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This is kind of an extension of what Thod identified; overhearing a player talk about an awesome moment at the table you GMed the day before. Bonus points if you hear the player talking about it at the same convention a year later.
Another 'win' is when someone tells you they drove over an hour out of their way to play at a game because they saw you're signed up as the GM. A similar situation is at a convention when the same scenario is running at multiple tables and players come to the slot early just to claim the seats at your table.
When you know a scenario so well that you don't need to reference it to GM it. You can do the whole thing from memory.
The last one, and probably the best, is when all the players at your table are standing because they're too excited/anxious to sit down. I've yet to accomplish this, but I have jealously watched GMs from across the room who have.
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Receiving a message here on the boards from a brand-new player who is now hooked on PFS because he walked up and had a great experience at your low-level table at a recent Con.
There is nothing better in PFS than that e-mail.
The down-side is that player will be constantly disappointed with the GMs that follow because they won't measure up to the standard set. There's nothing that compares to when you are new to the game and everything is exciting. Then you learn the system and the metagaming starts.
RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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Ensuring my players use their change of underwear during the game.
I agree w=the best games are where you survive by the skin of your pants - they are the ones you hear abou.
The GM for whom this is a goal is my least favorite type to play under.
Back on topic, I haven't GM'd nearly as much as some of you, but it definitely makes my day when a player compliments something specific about my running of the game, or when the entire table is laughing together. :)
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Seeing a wave of emotion sweep over the players, whether worry or joy, when no dice were rolled. Or when you do roll, and they collectively gasp at the outcome.
Having a car-full of players finish a con two hours away from their homes saying "That was a great way to end the con!" after you nearly killed several of them.
Having a player return hours later to learn your name and thank you a second time.
Having all the PCs on the brink of death, when I'm just as afraid for their lives as they are, and they pull it out without fudging.
Or to paraphrase a conversation:
Me: "Whoa, I almost wiped them out, but they all lived."
Other GM: "What did they do wrong?"
Me: "Nothing. That's why they survived."
Cheers, JMK
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Having no one leave the session upset or not understanding what just happened.
This, this is the most important thing because it means you can TPK and players don't feel cheated.
Right now, GM triumph is making players feel tense and near death without killing them. Level one and a four person party practically works itself, but pushing them to that next level of agonizing worry is that much better.
GM triumph is ... running everything and getting all the rules right - no table conflict and people be happy.
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Getting the party nice and bunched up so you can drop a maximized fireball right smack in the middle of them. To a lesser extent, having a scythe wielder great cleave in the middle of a party and land more than one critical. Sadly I have never gotten to do that second one, but I can hope!
I would also say being able to provide a challenge to players (this second one is less so true in PFS, since the only way we affect challenge is if a creature's AI gives us some leeway) that while fair, still poses a serious threat to the party. And having them enjoy it thoroughly.
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At this early stage of my GM'ing Career, making it through the entire scenario without saying "Ummm, I dunno about that... Hold on and I'll look it up." ^_^
I'm a 5-star GM, and I never go a scenario without needing to look something up. A good GM isn't someone who knows everything, but someone who is willing to look up something they don't know (unless it starts to take a while, in which case they make a ruling and call it a day).
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GM Triumph is: Everyone enjoying themselves, even (or especially?) the guy whose PC died (on those rare occasions when it happens).
Recent triumph: PCs actually wound up talking with some kobolds, which, I think, may have saved one or more of the PCs' lives, since they were warned of the nasty trap, instead of finding it with their bodies.
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I don't know if it was a triumph, but I had a session recently where I had one player standing at the end (the rest of the party was in varying levels of neg). Seeing the shock on the player who thought his AC and HP were high enough to make him safe and putting him down with back to back 20's on the table. Hearing players talk about it the following week.
Having the players thank me for running the session most evenings.
Having the players stabilize all the town guards they defeated in the party sneaks across the Horde city scenario.
Having a group of players see me, smile and drag me over to their table so I could run their scenario for the evening.
Being the first GM a new player has in society and seeing them come back again - That's probably the best.
**Yeah! I got my second start last night...**
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Hearing from your wife who subs as an art teacher that a kid who played at your table couldn't stop talking about his experience.
Someone telling you that they'd really like you to GM a particular scenario because they think you are a good GM or heard someone else describe how awesome a previous table of yours for the scenario was.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Being asked to GM. Not as in, "We're short handed, can you step up?" More like, "Matt, I'd really like to play this scenario with you running it."
Having PCs hate any Reddywipple they see, because I GMed them through <redacted>
Oh, and "Ok Mr. Gnome, we'll free you!"
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Receiving a message here on the boards from a brand-new player who is now hooked on PFS because he walked up and had a great experience at your low-level table at a recent Con.
There is nothing better in PFS than that e-mail.
This is why I mainly run the low level tables. I want them to have a good first experience. I tip my hat to the local folks and their GM 101 class. I took 3 points away from it on GMing.
1. Keep it fun.
2. Keep it moving.
3. Make sure everyone has a chance to show off their characters awesomeness. (everyone gets a chance in the spotlight).
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Venture-Captain, California—Sacramento
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awesomeness. (everyone gets a chance in the spotlight).
In the nature of this:
At a table of characters ranging in levels from 1-4, playing in tier 4-5 (seven person table)
Having the first time player with a level 1 character manage to solo kill the bigbad. (okay, the level 4 witch debuffing it to impotence while the level 4 inquisitor drew it's fire helped, but she was the one who did the damage.)
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GM triumph?
Having a GM (or player) you greatly respect sit down at your table to play.
Better... Having one of those GMs (or VOs or players) ask you to run a game for them!
I don't know if there is a better feeling as a GM than being asked by someone you respect to run something for them. Well, except perhaps finding out that a new player is continuing to play pathfinder/PFS because He or she had so much fun at your table. Maybe those two are a tie?
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For me, it's everything. Even having players dare to sign up at my tables is a triumph to me in of itself. Confession: I actually have very low self-esteem in myself as a GM.
The best feeling I've ever had as a GM was when I ran an entire table through the Penumbral Accords, with every single person at that table being new. It took a while getting through it with me trying to explain how actions worked and what their options were, but they all returned to play again. That means I'm doing something right, huh?