A while back, I started a thread on the TT forums entitled Treasure Tables GMing Profiles. It was an invitation to write a little bit about yourself as a GM (the invitation is still open), and the initial flurry generated 36 profiles.

Apart from being interesting to read in their own right, I found the answers to one question in particular to be fascinating: What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do as a GM?

The intriguing thing is that so many of the answers to that question were the same. Let’s look at the breakdown.

The Big Four

In first place, deal with player issues and kick out a player both had 6 responses each (17% apiece).

End a campaign was next, with 5 responses (14%).

Kill a PC came in third, with 3 responses (8%).

(Other, naturally, was the largest category with 16 responses (44%). Significantly, none of those responses overlapped — they were completely different.)

Solutions to Common Problems

For GMs who’ve struggled with kicking out a player (which is never going to be easy), you’re in luck. How to Kick Out a Player and Respect Yourself in the Morning covers this topic in detail, with simple, practical advice drawn from the experiences of the TT community. (This post grew out of Have You Ever Kicked Out a Player?.)

Fudging Die Rolls and Social Contracts for RPG Groups might both be useful if you’ve had difficulties when it comes to killing PCs (many GMs do). Neither addresses the topic directly, though.

I’ve ended many campaigns over the years, sometimes well and sometimes badly. Based on how often it popped up in these GMing profiles, I’ll probably tackle this topic in a future post (or possibly in the upcoming Treasure Tables book).

Dealing with player issues is something I haven’t covered on TT yet, and it’s a tricky one because it’s such a broad topic. If you’ve had a tough time with this topic, what specifically made it difficult?

And, more generally, what would your response to the opening question (What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do as a GM?) be? Whether here in the comments or in the form of your own GMing profile on the forums, I’d love to hear your take on this one.