Page 1077 - Masters of the Universe

Most times a co-DM situation isn’t all about just both improvising their butts off or working in perfect harmony. Sometimes they might draw a line between them, or separate out certain groups of tasks. For instance, in my first co-DM experience (that later turned into my first full-DM-of-a-campaign experience), we worked together on planning, but in the session I handled combat and dice while my partner handled description and dialogue.

Discord GM: Well. Shall we?
DM: Let’s try to make these quick. I don’t want to keep them waiting too long.
Discord GM: Of course, of course. Hello!
Applejack: Oh. Am Ah first?
Discord GM: Precisely.
Applejack: Hmmm. Not that Ah mind havin’ a familiar face around, but you are both of ya here? Seems like Discord’s runnin’ the whole show now.
DM: There’s a bit of nuance to it. I am still the primary Dungeon Master. This is still my game and my world. Discord is just an interdimensional interloper.
Discord GM: With the power to warp reality!
DM: Right. But I still have the authority to describe how the “regular” Equestria acts and reacts. What Discord describes as co-DM is what Discord the character has altered.
Applejack: Won’t that make his influence really obvious? He can’t try to sneak stuff by us?
Discord GM: Most of the time, I’ll want you to know it was me. But you bring up an interesting hypothetical. Suppose, say, Discord changes something out of sight, and then later it appears before you, without fanfare. I might have the regular DM describe it, and it will be up to you to decide whether it is a product of chaos or not.
DM: As you cross a fork in the both, you see three pristine apples off to one side.
Applejack: Oh boy… <sigh> Well, thanks for the free intel. Ah’ll take it however Ah can get it.