{"id":1261,"date":"2021-09-29T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-29T04:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/therabbithoel.com\/?p=1261"},"modified":"2021-09-29T19:54:41","modified_gmt":"2021-09-29T23:54:41","slug":"massive-work-massive-fun-understanding-the-roles-of-the-gamemaster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/therabbithoel.com\/?p=1261","title":{"rendered":"Massive Work, Massive Fun – Understanding the Roles of the Gamemaster"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In this post<\/a> I touched on the roles of the gamemaster (also known as the DM) in a roleplaying game (RPG). But that really only scratched the surface. Today let’s dig a little deeper, and see what we unearth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a big subject, and it’s going to take a few posts. You can find them all by clicking on the “GM roles” tag at the bottom of the page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Being DM is a really big job. During the game, the players each play the role of one character. The DM, on the other hand, plays many characters (the NPC’s). They also must describe the player’s characters (PC’s) surroundings, figure out how to resolve all the characters’ actions and then do so impartially, keep the plot moving, keep the pace of the game fast enough to hold everyone’s attention, and still have time to enjoy themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A typical workspace for a DM: an adventure, notes, dice, maps, and pencils. The screen holds often-used reference charts, and screens the maps and notes from the player’s view.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After the game session is over, the players are pretty much done too. There’s seldom much they need to do between sessions. The DM, on the other hand, still has much to do. He or she must prepare the story line for the next session. They need to decide how the NPC’s will react to the events of the session. There’s bookkeeping to do too, as the GM needs to track character advancement and how much loot the PC’s have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s too big of a subject for a single post. So I’m going to break this up over a few weeks. Each week we’ll discuss a few of the jobs of the DM. Today we’ll start by looking at the gamemaster’s role as instigator of the game, and their role as an improvisational writer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n

Instigator<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The role of instigator isn’t an in-session role, strictly speaking. But the DM is responsible for there being a session to begin with. After all, in most RPG systems, if there’s no DM there’s no game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There’s a lot of ways that a campaign can get started (see sidebar), but in every case the willingness of the DM is crucial. There’s a much larger supply of people willing to play an RPG than there is of people who are willing to be the DM for one. This gives the DM a lot of influence about what game rules are used, what sort of setting and flavor the game will have, and when and where they’ll play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The DM might write the whole plotline of a game, and detail all the characters the PC’s will meet. But they might just buy a published adventure. That work doesn’t happen at the table either way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But either way, the DM is going to have to make up a lot of things on the fly. They have to make up all or most of the NPC’s dialogue, based on what the PC’s are saying and doing. And the DM will often have to create whole new characters out of thin air, simply because a player decides to do something unexpected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an example, in a Call of Cthulhu game the villains had moved some large stones from the south of England to destinations unknown. The players decided to talk to every trucking company in the area to find out who had carried them, and where they went. The adventure didn’t specify, so Michelle, as the DM, had to make up the characters of the manager and drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

How do you become the DM?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In many cases the DM will come up with an idea for a game, purchase or write adventures, and then go seeking players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, a player simply gets inspired to run their own game. They decide it looks like a cool job, or they think they’ll enjoy the authority, or they read a story they liked and want to make it a game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, they really want to play a game, but nobody else is willing to be the DM. This happens a lot when people buy new games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, they get elected by the other players. Occasionally the other players “elect” the DM while they’re away from the table for a few minutes, and rely on peer pressure to carry the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In any case, on some level the DM has to agree to take on the job. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

That’s all for this week. Next time we’ll talk about the role of referee. See you then!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this post I touched on the roles of the gamemaster (also known as the DM) in a roleplaying game (RPG). But that really only scratched the surface. Today let’s dig a little deeper, and see what we unearth. This is a big subject, and it’s going to take a few posts. You can find […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"Massive Work, Massive Fun - Understanding the Roles of the Gamemaster\nIn a previous post I touched on the role of the gamemaster (also known as the DM) in a roleplaying game (RPG). But that really only scratched the surface. 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