Raven Crowking
First Post
Varianor Abroad said:
That's the one.
Good for pulling ideas out of, too.
RC
D&D Essay #1: Imbalance of Power [EDIT: 2nd draft in post 44.]
- Thread starter Reynard
- Start date
That's the one.
Good for pulling ideas out of, too.
RC
Varianor Abroad
Explorer
I believe that it even has a sequel, and they came out with a Pulp or Detective version at one point. The latter may be out of print.
I present the second draft of the essay. i tried mostly to increase coherence, but I also excised some sections (on adventures and deligating power to players) because I think those things will be better served as seeds for future essays. Enjoy, and again i look forward to your comments.
The Imbalance of Power in Dungeons and Dragons
“The power of creating worlds, controlling deities and dragons, and leading entire nations is in your hands. You are the master of the game – the rules, the setting, the action, and ultimately, the fun. This is a great deal of power. Use it wisely.” Dungeons and Dragons Third Edition Dungeon Master's Guide, page 6.
The Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game, in its many incarnations over last 30-plus years, is distinct from more traditional games in many ways. One of those ways, and perhaps the most important aspect of D&D, is the intentional, necessary imbalance of power between participants of the game: specifically, the disparity of power between one participant, the Dungeon Master (DM) and the remaining participants, the Players. Dungeons and Dragons is played in a manner quite unlike traditional card, board and miniatures games, and therefore the role of the DM participant as “powerful” is a requisite for enjoyable play. Power and responsibility go hand in hand, however, and the DM is heavily burdened with both.
In traditional games, ranging from chess to Monopoly to Half-Life: Deathmatch, there is an assumed parity between the players of the game, an even footing on which all participants start so when victory comes, it come from varying degrees of the combination of skill and luck. There is what is often referred to as an inherent “balance” in game-play. Such balance is necessary be cause traditional games have victory conditions, or more pointedly, winners and losers. Parity and balance provide for an entertaining and rewarding play experience for both, and any attempt to circumvent this aspect of play is, quite rightly, called cheating.
What follows is an examination of the role of the Dungeon Master in the D&D game – irrespective of the edition of the game – and how that role makes the imbalance of power between the DM and Players necessary and rewarding for all participants. much of it is applicable to other role-playing games with a similar structure, but the focus is on the particulars of D&D.
One Player to Rule Them All
“The DM has the primary responsibility for the success of his campaign, and he must take an active hand in guiding it... The DM's 'active hand' extends even to the rules. Many decisions about your campaign can be made by only one person: you.” Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Second Edition Dungeon Master's Guide, page 9.
The position of Dungeon Master as essential is a function of the nature and structure of play of the D&D game. Dungeons and Dragons differs from traditional games and its precursor wargames in a number of ways, of which the following are most important in necessitating the part of the DM: the lack of end-game victory conditions, the continuity of play and the abstract nature of the rules of the game. Each taken on its own might merely suggest the need for a participant with more authority and responsibility than the others; taken together, these elements of D&D play make the DM absolutely imperative.
While victory and loss, success and failure, are a part of the D&D game, there are no winners or losers as such. This fact has the effect of fostering cooperation among the participants, as the Players are not forced to compete with one another to “win”, but it has another effect as well. Without easily identifiable victory conditions, it is incumbent upon the DM to determine what qualifies as a success or a failure, as well as the consequences of either. Dungeons and Dragons play tends to be broken up into discreet adventures, each with its own specific goals and therefore definitions of what constitutes “winning” or losing”. Saving the princess constitutes a success; seeing her forcibly married off to the evil baron constitutes a failure. Neither result forces the game to come to an end, however, and the DM is responsible for ensuring that the effects of the princess' salvation or damnation impact future adventures, which leads us to the issue of continuity.
