You guys remember that one time Laurel got to decide what to draw? Well it’s no longer “that one time.” She wrote and illustrated today’s comic entirely on her own. I guess she picked up on my overworked GM vibes from Monday’s comic.

This isn’t all about me though. The larger point is that the guy behind the screen puts a lot of time and effort into make that weekly session happen. It’s fun work, but it’s still work, you know? And chances are he’s got other stuff going on in his life. Maybe he’s overburdened at school. Maybe he’s preparing to propose his dissertation. Maybe between running Monte Cook’s Dragon’s Delve, a gestalt version of Curse of the Crimson Throneand The Thirteenth Gate over in Starfinder, the prep time is getting to be a bit much. For all you know he’s got an overdue module with his publisher, and the kids in his Maya/Unity class are wondering why it’s taking so long to get their project grades, and the greyhound can’t get out the dog door because he’s still wearing the cone of shame, making it impossible to get a good night’s sleep when that poor GM has to roll his leaden GM bones out of bed at 3:00 am to let the damn dog out. You know. Hypothetically.

All I know is when I discovered that, having forgotten to write Friday’s comic, my wife and co-creator had decided to put in the effort on my behalf, I may have gotten a little bit misty-eyed. The gesture means a lot. And the moral of the story is simple: GMs deserve a little love and support. A simple “thanks for running” is a good start. Offerings of beer and pizza are better. And if you manage to remove the mantle of “forever GM” from the poor bastard’s shoulder, he may very well break down in sobs of gratitude.

Therefore, for today’s discussion, I have a simple question: Have you thanked your GM lately? What’s the best way to let the guy behind the screen know you care? Sound off with all your fanciest Cheeto varieties and exotic dice sets down in the comments!

 

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