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My back is much better and I finished Gripping Tales #2 pending the author's go ahead.
There's been a few discussions at theRPGSite regarding the power of the GM. Apparently, some believe that he is only as powerful as the players allow, while perhaps the more traditional thought is that he is all-powerful. I happen to believe in the latter. If the GM has the responsibility to enforce the rules and guide the players, he needs a free hand to do so. This means that he can override rules, make snap-judgments (right or wrong), and introduce story elements that just trump the actions of the players no matter what. This does not mean, however, that the GM should be trying to screw over the players. The GM's freedom and resulting actions are intended to create an enjoyable playing experience. It is not his role to defeat the characters or show off his power. Knowing how to wield this power is what makes a good GM shine. That's why I say that Improvisation is the key. If you can act without looking at the rules and keep the players interested, that's half the battle.
Now, giving the players power over the game and GM via game mechanics to me is forcing the story artificially. It's sort of like playing a board game and following the rules to the letter, even though the rules do not make sense, but are there to provide balance and equal opportunity. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong this sort of mechanical power, but it can get in the way of the story, realism, and any sense of dynamic flow. That's just my opinion, but when you have to worry about utilizing special rules to get out of a nasty situation or try to one-up the GM, it takes all the fun out of roleplaying and turns the event into another board game, or worse, some sort of overly-complicated tactical wargame where every inch and action must be tracked. | | 3 Comments | Add Comment | Permanent Link | | Return to Overview | | CrazyBlend Commented: | Mar 25, 2009 | 9:46 pm | |
| djlittle Commented: | Mar 26, 2009 | 5:40 pm | |
| Brett Commented: | Mar 26, 2009 | 8:09 pm | |
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