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33-497: The Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide includes everything a Dungeon Master needs to run a 4th edition D&D campaign in the Forgotten Realms setting, as well as elements that DMs can incorporate into their own D&D campaigns. The book provides background information on the lands of Faerûn , a fully detailed town in which to start a campaign, adventure seeds, new monsters, ready-to-play non-player characters , and

66-821: A customer service representative for an online community . A gamemaster in such a game is either an experienced volunteer player or an employee of the game's publisher. They enforce the game's rules by banishing spammers, player killers , cheaters, and hackers and by solving players' problems by providing general customer service. For their tasks they use special tools and characters that allow them to do things like teleport to players, summon items, and browse logs that record players' activities. World of Warcraft has employees of Blizzard Entertainment that serve as gamemasters to help users with various problems in gameplay, chat, and other things like account and billing issues. A gamemaster in this game will communicate with players through chat that has blue text and they will also have

99-545: A play , in which the players are the lead actors, and the GM provides the stage , the scenery , the basic plot on which the improvisational script is built, as well as all the bit parts and supporting characters . Gamemasters can also be in charge of RPG board games making the events and setting challenges. GMs may choose to run a game based on a published game world , with the maps and history already in place; such game worlds often have pre-written adventures. Alternatively,

132-489: A GM in a traditional tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) is to weave together the other participants' player-characters' (PCs) stories, control the non-player characters (NPCs), describe or create environments in which the PCs can interact, and solve any player disputes. This basic role is the same in almost all traditional TTRPGs, with minor differences specific to differing rule sets. However, in some indie role-playing games ,

165-424: A communication structure is needed for both diegetic or non-diegetic communication. Effective gamemastering can require specialized user interfaces that are highly game specific. Certain sourcebooks simulate the decisions of a gamemaster by various means for either group or solo gaming. These include works such as Mythic Game Master Emulator, which employs an oracle system to allow players to play TTRPGs without

198-632: A full-color poster map of Faerûn. The Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide was written by Philip Athans , Bruce R. Cordell , Ed Greenwood , and Chris Sims, and published in 2008. The book features art by Drew Baker, Leon Cortez , Eric Deschamps , Steve Ellis , Randy Gallegos , Adam Gillespie , Michael Komarck , Robert Lazzaretti , Ron Lemen , Lee Moyer , William O'Connor , Mike Schley , Keven Smith , Emi Tanji , Mark Tedin , Francis Tsai , Matt Wilson , Sam Wood , Ben Wootten , Kieran Yanner , and James Zhang . Shannon Appelcline commented that with Fourth Edition Dungeons & Dragons , Wizards of

231-500: A special "GM" tag and Blizzard logo in front of their names. RuneScape has more than 500 moderators employed by Jagex to assist players and perform administrative duties in-game and on the site forums. These Jagex Moderators , as they are called, usually have the word "Mod" and a gold crown preceding their account names which ordinary players are not permitted to use. The game also has Player Moderators and Forum Moderators who are player volunteers helping with moderation, having

264-517: A thorough understanding of the game rules. Since the inception of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons system in 1977, these rules have been contained in three hardbound books: the Player's Handbook , Dungeon Master's Guide , and Monster Manual . Many other rulebooks exist as well, but these are not required for conducting the game. The DM is responsible for narrative flow, creating

297-442: A trajectory desired by the game author. To ensure proper gamemastering can take place, four components are needed: some kind of sensory system to the game allowing the game masters to know current events, providing dynamic game information; dynamic and static game information lets game masters make informed decisions; decisions need to be actuated into the game, either through the game system or through manual intervention; and finally

330-420: Is typically designed as a type of decision tree that is followed by the players, and a customized version can require several hours of preparation for each hour spent playing the game. The DM serves as the arbiter of the rules, both in teaching the rules to the players and in enforcing them. The rules provide game mechanics for resolving the outcome of events, including how the player's characters interact with

363-571: The World of Darkness games, they are called storytellers, and in Powered by the Apocalypse games they are called a variety of names, such as MCs (master of ceremonies). GMs are typically hobbyists; however, they are sometimes paid employees or entertainers for hire. This is more common for online games. Paid GMing was very uncommon for TTRPGs before the 2020s. In a role-playing game context,

