Reply to thread

Message

<blockquote data-quote="JimLotFP" data-source="post: 4561507" data-attributes="member: 44294">RPGs in general and D&amp;D in particular are a strange beast when it comes to &quot;competition.&quot;It really isn't a competition, because if it was, the referee wins. Every time. &quot;Rocks fall, you all die.&quot; &quot;A flight of red dragons attacks the tavern! What are your first level characters going to do?&quot; &quot;You're all dead. It seems the evil archmage you've never even heard of on a faraway continent cast a few wishes...&quot;But there is no &quot;winner.&quot; The idea is to keep everyone coming back week after week. I don't think it necessarily has to be with the same characters (obviously!), but the players should be able to have a sense of accomplishment from playing the game (I'm not into &quot;wish fulfillment&quot; or &quot;I had a hard week at the office, I just want to kill orcs!&quot; gaming) so the referee has to come up with locations and situations (not plots, but that's part of the essay I really was getting trapped trying to explain) that are challenging and difficult, yet surmountable, if (and only if?) the players are good and/or lucky.I think the ability to successfully juggle the paradox roles of opponent and impartial arbiter is what defines the quality of a referee (this usage is not to seem quaint or retro or anything; I think &quot;Dungeon/Game Master&quot; sends the wrong message about what the guy's job actually is... and &quot;Storyteller&quot; is the absolute opposite of what should be happening behind the screen).</blockquote>

[QUOTE="JimLotFP, post: 4561507, member: 44294"] RPGs in general and D&D in particular are a strange beast when it comes to "competition." It really isn't a competition, because if it was, the referee wins. Every time. "Rocks fall, you all die." "A flight of red dragons attacks the tavern! What are your first level characters going to do?" "You're all dead. It seems the evil archmage you've never even heard of on a faraway continent cast a few wishes..." But there is no "winner." The idea is to keep everyone coming back week after week. I don't think it necessarily has to be with the same characters (obviously!), but the players should be able to have a sense of accomplishment from playing the game (I'm not into "wish fulfillment" or "I had a hard week at the office, I just want to kill orcs!" gaming) so the referee has to come up with locations and situations (not plots, but that's part of the essay I really was getting trapped trying to explain) that are challenging and difficult, yet surmountable, if (and only if?) the players are good and/or lucky. I think the ability to successfully juggle the paradox roles of opponent and impartial arbiter is what defines the quality of a referee (this usage is not to seem quaint or retro or anything; I think "Dungeon/Game Master" sends the wrong message about what the guy's job actually is... and "Storyteller" is the absolute opposite of what should be happening behind the screen). [/QUOTE]

Verification