Why we need you to GM

There's an interesting discussion over at GameTime on how we can encourage people to GM at KapCon, which has seen some numbers crunched on the way the GMing burden has shifted over the past few years. Five or six years ago, KapCon relied heavily on GMs who ran one or maybe 2 sessions. We heavily pushed the logic that 6 sessions of 6 participants each meant that on average everyone had to run a game, and so GMs made up ~40% of attendees. Unfortunately in recent years, we've seen a shift away from that, and towards relying on a smaller pool of people who GM 3, 4, 5, or even 6 games during the con, with the result that the proportion of GMs has fallen to 25% (it was ~22% in 2005 - 2006).

This is a trend we want to reverse. Partly this is because of long-term sustainability - relying on a small pool of people leaves us scrambling for GMs when some of those people can't make it. But its also an aesthetic preference. Part of the joy of KapCon is the wide variety of games and gaming styles on offer - and to provide that, we need a wide variety of GMs.

So, if you can GM, please think about trying your hand this year. If you need help, advice, or a playtest group to iron out the bugs in your game, we can help with that. If you want a relaxed atmosphere with no pressure, we can put you in the last session. But please think about it - KapCon needs you.