.  But it’s always interesting.  Thank you.

            A Dungeon Master is an incredibly complex role, much more complicated than even the craziest multi-class.  They have to deliver a comfortable location to play in, an intense atmosphere within the game, a story which is gripping but not restrictive or backstory-heavy, a flowing, simple gameplay, and so much more.  It is a very difficult task.  I have had a number of outstanding Dungeon Masters, both in D&D and in other systems.  Mastering this … masterdom myself is a bit of an ongoing quest for me, and I always struggle to run more serious games.  I can do silly very well, but moving, meaningful plot sometimes eludes me, though often I find the players are the best at creating meaning in a game.  Rich, you’re the best I’ve seen, though I won’t deny that several others come very close.  Well done.  You mark the end of the 30 Days of D&D Challenge quite appropriately, and I've even found a tribute:

30 DODND Day 6: Favourite Deity

Well, speaking purely in terms of fantasy pantheons, this one’s a tie between one deity from Faerun and one from Goblins.

            Faerun has a wide range of deities, from the good to the evil and from the lawful to the chaotic.  My favourite, however, comes from the selection of gods who place themselves firmly in the middle of it all – the true neutral god of travelling, Fharlanghn.  This is the god who doesn’t care where you’re going, or why; he just wants you to enjoy the journey.  Luck, Protection, and Travel are his Cleric domains, and I couldn’t think of a better combination.  One of the first characters I ever created (possibly the first) was a wizard who worshipped Fharlanghn.  He had a few battle spells in his book, but mostly he had practical spells, like Leomund’s Secure Shelter and other arcane rituals that just make travelling more pleasant.  I like to think that Forrest Gump would have had a lot of time for Fharlanghn, and I think more characters should try the less battle-hardy approach to D&D.

             In Goblins, however, there is a deity who is far more... practical to call upon.  Forgath, the dwarven cleric in the comic, worships the great and almighty Herbert, more commonly known as the Dungeon Master.  In a game where every random encounter, loot drop, quest, storyline, and NPC is controlled by a single, all-powerful person, it makes sense to make sure that that individual is kept happy and placated with regular prayer, wouldn’t you say?