English

Alternative forms

• Dungeon Master

Noun

dungeon master ‎(plural dungeon masters)

1. (role-playing games) A game master in Dungeons & Dragons games.
   • 1991, Vivian Vande Velde, User Unfriendly, page 48,

     He shrugged helplessly. "Whenever we've played before, it was so orderly: people would get their turns one by one, then the dungeon master would say what the results were, then we'd take another turn . . . but this way . . ." He shook his head.

   • 1998, Nora Roberts, Jill Gregory, R.C. Ryan, Marianne Willman, Once Upon a Castle, page 147,

     Nicholas and his black-masked companions waited with feet planted apart as the dungeon master fumbled for his key ring.

   • 1999, Maureen Cassidy Quackebush, Real Magic, Donna Steichen (editor), Prodigal Daughters: Catholic Women Come Home to the Church, page 82,

     A few of the boys became really good dungeon masters, and they all learned a lot about percentages and chance and stuff that I just couldn't grasp.

   • 2006, Nicholas V. Iuppa, Terry Borst, Story and Simulations for Serious Games: Tales from the Trenches, page 118,

     They give up a great deal in dispensing with the custom-tailored, high storytelling craft of our new age Dungeon Masters. Nevertheless, they anticipate and lead the way for the automated Dungeon Master, white cell, and automated story generation of the future. Nevertheless, while the creation of the automated Dungeon Master is a great research problem, for those constructing simulations that are not purely research oriented, it's clear that participants learn more when a live instructor or game manager is built into the system.

   • 2011, Sam Lipsyte, The Dungeon Master, Geraldine Brooks, Heidi Pitlor (editors), The Best American Short Stories: 2011, unnumbered page,

     Marco is a paladin. He fights for the glory of Christ. Marco has been many paladins since winter break. They are all named Valentine, and the Dungeon Master makes certain they die with the least possible amount of dignity.

Synonyms

• (game master): DM (abbreviation), game master, GM or ST, storyteller

Derived terms

• Dungeon Mastering