The Role of the Game Master
The Game Master (GM) is a player who takes on many of the responsibilities and burdens to create a fun and memorable experience for others. As both collaborator and competitor, the GM often walks a fine line to create a fun and memorable experience for everyone. Its not always an easy task, but it makes the Game Master one of the most important, challenging, and rewarding roles to play.
Friend or Foe?
Ideally, when everyone comes together for a game session, it is with the sole purpose of having fun in a social, friendly environment. One of the major challenges for any GM is to ensure the players are enjoying the game, while simultaneously challenging them (and their characters) in the game. This presents a peculiar dichotomy where one might see the GM has two very opposite ideas regarding their intentions for you and your group.
As a collaborator and friend, the Game Master should be willing to work with you as a player to ensure your mutual needs and expectations within the game are being met. Do you want to play a certain character? The GM makes sure there is room in their setting and narrative. Want to fight more monsters, or roleplay more of your scenes? The GM provides opportunities for everyone to indulge in the kind of experience they want most.
Now it's game time, and the GM assumes the less attractive role of competitor and foe. Enemies are battled, dice are rolled, and rules are contested. The characters suffer some minor setbacks, but the obstacles keep piling up. Does the GM have it out for the party? Is that a new rule or something they made up? Why can't we just do this instead?
There's nothing insidious or diabolical going on here. The GM is simply doing their job. Whether they're being good or bad at it may be open to subjective interpretation based on a number of variables we can't even begin to cover in one sitting. But what it really comes down to is perception of how the relationship between the GM and their players exist. In other words, do the players trust their GM or not?
The Players' Advocate
Some could argue what it takes to be a good Game Master. Fact is, there are a lot of different traits and characteristics that could be used to define a variety of categories, levels, and types of GMs in any game, genre, or setting. But for each person that considers X or A to be the defining feature or quality of a good GM, there's likely to be a dozen others who would disagree.
Trust, on the other hand, is neither a quality nor a trait you can assign to a role or a person. It is simply a bond that cannot be demanded or expected, but instead, must be earned, cultivated, and won. In my book, Game Masters who do this are the ones who advocate for their players. They want the characters to win. They want them to succeed.
But the good Game Master also wants their players to earn their rewards, to overcome their obstacles, and to face their challenges. Trusting your GMs means understanding that they are not your real adversary. It is simply their job to provide your characters with adversity, and hope that you can move on to see the next part of the game.
On the other hand...
At the least, we're assuming that the Game Master is not behaving like your real adversary by trying to defeat your party in the game. That's perfectly fine if the expectation was already there and mutually agreed upon by everyone in the group. Just like there are different ideas of what makes a GM good or bad, there are different styles and games we play. You'll still want to be able to trust that your GM is being fair when he challenges your characters this way. But as long as everyone is having fun, then game on!
