A new actual play series launched on June 12, and it’s brought something unique to the thriving scene. That’s no mean feat in a world stuffed full of quality Dungeons and Dragons streams. The Critical Roles and Dimension 20s of the world have budget, celebrity, and years of professional polish that makes them hard to compete with – but Amy Vorpahl, the organizer behind the annual GM Fest, is giving it a go anyway.
In fact, it’s the lack of polish that makes GM Fest different – and meaningful. GM Fest’s nine shows, which aired on Twitch and YouTube between June 12 and 14, were run entirely by beginner GMs.
Vorpahl has several years of experience guiding novices through the GMing process. “A few years ago, I had this idea that other people, like younger me, might want some hand holding into Dungeon Masterdom”, she tells me. “I thought the best way to do it was to treat it like an improv class, where reps is kind of the only way to get better.” “Instead of organizing six grown adults for four hours and having one session, what if I could train people in 10 to 15 minutes?”
That idea turned into a program called DM School, and GM Fest stars many of its past cohort. “Some of these people came into my class not only not having DM’d before, they’ve never played D&D before”, Vorpahl says. “So many of them came to me saying ‘hey, I’m going to be bad in the class, I cannot improv, I don’t perform, and I identify as an introvert’ – and, as you see, everyone’s light just shines so bright, and their ideas are amazing.”
Vorpahl wanted to create a showcase for these ideas, but she “knew I would need some extra support, because it’s a huge undertaking”. That support came from Alchemy VTT and Czepeku, creator of TTRPG maps, tokens, and accessories. “They were a hard yes, of course, because they’re all about getting new people playing the games”, Vorpahl adds. “They’ve been so instrumental in the production of all of this.”
Vorpahl is a firm believer that art should be shared, and she hopes GM Fest will give more people the confidence to do it. “There’s this idea that to have an actual play, you need to have already put in your hours and already be brilliant”, she explains. “I think, as much as with any other art form, we need people to be on their journey while doing the art form.”
“People need to see Dungeon Masters at their level, or maybe one step ahead, instead of like 30 steps ahead – just to know there’s no Dungeon Master police that are going to come out of the woodwork and arrest you for not being perfect”, she adds. “Even things that you think are mistakes are beautiful. What if they still touch someone because they’re coming from the magic of a human?”
Vorpahl also hopes initiatives like DM School and GM Fest will create a stronger network for new Game Masters. “Dungeon Masters need a community of Dungeon Masters”, she says. “Right now, most Dungeon Masters have a community of players, but you’re having different conversations with them. There are strategies and wins and frustrations that you can’t get out of your system and talk about.”
These are high hopes deliberately baked into GM Fest’s DNA. The show has had another unintentional impact, however – championing female and non-binary DMs. The GM Fest website lists 11 Game Masters, and only one identifies as a man.
Vorpahl tells me this “was not a conscious choice”. “Out of the submissions, most of them were women, and I chose the people who I thought were ready.”
She adds, however, that she does generally “stand to get more women out at the forefront” of tabletop gaming. “I want to see what they can do, give them some confidence, and show them this is not a dangerous path.”
“We are prone to doubt and perfectionism”, she adds. “There needs to be room for women to be excellent, but also to guess their way through this art form like everyone else.”
Ahead of GM Fest’s launch, I asked Vorpahl if she was worried about the show getting noticed in the actual play space, which is so often considered crowded. “I’m not scared of saturation”, she tells me.
“Yes, it feels saturated, and for someone new it can feel like screaming into the void.” “But there has not been a time in my life where making art that’s public hasn’t felt like that.” “Relevance and attention is always an uphill battle, and a lack of it is never a reason not to make your art”, she adds. “If the song is in your heart, you’ve gotta sing it.”
GM Fest is over (for now), and Vorpahl reports the whole thing went “amazingly”. “We streamed a total of 24 hours this weekend, and many people have reported wanting to hire these GMs for their next games.”
“Most importantly, all the GMs were so proud of themselves (and so was I) for doing a truly excellent job and sharing their stories out loud!”, she adds. “We are definitely doing a 2027 GM Fest, if I, Alchemy RPG, and Czepeku have anything to say about it!”
If you’re looking to chat with other DMs, you’re welcome to hang out in the Dungeons and Dragons channel over at the Wargamer Discord.
Source: Wargamer