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396-543: The Dungeons & Dragons RPG , and was introduced in the second supplement to the game rules ( Blackmoor ) in 1975. To avoid infringement of trademarks by the publishers of Dungeons & Dragons , and to describe referees in role-playing genres other than sword and sorcery , other gaming companies use more generic terms, like Game Master (GM), Game Operations Director (a backronym of GOD ), Judge, Referee or Storyteller . Some use more esoteric titles related to

429-437: The "Dungeon Master". Gamemaster A gamemaster ( GM ; also known as game master , game manager , game moderator , referee , storyteller , or master of ceremonies ) is a person who acts as a facilitator, organizer, officiant regarding rules, arbitrator, and moderator for a multiplayer role-playing game . The act performed by a gamemaster is sometimes referred to as "gamemastering" or simply "GM-ing." The role of

462-719: The "judge." The cartoon inspired role-playing game Toon calls its GM the "animator." Some games apply flavorful names to the GM to fit the genre or setting, such as the Keeper of Arcane Lore (in the occult -themed Call of Cthulhu ), the Hollyhock God ( Nobilis , in which the hollyhock represents vanity), the Groundskeeper (in the spooky Bluebeard's Bride ), the Mall Rat (in Visigoths vs. Mall Goths ), or

495-539: The Coast intended to publish only three books for each campaign setting, and after that move on to a new setting the following year: "The Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide (2008), the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide (2008) and FR1: Scepter Tower of Spellgard (2008) kicked off the cycle... and were some of Wizards' worst-received supplements ever. This was largely because Wizards had decided to destroy

528-503: The GM may build their own world and script their own adventures . In early virtual worlds , gamemasters served as a moderator or administrator . In MUD game masters were called " wizards ." Gamemastering in the form found in traditional role-playing games has also been used in semi-automatic virtual worlds. However, human moderation was sometimes considered unfair or out of context in an otherwise automated world. As online games expanded, gamemaster duties expanded to include being

561-585: The GM role significantly differs from the traditional pattern. For example, in Powered by the Apocalypse systems, the other players assist the GM in creating both the NPCs and the details of the campaign setting . The role of a gamemaster in an online game is to enforce the game's rules and provide general customer service. Gaming systems have their own names for the role of the GM. For example, in Dungeons & Dragons , they are called dungeon masters , in

594-586: The Gaymaster (in LGBTQ -centered Thirsty Sword Lesbians ). The term gamemaster and the role associated with it have been used in the postal gaming hobby since the 1980s. In typical play-by-mail games, players control armies or civilizations and mail their chosen actions to the GM. The GM then mails the updated game state to all players on a regular basis. Usage in a wargaming context includes Guidon Games 1973 ruleset, Ironclad . The gamemaster prepares

627-516: The Online Gaming Forum had only one real requirement (that is, be a member of AOL), OGFs were given powers quite similar to AOL "Guides" and could use them at will to discipline users as they saw appropriate. Battleground Europe , a medium-sized MMOFPS , has a team of Game Moderators , anonymous volunteers who moderate the game. Miniconomy , a smaller text-based MMO , has a team of Federals , experienced players that help moderate

660-661: The ability to mute (block from chatting) other players who violate rules. In Helldivers 2 , a third-person shooter by Arrowhead Game Studios , a singular employee, named Joel Hakalax, functions as a game master for the playerbase. The game features many real-time events where territory is gained or lost, which are determined at the discretion of the game master. The now defunct America Online Online Gaming Forum used to use volunteers selected by applications from its user base. These people were simply referred to as OGFs by other members, and their screennames were indicative of their position (i.e., OGF Moose, etc.). While membership in

693-486: The book was too vague, but that seems reasonable to me – how could you thoroughly describe such a vast campaign setting in one book? Ultimately, the product succeeds at both entertaining old Forgotten Realms players while informing new ones." Dungeon Master In the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) role-playing game , the Dungeon Master ( DM ) is the game organizer and participant in charge of creating

