Don't Gatekeep Being a Game Master

There seems to be a debate over what makes somebody a "real" Game Master. I've seen my share of flame wars, and even caught my share of flak in comments from people who had very strong opinions on this subject. Since it seems to be a hill that a lot of folks are willing to die on, I figured I'd come in with my take on it this week.

If you run games, then you are a Game Master. Full stop.

It's not a complicated take, I'll grant you.

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It's A Thankless Job

Anyone who has ever taken the plunge and run a game, I salute your efforts to do so. Whether it was a basic game like Hero Quest, or something more complex like Pathfinder or Traveler, my statement stands. I don't care if you built your whole world from scratch, you used a premade setting and made the plot yourself, or you just ran a premade module right out of the can. Whatever game you ran, whatever system it was in, and whether it was an evening one-shot or a 6-year-long campaign, you were the captain of the ship. And I say good on you.

All of you are worthy!

There are a lot of folks who will argue on this point. Those who say you're not a "real" GM if you don't build your own setting, or create your own plot. Those who claim it "doesn't count" if you run for children, or if you run casual games instead of hardcore chronicles with serious tones and adult themes. There are people who roll their eyes at games with combat focus or heavy rules, and there are going to be people who do the same at rules light games with a story focus, each of them claiming people who run these aren't real Game Masters.

This is ridiculous behavior, and we should do our best to stop it wherever we see it.

A majority of tabletop games still require someone to sit in the big chair and run the game. Someone has to be at the wheel, setting the direction, leading the narration, and so on. Even if they want something simple, even if they want to do something wholesome, or even if they enjoy a game with a lot of numbers, or not a lot of numbers, somebody has to run. So appreciate the Game Masters you have, and support those who want to try their hand at it so that we can get fresh blood behind the wheel. Because if my experience holds, there are always going to be fewer people who want to run a game than there are going to be people who want to play.

That Doesn't Mean Every GM Meshes With Every Player

With that said, just because someone should be recognized as a Game Master, that doesn't mean they should be your Game Master.

Sometimes people shouldn't play together.

To reiterate what I said in Let People Dislike Things, we've all got our personal opinions about stuff. Some Game Masters want to have total control of a scenario, going so far as to run games where they make the characters themselves, giving their players blank sheets and leaving them to figure out who their characters are from context clues. Others want to run graphic content, or stick to sillier, funnier games. Some want to run games from the Old School Renaissance style, others want to run the current edition of a current game line. And just like Not Every Product is Made For Every Gamer, not every Game Master is going to be ideal for every player.

It's perfectly all right to have preferences. There's nothing wrong with saying you prefer not to play with someone who runs a system you don't like, who uses house rules you disagree with, or who focuses on the kinds of themes you're not interested in. But once you've made it clear that's not your bag, there's probably nothing else to talk about. So unless you have a particular subject you want to discuss, and you can do so respectfully, there's probably nothing to be gained through further participation.

There is no right answer when it comes to these discussions. It just turns into Marvel and DC, Star Wars and Star Trek, Song of Ice and Fire and Lord of The Rings... everyone has their preferences. Some people will like both. Some will like neither. But even if something isn't to your taste, don't try to slam the gate on others because they play/run differently than you like or prefer.

Extra Content For GMs and Hopeful GMs

If you're running games, or planning to run games, consider dropping by my extra large pinboard of supplements to find the tools to help you with the heavy lifting of running an RPG. In particular, consider checking out 100 Tips and Tricks For Being a Better Game Master! You may also find the following articles to be of-use:

- I Don't Really Care What Gary Gygax Had To Say: A lot of the time people will hold up well-known RPG designers they agree with, as if an opinion has more weight because a celebrity said it. Opinions are still opinions, and your table should find what works for them.

- 3 Ways to Spice Up Combat in RPGs: As the title suggests, this list is a simple rundown of ways one can change up the fights in their games so that they're more than just you and the players quoting numbers at each other until the PCs or the antagonists fall down.

- Character Concepts: The Anti-Party: Too often we have the PCs just going up against a single bad guy... but since there's a group of PCs, why not have their dark mirror as the antagonists? Whether these are fresh enemies made during the game, or mined from their backstories, there's a lot you can do with this simple concept!

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That's all for this week's Moon Pope Monday. To stay on top of all my content and releases, make sure you subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page!

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