Each outing, or adventure, is unique and builds upon the last to some degree, depending on the nature of the game. In some methods of play, it is only characters that possess continuity from one game to the next. In most games, however, the setting and the characters enjoy continuity in an ongoing process. Continuity in serial entertainment such as comics or television requires an editor or producer to keep things in order. D&D is much the same, with the Dungeon Master taking on that role. New adventures, growing characters and accumulated continuity all necessitate a participant on whom the bulk of maintaining some semblance of order rests. Beyond the “history” of the game that is developed throughout continuous play, another issue emerges. Player characters in dungeons and dragons change over time. Specifically, they gain power, treasures and other benefits that make them better, more advanced than they were before. The increase in Player power, which ultimately means their ability to affect the world in which the game is played and overcome the challenges that adventures present, requires the DM to work harder as time goes on. Not only must the DM continue to challenge his players with fun, exciting and difficult adventures, he or she must take into consideration what impact more powerful Players have on the game, both in the milieu of the game world and in the mechanical, meta-game environment over which the DM rules.
Finally, there is the issue of the rules systems and their limitations. Dungeons and Dragons is a complex game with many rules, yet, ironically, many missing rules. No game designed for continuous, open play could possibly provide rules for every eventuality and D&D is no different in this regard. Eventually a player will decide to do a certain thing, or a certain thing will happen as a natural outgrowth of some event or action, that is not covered by the written rules. In these cases, the DM is responsible for determining the chance of success, outcome and/or consequences of such. Even with those rules that do exist serving as examples, adjudicating the game in this way can be difficult at times and not always to the satisfaction of the players. Moreover, the steady increase in Player ability – both their character's rules-defined abilities as well as the individual players' ever-increasing skill with the game itself – requires a corresponding increase in DM adjudication over the rules that govern play. Many abilities defined in play that are gained as the Players increase in power are essentially new rules or exceptions to previously existing rules. The Dungeon Master must also adjudicate these new rules and rule variations.
By comparison, Monopoly is a classic, traditional board game. Monopoly has inherent victory conditions and an endgame condition that is easily recognized by all players. There is no need for one particular participant to stop play for the evening, as play stops when the game is won. Each engagement by the players of a game of Monopoly is also discreet, with no heed paid to previous playings (aside from the possible desire to finally beat Bob, who always seems to win, or to get your turn at being the little car instead of the hat). Even if Monopoly were to be played as an ongoing game, wherein the properties and wealth of each evening's play remained for each player on the next such event, no DM would be necessary. A simple pad of paper with all the appropriate information written on it, stored in the box with the board and dice, would suffice. And finally, the rules of Monopoly are concise and immutable, covering only that which is a function of play and nothing else, with no need for adjudication or interpretation because nothing happens in a game of Monopoly that is not directly related to its stated purpose and victory conditions.
Given the example above, it is easy to see why the particulars of D&D play require the inclusion of the Dungeon Master participant where other games do not. In overseeing so many aspects of play, the DM is granted, by necessity, a great deal of authority over the game, but is also burdened with a commensurate amount of responsibility.
With Great Responsibility Comes Great Power, and Vice-Versa
“You're in charge. This is not being in charge as in telling everyone what to do. Rather, you get to decide how your player group is going to play this game, when and where the adventures take place, and what happens. That kind of being in charge.” Dungeons and Dragons v.3.5 Dungeon Master's Guide, page 8.
As outlined above, the Dungeon Master is responsible for a great many things in the D&D game: creating adventures and their possible outcomes, maintaining continuity between adventures and among Players and their characters, and adjudicating rules where the rules are vague or non-existent. In being responsible for these elements of D&D play, the DM must possess the authority to conduct the game as he sees fit and is consistent with the spirit of the game.
Power comes in many forms for the DM. At the most basic level, the DM is empowered by the simple virtue of being responsible for the five (at least) sense of the players. What the DM says or does not say, and how the DM adjudicates what the players can sense, is supremely powerful in a game played largely in the imaginations of its participants. By emphasizing one element and de-emphasizing another, the DM exercises power over the game and the players, for their decisions will be based on what information the DM provides.
Then, there is the issue of adventure selection. In any given adventure there will be series of events, locations, encounters with good and evil creatures and characters, treasure to be given out and any number of other elements. Pre-packaged adventures (modules) provide this information for the DM, which might reduce the burden somewhat on the inexperienced DM (experienced DMs often change modules to meet their needs and the needs of the Players) but it is the DM that selects the module. In adventures designed specifically by the DM, the DM utilizes a high degree of his or her inherent power merely in the act of deciding what the players will encounter, and when, how and where.
