4. Role of the Referee

These are my notes on chapter 4 of The Elusive Shift: How RPGs Forged Their Identity, written by Jon Peterson and published by MIT Press. My notes on chapter 3 are available here.

Chapter 4: Role of the Referee

Referees in D&D have two main tasks: creating the game world and dungeons before play and managing the game and dialogue during play. This chapter discusses the evolution of the referee's role, including the shift from dungeon facilitator to narrative creator. There is also a discussion of RPGs that give players increased narrative control, as well as those games that dispense with a referee altogether.

Steering a Story

Some criticized D&D for simplistic dungeon-centric campaigns, advocating for more complex, coherent worlds. One critic coined the term "Year of the Gilded Hole" to describe the era's focus on underground adventures. Tim Waddell proposed four sophistication levels for D&D campaigns, with the highest involving detailed worlds with towns, history, and diverse character interactions. Developing these immersive worlds was seen as the referee's creative responsibility. This approach shifted D&D from a mere treasure hunt to a richer role-playing experience, and highlighted the referee's role in crafting engaging narratives and settings. 

Destiny's Mark

While players have personal goals, these can conflict with the narrative direction set by the referee, and there is debate over who should decide game outcomes. Saving throws in D&D, for instance, provide checks against spells and other threats, influencing the fate of characters. Some games allow referees to manipulate outcomes to enhance the gaming experience, emphasizing storytelling and character development over strict adherence to rules. The 1970s also saw a shift towards empowering players to shape character destinies by overriding system mechanics in critical situations. 

Unsupervised Adventure

The expansion of player control raises the question of eliminating the referee entirely. En Garde, a game from 1975, operated without a referee, using dice and rules to decide outcomes. This format required a rigid structure, focusing on player negotiation and strategy, though some players imported elements from D&D for a richer experience. Computerized RPGs emerged, with systems like PLATO's pedit5 offering dynamic adventures without a referee. Buffalo Castle combined Tunnels & Trolls with a gamebook format, where players navigated a pre-written narrative, making choices that influence the story's direction. However, all these formats restricted player agency to basic actions. The limitations of such systems show the importance of a referee in creating an immersive and flexible experience.

The Elusive Shift: How RPGs Forged Their Identity by Jon Peterson is now available at all good book stores.