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726-504: The details and challenges of a given adventure, while maintaining a realistic continuity of events. In effect, the Dungeon Master controls all aspects of the game, except for the actions of the player characters (PCs), and describes to the players what their characters experience. Regular Dungeons & Dragons groups consist of a dungeon master and several players. The title was invented by Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) for

759-535: The enemy, one PC soaks the statue in water, while the second uses his cone of cold breath to freeze the water. At this point, he appeals to the DM, saying the water expands as it freezes and shatters the statue. The DM might allow it, or roll dice to decide. In the above example the probability roll might come up in favor of the players, and the enemy would be shattered. Conversely, rules do not fit all eventualities and may have unintended consequences. The DM must ultimately draw

792-481: The game and interactions. Transformice , an online multiplayer platformer, has a team of volunteer moderators called Mods who are experienced players that help moderate the game and interactions. ARMA 3 , an open-world military tactical shooter, has a Zeus role that allows any player slotted in that role to place down almost any asset in the game including infantry and vehicles, objectives, intelligence, and score-keeping modules. The Zeus can also modify aspects of

825-475: The game is intended to be run. For example, the most famous of such terms, the " Dungeon Master " (or "DM") in Dungeons & Dragons , highlights the game's focus on dungeon crawling . The Storyteller System used in White Wolf Game Studio 's storytelling games calls its GM the "storyteller," while the rules - and setting -focused Marvel Super Heroes role-playing game calls its GM

858-399: The game session for the players and the characters they play (known as player characters or PCs), describes the events taking place and decides on the outcomes of players' decisions. The gamemaster also keeps track of non-player characters (NPCs) and random encounters , as well as of the general state of the game world. The game session (or " adventure ") can be metaphorically described as

891-406: The game world. Although the rules exist to provide a balanced game environment, the DM is free to ignore the rules as needed. The DM can modify, remove, or create entirely new rules in order to fit the rules to the current campaign. This includes situations where the rules do not readily apply, making it necessary to improvise. An example would be if the PCs are attacked by a living statue. To destroy

924-408: The genre or style of the game, such as the "Keeper of Arcane Lore" from Call of Cthulhu and the "Hollyhock God" from Nobilis . The Dungeon Master (DM) assumes the role of the game master or referee and describes for other players what they perceive in the imaginary world of the game, and what effects their actions have. That person is responsible for preparing each game session, and must have

957-544: The line between the creative utilization of resources (e.g. firing wooden arrows into a dragon, then using a spell that warps wood at a distance) and an exploit (e.g. "horse bombing" - using a non-combat spell that creates a temporary mount, several dozen feet above an enemy). In the Faiths and Pantheons Dungeons & Dragons campaign, the Faerunian Overgod Ao answers to a superior entity, insinuated to be

990-491: The old Forgotten Realms to make it fit into their ideas of a 'points of light' setting. Old gods and NPCs were gone, kingdoms had fallen, the timeline was dramatically advanced and the Realms lay in ruins. From the scathing reviews that the new setting books got, it seems likely that they did as much to alienate existing fans from fourth-edition play as the core rulebooks had." Wired commented that "Some readers complained that

1023-475: The scenario and setting in which the game takes place, maintaining the pace and providing dynamic feedback. In storyteller role, the DM is responsible for describing the events of the D&;D game session and making rulings about game situations and effects based on the decisions made by the players. The DM can develop the adventure plot and setting in which these PCs participate or use a preexisting module . This

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1056-410: The term gamemaster was first used by Dave Arneson while developing his game Blackmoor in 1971, although the first usage in print may have been Chivalry & Sorcery . Each gaming system has its own name for the role of the gamemaster, such as "judge," "narrator," "referee," "director," or "storyteller," and these terms not only describe the role of the GM in general but also help define how

1089-411: The world itself including time, weather, and wildlife to create dynamically progressing stories. Neverwinter Nights and Vampire: The Masquerade – Redemption are video game adaptations of tabletop role-playing games that are played online with one player acting as a traditional gamemaster. Gamemastering, sometimes referred to as Orchestration is used in pervasive games to guide players along

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