I can remember some experiences with bad DM's early on in my AD&D career which made some of my friends disgusted and leave the game. I can also remember another GM in college doing things which at the time I considered 'cheating'. (Overwhelming odds of the 12+:1 variety etc. You know the type).

Now if you had asked me at that point- is a DM ever fair, I would have said NEVER! and been deeply sure of it. (Example) How can a person who can throw a 20d6 lightning bolt at my 1st level dwarf thief be considered fair and trustworthy ?????

But now, through all those bad experiences with BAD DM's I understand what it means to be FAIR.

1) What fairness is NOT

First of all, fairness DOES NOT mean a DM HAS to bend over backwards for crying players (We've all had them). Neither does it mean that the DM MUST give players a GROSS edge over everyone and everything else in the campaign or be consider a "Killer DM". Fairness also has nothing to do with letting the players run the game their way either and/or always have their wants supplied, neatly of course!

2) Fairness the job

It is your job as a DM to provide fun, challenges, excitement, etc. to a band of strangers who enjoy the same hobby you do. But when the first PC disagrees with you about something what do you do. Well they never teli you this in any DM's handbook but the first part of the job is being ARBITRARY.

Now what this means exactly is that the final power of any decision is YOURS and YOURS ALONE! (You knew the job was dangerous when you took it)

When a player (and I don't mean rules lawyer) makes a valid complaint about a situation YOU are the one they make it to and they count on your good judgement to rule out (hopefully). But you have the campaign to consider and there's the game rules and so forth, what to do?? Step One: Acknowledge the final power is your and make sure everyone else understands this in a polite social way- NOT I'm the DM and I can do what I want. Mature players accept that you have a world to run and will sometimes make bad calls either for or against them.

3) Fairness the definition

The first rule of fairness is that the players are your friends and equals some of whom know more about some aspect of the game then you do. If you treat them as such it is a good beginning.

Listen to what they have to say; is it logical, is it an area you are weak in, does it help or hurt the players, is it against the genre or campaign. The secret to fairness boils down to LISTENING!

After you have heard the player make their argument you think for a moment and consider all tho above suggestions then decide. Now a decision can be a compromise between what they say and what you think, it can be full acceptance, or a complete overruling.

As long as the players believe you have truly given their suggestion some thought and are doing your best they can hardly complain.

4) Rules lawyers

No matter how fair you are someone will not like your decision especially if it goes against THEIR character and is not covered by the rules, a DM's judgement call made fairly all sides listened too. These people are easy to spot due to their lack of maturity and your Ace in the Hole is that the laws HAVE to be violated once in awhile in the spirit of the adventure. Anyone who refuses to accept that deserves whatever you want to UNFAIRLY throw at them.

IF no quarter is given give none back!!! ( this applies to rule lawyers, immature players, etc- You know who you are)

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