The adjudication of the rules of the game has already been discussed, but it bears revisiting. The adjudication of existing rules the only one aspect of the DM's power. Mere inclusion or exclusion of certain rules – for example, the oft reviled weapon-type versus Armor Class rules – is an expression of the DM's authority that affects play on a fundamental level. House rules, rules not found in the game manuals yet created – or borrowed – and included for a specific game is another example of this sort of authority. As final arbiter over the rules of the game, the DM is essentially providing the Players with the laws of nature that govern their characters and the world in which they live. God may not play dice in our world, but her certainly does in the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons.
Conclusion
“Dungeon Mastering itself is no easy undertaking, to be sure. But Dungeon Mastering well is doubly difficult.” Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide, from the forward by Mike Carr.
Ultimately, the Dungeon Master's authority exists only at the pleasure of his or her players. There is an inherent social contract in D&D play that states, put simply, that the DM will not abuse the authority granted him or her by the nature of the game. Like the autocrats of old, the DM is only as powerful as those that choose to follow him. A DM that abuses the authority granted to him, or shirks the associated responsibility, will soon find a revolt not unlike King John at the signing of the Magna Carta. The Dungeon Master may be usurped by another, more benevolent autocrat, or simply exiled.
And it is this that is the ultimate redistribution of power between players and Dungeon Masters. Ultimately, players choose to grant the DM his or her authority at the same time that DMs choose to accept the responsibility of accepting such a gift.
The Imbalance of Power in Dungeons and Dragons
“The power of creating worlds, controlling deities and dragons, and leading entire nations is in your hands. You are the master of the game – the rules, the setting, the action, and ultimately, the fun. This is a great deal of power. Use it wisely.” Dungeons and Dragons Third Edition Dungeon Master's Guide, page 6.
The Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game, in its many incarnations over last 30-plus years, is distinct from more traditional games in many ways. One of those ways, and perhaps the most important aspect of D&D, is the intentional, necessary imbalance of power between participants of the game: specifically, the disparity of power between one participant, the Dungeon Master (DM) and the remaining participants, the Players. Dungeons and Dragons is played in a manner quite unlike traditional card, board and miniatures games, and therefore the role of the DM participant as “powerful” is a requisite for enjoyable play. Power and responsibility go hand in hand, however, and the DM is heavily burdened with both.
In traditional games, ranging from chess to Monopoly to Half-Life: Deathmatch, there is an assumed parity between the players of the game, an even footing on which all participants start so when victory comes, it come from varying degrees of the combination of skill and luck. There is what is often referred to as an inherent “balance” in game-play. Such balance is necessary be cause traditional games have victory conditions, or more pointedly, winners and losers. Parity and balance provide for an entertaining and rewarding play experience for both, and any attempt to circumvent this aspect of play is, quite rightly, called cheating.
What follows is an examination of the role of the Dungeon Master in the D&D game – irrespective of the edition of the game – and how that role makes the imbalance of power between the DM and Players necessary and rewarding for all participants. much of it is applicable to other role-playing games with a similar structure, but the focus is on the particulars of D&D.
One Player to Rule Them All
“The DM has the primary responsibility for the success of his campaign, and he must take an active hand in guiding it... The DM's 'active hand' extends even to the rules. Many decisions about your campaign can be made by only one person: you.” Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Second Edition Dungeon Master's Guide, page 9.
The position of Dungeon Master as essential is a function of the nature and structure of play of the D&D game. Dungeons and Dragons differs from traditional games and its precursor wargames in a number of ways, of which the following are most important in necessitating the part of the DM: the lack of end-game victory conditions, the continuity of play and the abstract nature of the rules of the game. Each taken on its own might merely suggest the need for a participant with more authority and responsibility than the others; taken together, these elements of D&D play make the DM absolutely imperative.
