What is the role of a good DM in a good role-playing game? Conversely, what is the role of the players?
I think that it is the role of all participants to facilitate fun--at least, that’s the short answer. The DM provides the game-board, the PCs provide the pieces, and together they all create the guidelines and storylines. Another short answer.
A player in a gaming group that I participated in used to often refer to the DM simply as “god.” And while there is, I concede, some truth to the notion--they did create (or perhaps choose) the world afterall, the inclusion of chance (in the form of dice) strips the DM of a lot of their god-like power. Or at least it should. For those poor gamers who’ve played in a game that was largely the manifestation of the DM’s megalomania, you have my deepest sympathies.
Ah… but what about the DM’s power to flub the rolls, dictate the DC? Sure, that is an awesome power to an extent. But a good DM puts a higher priority on fairness than on arbitrary difficulty for the sake of difficulty. When a DM always wins--what’s the point of playing?
In a good gaming group, all participants should come together to create the experience. If, as a DM, you’re letting your need to control the entire plot/game/experience, you’re missing out on a lot of the fun. For new DMs, this may be a difficult concept to wrap your head around. Granted, it is a hell of a lot easier to know with full certainty where the PCs are going to go, who’s going to attack, and who’s going to survive. But for the poor players experiencing this sort of box-canyon/choo-choo game, it’s an exercise in futility. They could’ve just picked up the DM’s book of the adventure and read it cover to cover. Just as your players might sweat bullets when it looks as though they’re in a tough situation, and just as exciting as it is for them--a good DM might sweat bullets, too, when the party concludes that they’re not going to take your bait and instead are planning to head in another direction, but it’s still damned exciting. Plus, your players get the sense that they really do exist in a world--and not just a story.
But what of the brass tacks and housekeeping?
While most gaming groups simply accept that the decisions related to rules and the like are within the authority of the DM, I believe that the DM, in this case, is more akin to the role of a project director. Ultimately, they are the final authority. But they should still allow the players to make proposals, and DMs should look for consensus whenever possible. Again--this helps to foster a sense of involvement in the entire process for all the participants. Players should not feel as though they are simply at the whim of the “guy runnin’ the thing,” they should participate, and not just spectate.
A warning, however, players: the DM is the final authority. (I hear that sigh of relief from my ardent DM gamers.) No one, player or DM alike, should stall a game for the sake of dithering about rules. Save such arguments for non-game time. If the DM puts his/her foot down for the sake of keeping the game afloat, please respect it. A good DM will only do so for the purposes of keeping the game going for all players--arguing over grappling rules/DC checks/trip attacks is a speed bump on the road to fun.
A deeper look at player’s role to be posted at another time. I have to get ready to join my gaming group!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Episode #4
The latest RIPcast is officially live! Have some insight for Wendy or myself? Comments on the content? Ideas for picking the pockets of your PCs? Please post it all here in a comment or three.
Many thanks!
Many thanks!
Trail of Cthulhu
Who has two thumbs and is eagerly looking forward to getting a copy of Trail of Cthulhu?
THIS guy.
Yep, I have been debating whether or not to purchase the new H.P. Lovecraft-inspired gaming system now, or next payday.
My inner child votes now, rightnow, thisveryinstancedammit, getofftheblogandgobuythepdforiwillSCREAMbloodymurder
THIS guy.
Yep, I have been debating whether or not to purchase the new H.P. Lovecraft-inspired gaming system now, or next payday.
My inner child votes now, rightnow, thisveryinstancedammit, getofftheblogandgobuythepdforiwillSCREAMbloodymurder
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Lily's thoughts on gaming--in versus out
On In versus Out of Character
I am a gamer, but that is no secret. I suspect that it all goes back to my desire to play “make-believe”--something that I have, apparently, never grown out of as evidenced my personal involvement in groups like the Society for Creative Anachronism and the Art Deco Society.
While gaming has taken on many forms, from pen and paper storytelling games, to dice-dependent combat simulations, and even kill or be killed video gaming--i find that it is all good so long as there is something, almost anything, resembling r-o-l-e playing (versus r-o-l-l playing) included in the game. The more, typically, the better. Or so I thought….
