“Being a DM was something that was always done via an apprenticeship. You played under a DM for a period of time until you or he decided it was time for you to learn the craft. Then you ran games with your DM as one of your players and he critiqued you and imparted his wisdom (wisdom not Intelligence)on to you as you garnered more experience until that day you started your own group.”
-jrmapes in the comments at D&D’s Biggest Problem
Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot. Over.
Seriously?
Ieusu on a STICK it’s the Old Guard Mythology of the OSR!
Ok, I have to say that that this is not how I learned AD&D, I was freaking 10-year, playing with other 10-year olds, then older friends (it really took off in Junior High) and we were all gaming like fiends right from the get-go.
Now, that said, I can see an element of truth here. I and a couple of friends played at the park-district D&D game which was running for awhile there. I did end up hooking up with a vastly older group of college students right around the age of 16 or so and that group became my primary group for playing, but I was still running my own stuff and continued to do so – and I learned a whole lot from that DM about running games. I can also remember a friend of mine who after playing with me for awhile started up his own game as well, and looked to me for advice and guidance during that process. Hell, we’d consult with each other in person or over the phone if we needed to make a ruling and couldn’t quite figure it out ourselves for some reason.
But really, “apprenticeships” where your DM final gave some Mafia-esque blessing to finally go out and start your own gaming group?
*older DM embraces the prospect* “Yo, now dat youd lerned the roolz good enuff, youd can go out and start yur own group – but watch out and don’t start nuttin dat might steal any playerz frum yur betterz, kapish? Dat happenz and me and da boyz might have to take some action – if you know what I mean.” *slaps young wanna-be DM’s face gently*
Give me a break…
D.
(And yes, I do realize that the commenter later in the comments backs off from this stance but it still just struck me as ridiculous…)
Fleur du mal 