Alternative Names for "Game Master"

[Kyle Carter]

I'm trying to come up with a different name for the "GM" in my RPG design.

BACKGROUND
2415, Earth. The world is just waking up from a nuclear holocaust of Epic proportions, the likes of which twentieth century citizens feared the most. As the nuclear war raged, citizens of the Earth fled into underground shelters, the surface was utterly destroyed. No known life escaped the fire from above. As time progressed the older generations passed away, and the stories of the past faded into myth and legend. Now, the survivors are leaving the shelters to explore the forgotten wilderness.

I had some ideas but I don't think they fit.

Lore Master
Legend Master
Myth Master

Also, if someone has a single word "title, not name" that conveys wisdom, that would be cool. No Latin though.

Thanks.

[Andrew Morris]

Why?

Why do you want a different title than the one that is most commonly used and recognized? Everyone and their brother has a wacky, wonky title for the GM. Now, don't get me wrong. In one of my games, GM just doesn't fit, but more importantly, another term simply rings true and I can't imagine using anything else, so I'm going with it. But that's because the game demands it.

I can't see why you would call the GM anything other than a GM without a very compelling reason.

[Vaxalon]

I would only shy away from the title "game master" if some but not all of the traditional GM tasks have been distributed to the players.

[LandonSuffered]

How about “Fallout Master?”  Might the characters walk into random patches of radiation?  And does the GM control where those patches are?


Otherwise…a single word title that conveys wisdom...hmmm...how about “Sage?”

[Kyle Carter]

TO ANDREW:

Well, I would like to have something different that the same old tired thing that everyone is using, catch my drift? For Instance, in another game that I am working on called "BloodRalm", the GM is called the Realm Master? Get it? But I can't find a name that fits with this game. But I don't want to give out the name though, because I spent hours coming up with an original name.

Everyone uses "Game Master", I just wanted to come up with something with a bit more cohesion towards the actual game.

[Andrew Morris]

Kyle, I hear you. I'm totally down with going for something evocative and descriptive -- if (and only if) it adds to the experience of playing the game. White Wolf went with "Storyteller" instead of GM. Did it add anything to the game (other than a note of pretension)? Nope. The end result is that many people ignore the Storyteller term, and just say GM instead. Or they make fun of it. Or both, like me.

It's like creating a new kind of bicycle. You can just call it a bicycle, and everyone will know what you're talking about. Or, since it's designed for maximum speed, you can call it a "speed machine." Great. Everyone's still going to call it a bicycle. Now, if it's so different from a regular bicycle (say it's got four wheels) that it's really something entirely new, you'd be justified calling it a quadracycle or tetracycle or whatever.

Honestly, it seems to me that if an alternate term not only seems blatantly obvious, but sticks in your mind so much you can't get it out, then you should go with it. Otherwise, stick with GM. I mean, dice in Dogs in the Vineyard serve as resources. Does that mean they should be called something other than dice? Of course not, that would be lame.

Sometimes there's a reason why everyone does something a particular way. So, unless your game needs an alternate GM title, I'd suggest sticking with the tried and true.

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

I agree 100% with Andrew.

For instance, check out What "that guy" is called. Notice that your perception that "everyone" uses the term Game Master is mistaken ... and thus your bid to be noticeable due to using some other terms is, itself, mistaken.

Best,
Ron

[Clinton R. Nixon]

Being the champion of concrete examples around here, here's why I didn't use "Game Master" in The Shadow of Yesterday:

My intention was for the game to be an interesting little fantasy RPG that you could play with people who've played any type of RPG before. Specifically, I hope to rope D&D players. (This has changed as I've seen who's playing it, but anyway.)

I went with "Story Guide" as it indicated something different: this person wasn't in charge of the game. She's there to, as I put it in the revision, "press on the sides of that hot story iron and mold it." She's there to draw limits and prod the players into making a story themselves, not to make the story and let the players move around in it.

It's not that big a difference, but I'm glad I did it.

(Funny note: revising, I caught "GM" written as an abbreviation a lot. Not even my editors noticed, as they've played RPGs. I've caught them all now, but I thought it was interesting.)

[Troy_Costisick]

Heya,

The only reasons I could ever seen not to use the term "Game Master" would be A) it doesn't accurately describe the job as Vaxalon put it, or B) the new term somehow reinforced gameplay.  For instance, if you chose to use Narrator instead.  The narrator's job might be to allow the PC's to decide what actions and events take place and only narrate the deatails/color of those actions and events.  But honestly, GM isn't use nearly as often as you think and is a perfectly fine term.

Peace,

-Troy

[Stefan / 1of3]

I'd add

c) You appreciate the sport of inventing new names for the GM.

d) You appreciate the sport and use it for an in-joke, as Agone and Nobilis did.

[Jack Aidley]

GM, DM, referee, storyteller, storyguide, etc., etc. is another thread on the subject that could be worth a look (particularly M. J. Young's post on the second page).

I have to say that I find almost every alternate term for GM jarring. Clinton's comments on why he chose Story Guide as the name are interesting to me; because as I was reading the text to TSOY it jarred mentally everytime I read it. It's kind of like when second-rate fantasy authors attempt to add variety with lines such as "the red-haired maiden stode deftly forward" after referring to her as Seriphina in all the lead-up text - I have to mentally translate the new term into the character they're refering me to and that jars me out of the text. GM is the name for the concept in my head, if you call it something different I'm going to swap it mentally to GM everytime I read it and that will give my brain a little jar everytime and slow down the comprehension of your work. That isn't going to dispose me towards liking your game.

[Kyle Carter]

You guys make awesome points, I love this forum! Since renaming the Game Master to something else would only serve as a cosmetic change, I suppose I shouldn't do it then because this person in my design serves the same purpose as a Game Master would. Based upon this observation, changing it would not be a good choice correct?

Thanks

[Clinton R. Nixon]

Maybe this should be a different thread all of its own, but I have to say this:

When designers figure out that one of the leading problems with "role-playing games" is the terminology involved, we'll start making progress. Think about the implications of these terms:

• Game Master
• role-playing game
• adventure
• campaign

Just those four are frought with connotations that may or may not be true for a game.

[Larry L.]

You guys make awesome points, I love this forum! Since renaming the Game Master to something else would only serve as a cosmetic change, I suppose I shouldn't do it then because this person in my design serves the same purpose as a Game Master would. Based upon this observation, changing it would not be a good choice correct?

Well, it's not like anyone is telling you "No! Do it this way! Only a buffoon would retitle Game Master to something else!" It's your game -- you get to call the shots! It's more like, "Yeah, we know there are a pile of published games that invent some new alternative for GM. But 'because other games do it' is a crappy justification for a design decision."

I'm at the point where I like "GM." Not an abbreviation for anything, just the accepted arbitrary term for "that guy."

I want a game which not only insists on using the term referee, but actually requires that person to wear a black & white striped shirt, cap, and whistle. (smile)

[post delayed due to server trouble]

[Clinton R. Nixon]

I'm at the point where I like "GM." Not an abbreviation for anything, just the accepted arbitrary term for "that guy."

Totally serious question. What if a game used "GM," but it stood for "Giant Melon," as she's the person who knows all the rules?