I am finding that while much in character gaming is very much to my liking--particularly when playing the more traditional pen and paper RPGs**--100% in character gaming is not. There are times when I want to be able to describe something from a third person perspective instead. (“My character says nothing, but fidgets nervously.”) Third person gaming is often my preferred style when my character is doing something in game that I out of game probably could not do. (“My character tries to diplomatically flatters the city guard into letting the party in.”) Most DMs that I’ve played with have allowed these concessions to my gaming style. However, I have certainly had a few awkward moments when a DM has insisted on an in character moment when the dice and my PC’s skills would certainly have played out a much better scene that I as a player was able to deliver. Mildly frustrating. Or perhaps worse, moments when the actually player behaves in character with more grace, tact, or eloquence than their character could ever hope for--seen often in characters with an Intelligence of Wisdom dump stat.
The other times that I like to indulge in some out of character fun is less tolerated by the average DM--using a little brevity to lighten up a heavy situation, or to simply lighten a slow mood. It is their, the DM’s show--not mine, and they might very well want a fair amount of tension. Or, they may have gamed with entirely unfocused players and shun brevity for fear of it degrading the session into a Monty Python quote-fest. I understand this, I do--especially as an often DM/GM myself--but I am gaming to have fun after all, and sometimes it becomes really hard to bite my tongue. This, I think, is definitely an area that could benefit from improvement on my part.
Is there a perfect balance to be had, between in character and out of character behavior? I doubt it. Perhaps within an individual group, a good, maybe even great, balance can be found; but with many varying gaming styles and preferences, it would be impossible to find some absolute. That said, I would still prefer to strike out toward a balance than focus on entirely one style or the other--100% in character versus 100% out of character.
**In the past, when playing MMORPGs, I have tended towards 100% in character gaming as the dominance of out of character (OOC) chat ruins my game experience.
I am a gamer, but that is no secret. I suspect that it all goes back to my desire to play “make-believe”--something that I have, apparently, never grown out of as evidenced my personal involvement in groups like the Society for Creative Anachronism and the Art Deco Society.
While gaming has taken on many forms, from pen and paper storytelling games, to dice-dependent combat simulations, and even kill or be killed video gaming--i find that it is all good so long as there is something, almost anything, resembling r-o-l-e playing (versus r-o-l-l playing) included in the game. The more, typically, the better. Or so I thought….
I am finding that while much in character gaming is very much to my liking--particularly when playing the more traditional pen and paper RPGs**--100% in character gaming is not. There are times when I want to be able to describe something from a third person perspective instead. (“My character says nothing, but fidgets nervously.”) Third person gaming is often my preferred style when my character is doing something in game that I out of game probably could not do. (“My character tries to diplomatically flatters the city guard into letting the party in.”) Most DMs that I’ve played with have allowed these concessions to my gaming style. However, I have certainly had a few awkward moments when a DM has insisted on an in character moment when the dice and my PC’s skills would certainly have played out a much better scene that I as a player was able to deliver. Mildly frustrating. Or perhaps worse, moments when the actually player behaves in character with more grace, tact, or eloquence than their character could ever hope for--seen often in characters with an Intelligence of Wisdom dump stat.
The other times that I like to indulge in some out of character fun is less tolerated by the average DM--using a little brevity to lighten up a heavy situation, or to simply lighten a slow mood. It is their, the DM’s show--not mine, and they might very well want a fair amount of tension. Or, they may have gamed with entirely unfocused players and shun brevity for fear of it degrading the session into a Monty Python quote-fest. I understand this, I do--especially as an often DM/GM myself--but I am gaming to have fun after all, and sometimes it becomes really hard to bite my tongue. This, I think, is definitely an area that could benefit from improvement on my part.
Is there a perfect balance to be had, between in character and out of character behavior? I doubt it. Perhaps within an individual group, a good, maybe even great, balance can be found; but with many varying gaming styles and preferences, it would be impossible to find some absolute. That said, I would still prefer to strike out toward a balance than focus on entirely one style or the other--100% in character versus 100% out of character.
**In the past, when playing MMORPGs, I have tended towards 100% in character gaming as the dominance of out of character (OOC) chat ruins my game experience.
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