While victory and loss, success and failure, are a part of the D&D game, there are no winners or losers as such. This fact has the effect of fostering cooperation among the participants, as the Players are not forced to compete with one another to “win”, but it has another effect as well. Without easily identifiable victory conditions, it is incumbent upon the DM to determine what qualifies as a success or a failure, as well as the consequences of either. Dungeons and Dragons play tends to be broken up into discreet adventures, each with its own specific goals and therefore definitions of what constitutes “winning” or losing”. Saving the princess constitutes a success; seeing her forcibly married off to the evil baron constitutes a failure. Neither result forces the game to come to an end, however, and the DM is responsible for ensuring that the effects of the princess' salvation or damnation impact future adventures, which leads us to the issue of continuity.
Each outing, or adventure, is unique and builds upon the last to some degree, depending on the nature of the game. In some methods of play, it is only characters that possess continuity from one game to the next. In most games, however, the setting and the characters enjoy continuity in an ongoing process. Continuity in serial entertainment such as comics or television requires an editor or producer to keep things in order. D&D is much the same, with the Dungeon Master taking on that role. New adventures, growing characters and accumulated continuity all necessitate a participant on whom the bulk of maintaining some semblance of order rests. Beyond the “history” of the game that is developed throughout continuous play, another issue emerges. Player characters in dungeons and dragons change over time. Specifically, they gain power, treasures and other benefits that make them better, more advanced than they were before. The increase in Player power, which ultimately means their ability to affect the world in which the game is played and overcome the challenges that adventures present, requires the DM to work harder as time goes on. Not only must the DM continue to challenge his players with fun, exciting and difficult adventures, he or she must take into consideration what impact more powerful Players have on the game, both in the milieu of the game world and in the mechanical, meta-game environment over which the DM rules.
Finally, there is the issue of the rules systems and their limitations. Dungeons and Dragons is a complex game with many rules, yet, ironically, many missing rules. No game designed for continuous, open play could possibly provide rules for every eventuality and D&D is no different in this regard. Eventually a player will decide to do a certain thing, or a certain thing will happen as a natural outgrowth of some event or action, that is not covered by the written rules. In these cases, the DM is responsible for determining the chance of success, outcome and/or consequences of such. Even with those rules that do exist serving as examples, adjudicating the game in this way can be difficult at times and not always to the satisfaction of the players. Moreover, the steady increase in Player ability – both their character's rules-defined abilities as well as the individual players' ever-increasing skill with the game itself – requires a corresponding increase in DM adjudication over the rules that govern play. Many abilities defined in play that are gained as the Players increase in power are essentially new rules or exceptions to previously existing rules. The Dungeon Master must also adjudicate these new rules and rule variations.
By comparison, Monopoly is a classic, traditional board game. Monopoly has inherent victory conditions and an endgame condition that is easily recognized by all players. There is no need for one particular participant to stop play for the evening, as play stops when the game is won. Each engagement by the players of a game of Monopoly is also discreet, with no heed paid to previous playings (aside from the possible desire to finally beat Bob, who always seems to win, or to get your turn at being the little car instead of the hat). Even if Monopoly were to be played as an ongoing game, wherein the properties and wealth of each evening's play remained for each player on the next such event, no DM would be necessary. A simple pad of paper with all the appropriate information written on it, stored in the box with the board and dice, would suffice. And finally, the rules of Monopoly are concise and immutable, covering only that which is a function of play and nothing else, with no need for adjudication or interpretation because nothing happens in a game of Monopoly that is not directly related to its stated purpose and victory conditions.
Given the example above, it is easy to see why the particulars of D&D play require the inclusion of the Dungeon Master participant where other games do not. In overseeing so many aspects of play, the DM is granted, by necessity, a great deal of authority over the game, but is also burdened with a commensurate amount of responsibility.
With Great Responsibility Comes Great Power, and Vice-Versa
“You're in charge. This is not being in charge as in telling everyone what to do. Rather, you get to decide how your player group is going to play this game, when and where the adventures take place, and what happens. That kind of being in charge.” Dungeons and Dragons v.3.5 Dungeon Master's Guide, page 8.
