I don't care for the terms dungeon master or game master. I've been using game runner a bit, but it doesn't abbreviate as smoothly. I jokingly use "game engine" sometimes, but really doesn't fit the attempt to humanize and equalize the person running the game to the players.

Really they're all players in an asymmetric game.

But in terms of differentiating the positions, what do you call someone that reality itself depends on to not fall apart while not putting them on a deific pedestal?


Sudden thought just before posting: (game) host? Like someone hosting guests, has to put effort into prep? Kind of like "game host" in multiplayer videogames? I dunno. I think getting people to agree on a term will be harder than figuring out a good term though.


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in reply to @WebsterLeone's post:

Host is good; In my Star Wars game I've beem referred to as "the Force", just kinda the source of externalities to a point.

Honestly we've shortened it to GM, too, mostly I try to just be like "hey I tried writing this for you all, is it good, what should we do more of, less of" a lot. The communication and group enjoyment, to me, is the key to an equal partnership. Really emphasizing their personality and action is what's writing the story, as much as anything I've got in some document.

Yeah, I think interaction/responsibilities wise I think there's pretty clear ways to go about it, I'm just wanting a term to (A) not have any of the negative implications of a "master" and (B) more clearly describe the role and its expectations so people getting into TTRPGs for the first time, either as player or host.