Dungeon masters play many roles and can potentially wear several different hats over the course of a campaign. Today we’re going to look at my top 4 and delve a little bit into each one. Remember, as a dungeon master it’s always your call; you can pick and choose which ones you’d like to incorporate into your game play, if any.
The Actor
A DM should make some attempt at acting for every non player character (npc) and every bad guy in the game. This can include their wants and desires, and can go as far as using different voices and mannerisms. A good DM usually has a few different NPCS in his back pocket to pull out as needed during any campaign or adventure. I firmly believe that it helps to make a game a more immersive experience that will bring players back to your table again and again.
The Rules Encyclopedia/Rules Lawyer
A DM should be intimately familiar with the rules of the games system he or she is using. Game systems can have slight to wildly different rules as you move through them. From Dungeons and Dragons, to GURP, to Battletech, to Shadowrun, each can use a different type of dice and a different system to play the game with. In addition to having familiarity with at least the basic rules, the DM needs to know WHEN to follow the rules. Sometimes it makes a better game to allow someone to break the rules – ultimately, it’s about giving your players a fun, exciting game experience.
The Computer Specialist
Online play, while socially distanced and much more popular due to COVID does come with it’s own unique set of challenges for a DM. The DM not only has to ensure that everything works smoothly on their end, but also assist the players with troubleshooting and education to ensure they have a seamless and positive online play experience. Your session zero may need to include everything from IT troubleshooting, help setting up video, wifi, setting up accounts with the appropriate online resources, and teaching your players how to use those online resources. From knowing ROLL20, to knowing the various software that allows your groups to see each other, a DM needs to be able to help players when they get stuck. For example, we had a game last Friday that didn’t start for an hour because we were trying to make sure that everyone’s computer was working correctly.
The Therapist
Many people play role playing games as an escape from reality. They don’t want to be reminded that they have work the next day, or that they have a family to get back to once this is over. For 3-4 hours they want to be immersed in a game and forget about the outside world. This is where the game master comes in by treating the game as the most important thing in the world right at that moment. The DM should help players become immersed in the game world, while remaining respectful to characters, players, personal pronouns, and any triggers that may be an issue for a player (hopefully big triggers are known in advance from a Session Zero). Many now instill a safe or stop word in order to alert the DM to something that can be upsetting to a player as well.
What do you think? Does the dungeon master play more roles for the player? Does your DM do anything more for you? Drop a message below and let us know!