As outlined above, the Dungeon Master is responsible for a great many things in the D&D game: creating adventures and their possible outcomes, maintaining continuity between adventures and among Players and their characters, and adjudicating rules where the rules are vague or non-existent. In being responsible for these elements of D&D play, the DM must possess the authority to conduct the game as he sees fit and is consistent with the spirit of the game.
Power comes in many forms for the DM. At the most basic level, the DM is empowered by the simple virtue of being responsible for the five (at least) sense of the players. What the DM says or does not say, and how the DM adjudicates what the players can sense, is supremely powerful in a game played largely in the imaginations of its participants. By emphasizing one element and de-emphasizing another, the DM exercises power over the game and the players, for their decisions will be based on what information the DM provides.
Then, there is the issue of adventure selection. In any given adventure there will be series of events, locations, encounters with good and evil creatures and characters, treasure to be given out and any number of other elements. Pre-packaged adventures (modules) provide this information for the DM, which might reduce the burden somewhat on the inexperienced DM (experienced DMs often change modules to meet their needs and the needs of the Players) but it is the DM that selects the module. In adventures designed specifically by the DM, the DM utilizes a high degree of his or her inherent power merely in the act of deciding what the players will encounter, and when, how and where.
The adjudication of the rules of the game has already been discussed, but it bears revisiting. The adjudication of existing rules the only one aspect of the DM's power. Mere inclusion or exclusion of certain rules – for example, the oft reviled weapon-type versus Armor Class rules – is an expression of the DM's authority that affects play on a fundamental level. House rules, rules not found in the game manuals yet created – or borrowed – and included for a specific game is another example of this sort of authority. As final arbiter over the rules of the game, the DM is essentially providing the Players with the laws of nature that govern their characters and the world in which they live. God may not play dice in our world, but her certainly does in the worlds of Dungeons and Dragons.
Conclusion
“Dungeon Mastering itself is no easy undertaking, to be sure. But Dungeon Mastering well is doubly difficult.” Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide, from the forward by Mike Carr.
Ultimately, the Dungeon Master's authority exists only at the pleasure of his or her players. There is an inherent social contract in D&D play that states, put simply, that the DM will not abuse the authority granted him or her by the nature of the game. Like the autocrats of old, the DM is only as powerful as those that choose to follow him. A DM that abuses the authority granted to him, or shirks the associated responsibility, will soon find a revolt not unlike King John at the signing of the Magna Carta. The Dungeon Master may be usurped by another, more benevolent autocrat, or simply exiled.
And it is this that is the ultimate redistribution of power between players and Dungeon Masters. Ultimately, players choose to grant the DM his or her authority at the same time that DMs choose to accept the responsibility of accepting such a gift.
Agamon
Adventurer
Odhanan said:
Once Upon a Time is french? Cool, didn't know that. Fun game, but as is, it'd make a horrible RPG. The stories always seem to become long, convoluted and tangential to be taken with any seriousness. It would be interesting to see if someone could take the concept and turn it into somehting RPG-like, though.
Raven Crowking
First Post
Agamon said:
Seconded.
Thanks everyone for their input and comments. Also, in case you ever wanted to get a good example of how two message board communities can be very different, swing on over to RPG.net and find the thread on this essay there.
#2 will be up before the end of this week.
#2 will be up before the end of this week.
TerraDave
5ever, or until 2024
I said it above but will say again: the differene is role-playing.
You can have a tournament type game where it might be the only game for most or all players, and it may even have some victory conditions, but the DM is still there to play the rest of the world.
In theory you don't need the DM. The PCs could just roleplay with each other, or where two hats, one as their charecter, and one as certain kinds of NPCs.
But in practice, the DM is really there to be the "rest of the world".
You can have a tournament type game where it might be the only game for most or all players, and it may even have some victory conditions, but the DM is still there to play the rest of the world.
In theory you don't need the DM. The PCs could just roleplay with each other, or where two hats, one as their charecter, and one as certain kinds of NPCs.
But in practice, the DM is really there to be the "rest of the world".
Similar Threads
