History Main / TheGmIsACheatingBastard

* ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' explores this relatively frequently, sarcastically (how else would they do things?) suggesting ''supreme'' vindictiveness on the part of those [=GM=]s. How? Magic. Magic doesn't work like that? ''' ''MAGIC'' '''.

* The infamous "Dungeon of Dorks" sketch (you know, "I'm attacking the darkness") has the Dungeon Master eventually reveal that he fudged a roll to avoid killing a player character whose player showed admirable gumption.

If the nice GM takes things too far, the players' victories can seem [[{{Railroading}} preordained and hollow.]] And Pelor help you if a KillerGameMaster is a cheating bastard... you might run up against a band of omniscient orcs that fight like they were trained as Spetsnaz. A sudden AssPull might save his VillainSue, or you could miss a twenty-foot-long dragon because you FailedASpotCheck. If a particular player gets annoying, his/her character might get [[DroppedABridgeOnHim a Pit Fiend dropped on them.]] (Hell, the ''[[TotalPartyKill entire party]]'' may fall victim to [[RocksFallEveryoneDies falling rocks]] if the GM's feeling especially vindictive.) And remember those blank dice? A computer can't feel spite ([[AIIsACrapshoot as far as we know]]), but you may yet come to miss the RandomNumberGod.

But take heart! It can be nice to EarnYourHappyEnding, and it certainly feels good to have your characters triumph in [[GodIsEvil this GM's]] [[CrapsackWorld mad world.]] It can often be more fun to be killed by this GM than to survive the entire adventure of a GM that's ''[[MontyHaul too nice]]''.

* ''IrregularWebcomic'' references this [[http://www.irregularwebcomic.net/37.html here]]. (The characters are in a DeepImmersionGaming situation, so it makes sense in that context.)

* PennyArcade explores this relatively frequently, sarcastically (how else would they do things?) suggesting ''supreme'' vindictiveness on the part of those [=GM=]s. How? Magic. Magic doesn't work like that? ''' ''MAGIC'' '''.

** And then amped up when SelfDemonstrating/DocScratch, kills twinbuilder (the [=GM=] at the time) and takes over the game temporarily, abusing his [=GM=] powers, even up to the point where he becomes a boss.[[note]] That doesn't keep the players from [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomping]] him though. [[/note]]

While Video Games are run by a cold, inhuman computer, TabletopGames can be more flexible because they spring from the mind of living, breathing GameMaster (who may or may not be cold and inhuman.) The RandomNumberGod's power can be broken, plot-devices can appear to [[DeusExMachina save]] or [[DiabolusExMachina bedevil]] the players, encounters can suddenly [[DynamicDifficulty become harder or easier]] and, depending on whether or not the game is SeriousBusiness, in-jokes can abound. There are even specialty "Dungeon Master's Dice," which are more-or-less the same... but blank on every face!

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->''The only reason a DM rolls dice is for the sound they make.''
->--Creator/GaryGygax

->''Rule Zero: "The GM is always right."''
->--Urban Dictionary

But take heart! It can be nice to EarnYourHappyEnding, and it certainly feels good to have your characters triumph in [[GodIsEvil this GM's]] [[CrapsackWorld mad world.]] It can often be more fun to be killed by this GM than to survive the entire adventure of a GM that's too ''nice''.

* ''SwordArtOnline'' has two examples.

** [[spoiler:Nobuyuki Sugou, a CorruptCorporateExecutive who traps the minds of many SAO players after that game is cleared for MindControl experiments and is GM of Alfheim Online. When Kirito reunites with Asuna, he uses his GM privileges to use an unreleased, overpowered spell to bind them and modify Kirito's pain absorbers while torturing him. He is ultimately defeated when Kayaba's virtual ghost allows Kirito to [[HoistOnHisOwnPetard use his administrative privileges and pull this trope on Sugou.]]]]

->--GaryGygax

If the nice GM takes things too far, the players' victories can seem [[{{Railroading}} preordained and hollow.]] And Pelor help you if a KillerGameMaster is a cheating bastard... you might run up against a band of [[TheAIIsACheatingBastard omniscient orcs that fight like they were trained as Spetsnaz.]] A sudden AssPull might save his VillainSue, or you could miss a twenty-foot-long dragon because you FailedASpotCheck. If a particular player gets annoying, his/her character might get [[DroppedABridgeOnHim a Pit Fiend dropped on them.]] (Hell, the ''[[TotalPartyKill entire party]]'' may fall victim to [[RocksFallEveryoneDies falling rocks]] if the GM's feeling especially vindictive.) And remember those blank dice? A computer can't feel spite ([[AIIsACrapshoot as far as we know]]), but you may yet come to miss the RandomNumberGod.

* The infamous "Dungeon of Dorks" sketch (you know, the thing with "I'm attacking the darknesss") has the dungeonmaster eventually reveal that he fudged a roll to avoid killing a player character whose gumption he admired.

->''The only reason a DM rolls dice is for the sound they make.''

* In the ''DextersLaboratory'' episode "D&DD", we see Dexter as a KillerGameMaster, cheating at dice rolls and throwing badly unbalanced encounters at his party for the express intent of "winning".

<<|TabletopGames|>>

! Examples:

* PennyArcade explores this relatively frequently, sarcastically (how else would they do things?) suggesting ''supreme'' vindictiveness on the part of those GMs. How? Magic. Magic doesn't work like that? ''' ''MAGIC'' '''.

As a tabletop roleplaying game trope, real life examples should go in the [[TroperTales/TheGMIsACheatingBastard Troper Tales page]].

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But take heart! It can be nice to EarnYourHappyEnding, and it certainly feels good to have your characters triumph in [[GodIsEvil this GM's]] [[CrapsackWorld mad world.]]
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->''The only reason a DM rolls dice is for the sound they make.'' --Gary Gygax