DMing or Playing?

Which do you prefer?

It's actually been some time since I last had a chance to play D&D as a Player (and it will probably some more time until I can again!), but really my passion is to DM.

Don't get me wrong, I love just sitting back and being immersed into a world and tearing through dungeons with my party; it's nice to relax and enjoy the game sometimes. Really though, I love building up a world and watching the players breathe life into it and seeing the whole thing come to life before me, and them as well.

One of the best things about being a DM is world building, in my opinion. I love fleshing out the world I've already created, adding in some historical events, twists and turns in the campaign and working with the players' backstories to create a unique and exciting story for them. The best thing about building up a world though is watching the players fall into it, being immersed in their setting and believing everything they see and hear around them. Being invested in your campaign, in their characters and each other is one of the most satisfying things to watch.

Of course, DMing is a lot of hard work too, but the rewards don't compare. I spend a lot of time planning out events, and planning for every which way I think the players will take (even though no plan survives contact with the players), drawing battlemaps, constructing NPC's; there is a lot of work to be done. But it's all worth it. 

Besides, in my opinion, as a DM; if your players had fun then you had fun. There's nothing better than them telling you that you did a good job, they can't wait for the next session, they're excited to see where the plot leads, everything like that.

So tell me, what do you prefer; being a player or a DM?

Until next time!