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Respect Mah Authoritah: Thoughts on DM and Player Authority in 5e
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<blockquote data-quote="soviet" data-source="post: 8438181" data-attributes="member: 6925338"><p>I feel the same. It seems to me that there are, roughly, two models of GMing being discussed.</p><p></p><p>In 'GM as entertainer' it is the GM's role to put on a show. To entertain the group. To service that objective, a little stagecraft - fudging, illusionism, 'nudging' - is understandable, maybe at times necessary. An advantage of this method is that the theatrics of the game and the coherency of the story can be stronger. A disadvantage (for some) is that it can push the players closer to being an audience - there to ooh and ahh and maybe chew the scenery but unable to fundamentally drive the plot.</p><p></p><p>I prefer the second model, which casts the GM as something closer to a facilitator. When I GM I want to be surprised by what happens. I don't want to tell a story to the players, I want to share in a story-like experience with them. I will do a bunch of prep but that's to create the raw material and situations for them to engage with. I will roll in the open and state my DCs and also be clear about the stakes of what we're rolling for. This has a risk of creating an anticlimax, a too-easy victory, or a disastrous failure, yes. But it also means that when outcomes <em>are</em> dramatically satisfying (which is still most of the time) it feels much more real and exciting.</p><p></p><p>I think the 'let's enjoy a bicycle journey together' idea is a closer description of this mode of play. I'm not entertaining you in an active sort of way, we're doing something fun together and trusting that entertainment will result organically.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="soviet, post: 8438181, member: 6925338"] I feel the same. It seems to me that there are, roughly, two models of GMing being discussed. In 'GM as entertainer' it is the GM's role to put on a show. To entertain the group. To service that objective, a little stagecraft - fudging, illusionism, 'nudging' - is understandable, maybe at times necessary. An advantage of this method is that the theatrics of the game and the coherency of the story can be stronger. A disadvantage (for some) is that it can push the players closer to being an audience - there to ooh and ahh and maybe chew the scenery but unable to fundamentally drive the plot. I prefer the second model, which casts the GM as something closer to a facilitator. When I GM I want to be surprised by what happens. I don't want to tell a story to the players, I want to share in a story-like experience with them. I will do a bunch of prep but that's to create the raw material and situations for them to engage with. I will roll in the open and state my DCs and also be clear about the stakes of what we're rolling for. This has a risk of creating an anticlimax, a too-easy victory, or a disastrous failure, yes. But it also means that when outcomes [I]are[/I] dramatically satisfying (which is still most of the time) it feels much more real and exciting. I think the 'let's enjoy a bicycle journey together' idea is a closer description of this mode of play. I'm not entertaining you in an active sort of way, we're doing something fun together and trusting that entertainment will result organically. [/QUOTE]
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