DM or GM?

[Dice4Hire]

DM is the way to go.

 

[Kavon]

Dungeon Master.

I see no reason for this to change.

 

[was]

I vote for DM

 

[Kynn]

I'm going with DM; I think I'd only switch if we could come up with something without the implications (gender-based and otherwise) of "Master." But that's not likely to happen.

 

[JasonZZ]

Go ahead and call the DM a DM. This is one sacred cow I don't mind sparing.

 

[Leatherhead]

If not DM, then DMC.

 

[Gentlegamer]

I am not sure if this has been discussed but I wonder if the time has come to move away from the term Dungeon Master to describe the role of the person who runs the game. Is this term appropriate or anachronistic? Has the time come to refer to this role as the Game Master, Referee or something else? I am not sure. What do you think?

No.

In Dungeons & Dragons, the official title is Dungeon Master (which is also a trademark).

It is wholly appropriate.

Why would you even ask this question?

 

[howandwhy99]

The great horn-ed beast.

Thou who dons the viking helmet

Or the one with the bull whip.

But I suppose dungeon master will suffice.

(I still voted referee, woot!)

 

[Raith5]

No.

In Dungeons & Dragons, the official title is Dungeon Master (which is also a trademark).

It is wholly appropriate.

Why would you even ask this question?

It was just a random thought!

My 4th Ed DM/GM/referee refers to the role as GMing. I also guess that many campaigns (like mine) are not dungeon heavy. So I wondered if the term GM is more 'open' for a want of a better word.

It is certainly not a hot button issue for me and I knew the legacy of the term was going to weigh hard in people's consideration (especially with 5ed shaping up as it is)!

 

[Umbran]

I don't mind that a game have a special name for the role - Dungeon Master, Storyteller, Marshal, what have you. Each can choose to suit the game's flavor. I see no good reason to change it.

"Game Master" seems to me to be the common generic, understood across games. I think there's value in D&D *not* using that, at least for folks like us - we can differentiate between speaking in general, and speaking about a specific game.