In this post I touched on the roles of the gamemaster (also known as the DM) in a roleplaying game (RPG). That only scratched the surface, so in this post we dug a little deeper. Today we’re going to grab our shovels again and pick up where we left off. This time we’re going to explore the role of referee.

If you’d like to see all the posts in this series, simply click on the “GM Roles” tag at the bottom of the page.

A view behind the DM's screen - maps, books, notes, and dice.
Behind the DM screen.


Referee?

I’ll start by explaining what I mean by “refereeing”. It doesn’t involve blowing a whistle, throwing a flag, or holding up a yellow card. There aren’t any elaborate hand signals to learn.

Sports referees get cool uniforms. GM's have to make up their own.
Sorry, no cool striped shirt either.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines referee as “an official who watches a game or match closely to ensure that the rules are adhered to and (in some sports) to arbitrate on matters arising from the play.” That’s a great definition of a sporting referee, but a RPG isn’t really a sport.

In a sporting context, the referee decides whether an action is permissible or not, after the fact. In an RPG, the DM decides what’s permissible, or even possible, before it takes place. Another way to look at it might be that the DM in the role of the referee serves as the interface between the rules of the game and the actions of the characters.

Impartiality

In one respect an RPG referee is the same as a sporting referee: both must be impartial. The DM can’t favor one player over another, or his non-player characters (NPC’s) over the player’s characters (the PC’s). Like the law of gravity, the rules of the game must apply to every entity equally.

Moreover, the DM must not take advantage of knowing the PC’s strengths and weaknesses, plans, and abilities. They must play the role of each NPC using only the knowledge that NPC would possess.

Knowing the Rules

RPG’s have a well-deserved reputation for having multiple books full of Byzantine rules. And in some cases (*cough* D&D *cough*) there are a lot of books (though most are technically optional). Not every game is that complex, but almost all of them run into dozens of pages at the least.

Fortunately, the referee doesn’t need to know them by heart. Most RPG’s are based around some common mechanic that’s used to resolve almost everything. For example, in D&D, you calculate bonuses (based on vital statistics of the character, their equipment, magic spells, etc.), calculate the target number (based on similar factors to the bonuses), roll 1d20, add the bonuses to the roll, and compare the result to the target number. If you beat or tie the target number you succeed.

Other games might use other systems. In Call of Cthulhu, you roll percentile dice (1d100 or 1d%), and compare the result to the character’s relevant vital statistic or skill. If the result is less or equal, they succeed.

The point is, once you know how the basic mechanic of your game works, all you need to know is how to find out which vital statistics to use, and what other factors are relevant to the action in question. And really, you don’t have to memorize that information either, you just have to know how to look it up quickly.

Guiding the Players Through the Rules

Perhaps the most-heard phrase from players in an RPG is “what do I have to roll?”. The player describes the action they want to take, and the rest is up the the DM. The DM decides what rules need to be invoked, how difficult the proposed action would be, and and instructs the player on how what dice to roll, and what modifiers to apply.

Let’s take an example from a game I ran a while back. We were playing D&D (version 3.5, if you care). The characters managed to ensnare a wagon load of goblins with a magic spell. Todd wanted his character Galen the Fighter to attack the goblins. But if he stepped on the ground near the wagon, he’d be ensnared by the spell too.

The goblins were dodging among some trees when they were caught, and they were parked underneath one. Todd said “I jump over the magic area, grab a tree limb, and swing down onto the wagon. What do I have to roll?”

I looked through the list of skills in the rulebook, and “Jump” looked like the best match. Consulting further, I found that to jump ten feet with a running start required a result of 10 or better. But that was to land on the ground. The book didn’t say how hard it is to grab a tree limb, so I decided he would need to get a 15 or better. I said “make a Jump check. Roll 1d20 and add your Jump bonus.” Todd rolled a 13, and Galen’s bonus was +3, so Galen succeeded.

Rule Zero

Gamers observe one rule in every RPG: Rule Zero. Rule Zero says “The DM’s decision is final”. If the players and the DM debate the rules, the game will bog down. That ruins the fun for everyone. So the DM has the power to table all debate, issue a ruling, and move on. Of course, this only works if the players trust the DM’s impartiality and knowledge of the rules.