Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site utcsri.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsri!west From: west@utcsri.UUCP (Thomas L. West) Newsgroups: net.games.frp Subject: Re: Extension of gripe Message-ID: <844@utcsri.UUCP> Date: Mon, 4-Mar-85 18:54:10 EST Article-I.D.: utcsri.844 Posted: Mon Mar 4 18:54:10 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 4-Mar-85 19:20:05 EST References: <11691@watmath.UUCP> <4940@ukc.UUCP> Reply-To: west@utcsri.UUCP (Thomas L. West) Distribution: net Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto Lines: 39 Summary: > They can't quote the rules at me, because I make them up as I go along. They > know that, and accept it. > -Nigel Gale Strong disagreement here. While I strongly like the idea that the players don't know all the rules, I think it is extremely important that the players know that you are being impartial. Having been a DM, I know that occasionaly it is *extremely* tempting to 'save' crucial NPCs who are done in by accident by the players (i.e. by doing something that was fatal to the NPCs even if the players were not aware of it.) or the reverse thereof, where the party is going to get creamed because of something in the modifications they are unaware of. If rulings are arbitrary, it is extremely easy to rule in favour whatever happens to do the least destruction to the campaign. However this has the net effect of (1) reducing the players victories and (2) reducing the player's risks. I've been in a campaign where this occured, and it is extremely frustrating when you do something that the DM hasn't forseen that will badly trash the world situation in a way the DM doesn't want. Suprise, suprise, there is a new rule that we weren't aware of. If we knew this was impartially set before it would be acceptable, but knowing it was made up on the spot had the effect of snatching victory out of our hands at the DM's discretion. Not a very fun situation at all. Hence in my own campaign, while there are a lot of strange things and strange rules (I've rewritten the entire Gods idea, and cross world/plane travel is totally different) these are entirely set out and the players know it. Thus they know that any victory is theirs as well as any defeats. This, I believe, is necessary to get full satisfaction out of the game. How else do you know that this strange rules mod that saved your party wasn't just placed because the DM was merciful. How else can you know that the weird type of spell caster also had innate teleport ability and not just a wish by the DM that he continue to live. Of course, the alternative to this is the *appearance* of total impartiality. I prefer true impartiality since appearances can be seen through eventually. However if your players can be duped (or more importantly, they want to believe that their victories are by their abilities, not your whim) then arbitrary rulings are acceptable. Tom West aka Feanor the Xenophobic.