DM or GM?

[Sunseeker]

I think moving the game towards a more "politically correct" system-netural term kinda kills the fact that it's D&D and not some other game.

I can be a referee of any game. I can be a game-master of(off the top of my head) a dozen games. But to my knowledge, Dungeons and Dragons is the only place I can be a Dungeon Master.

 

[Mark CMG]

D&D games are controlled by a DM.

D&D games are facilitated by a Referee (as well as adjudicated and moderated), according to the booklets, and later versions of the game are run by a Dungeon Master. But players control the pace, direction, and often the tone of the game. Control of a game by the facilitator is either an illusion or a misguided effort to produce amateur theater (this from a guy who has done both ). You shouldn't ever mistake the role of a facilitator as one of being in control.

END OF CONVERSATION. CHOOSE NEW TOPIC.

You seem to be losing control.

 

[OnlineDM]

<looks at my name on EN World>
<looks at the name of my blog>

Yeah, I'm going with Dungeon Master.

 

[Gaming Tonic]

Dungeon Master because like Storyteller in Vampire or Watcher in Marvel Heroic Roleplaying Basic they help to set the mood and tone of the game. DM is iconic and there is no reason to move away from it.

 

[dkyle]

DM. It's iconic, and there is nothing to be gained from abandoning it. I'm all for slaughtering sacred cows when it makes for a better game, but there's no point to abandoning this one.

Heck, I tend to use DM as the generic term, even though I know it should be GM. DM just rolls off the tongue better.

 

[Szatany]

 

[Roland55]

Nothing wrong with being called "GM," but "DM" is just so ... iconic.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

It has to be DM. In every other game, I use the term GM and consider everything else to be pretentious drivel. Storyteller? Die in a fire.

But D&D has a Dungeon Master. It's grandfathered in.

 

[Minigiant]

D&D games are facilitated by a Referee (as well as adjudicated and moderated), according to the booklets, and later versions of the game are run by a Dungeon Master. But players control the pace, direction, and often the tone of the game. Control of a game by the facilitator is either an illusion or a misguided effort to produce amateur theater (this from a guy who has done both ). You shouldn't ever mistake the role of a facilitator as one of being in control.





You seem to be losing control.

Don't tell the players that the DM doesn't control the fates of their PCs.
They must fear the dungeon. Hence the required name.
They'll revolt if they lack enough fear.
Then you'll have to EAT them.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

Game Moderator. Not that I ever expect it to be changed.