The role of the GM

[trooper6]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

As for "Take a disad, fail the resistance roll": at one point I've been shown an interesting perspective on that matter. We (especially GURPSologists) seem to be used to the dice dictating whether or not our PCs resist a disad. But it's quite possible, for example, for a character to use expenditure of Willpower points to resist a disad in addition to or in place of the SC roll. And by extension, for characters to regain some of their willpower by giving in to their vice. This is somewhat similar to the Ham Clause in GURPS, which doesn't have such points, but still allows giving in to a disad in order to suppress it later.
I'm saying this because a GM saying 'roll the dice and either succeed to resist the disad or fail to give in to it' is not entirely unlike the GM saying 'get a point if you resist the disad or gain it if you give in'. They have their differences, but fundamentally they're both cases of rules/mechanics being triggered by the GM and then used to determine how a PC acts.

What Ham Clause in GURPS are you talking about? What page and what book is it in?

Anyhow, I think there is a fundamental difference between the GM saying 'roll the dice and either succeed or fail to resist the disad' and 'I'll give you a point if you fail this disad roll.'

The first is not (at least I how do it) "rules/mechanics being triggered by the GM" --it is an example of GM as neutral adjudicator with noting that a disad was triggered by the circumstances of the game who has no investment in either outcome. The second is the GM wanting something to happen to the PC and bribing him to make it happen.

I like GMs to be neutral.