Vicon wrote:
It's TOTALLY ok Null -- emotions run high in the forums especially on issues that are exceedingly prescient and close to home for the OP, or people who have their own passionate investment in their viewpoint. I'll concede I could have been better at marketing my point - but I'm glad you were able to dig far enough down to see it wasn't entirely a bag of iron-filings for you to eat.
If it's any consolation (or enlightening) you could see in my recent thread history that I got into similar friction for holding a stance very similar to yours in a different situation (a situation where a GM was utterly and unrepentantly hijacking the rules to basically turn his players into a backdrop for his antagonists, rather than the other way around.
But all that being said -- and I'm sorry it's harsh -- but there are REAMS AND REAMS of unambiguously worded language that contradict your agency as a participant to what a GM can decide. Thoughtful GMs will consider their players and do their best to make for a good time -- but they run the show. This hasn't truly been up for debate... like ever. The players should not, and nowhere does it say they should, form committees to debate whether what a DM is doing is fair. Bad DM? Fire him.
But these forums are full of bad participant threads. Sometimes it's the GMs that are being jerks, more often though I see threads about individual (or a couple) of bad players with too big a sense of entitlement or an inability to think outside the box of their own enjoyment... Perhaps you see something some way, not just because it gives you a mechanical advantage -- but because you actually are firmly behind the logic of it. However, the GM sees it differently, and instead of your minor (or major) mechanical advantage he has to see the entire game through the headache-inspiring ripple effect of just what his capitulation means in the grand architecture of the entire ruleset. We all got read "If you give a mouse a cookie" in nursery school. Welcome to the minute to minute life of a GM...
What emotions? You act as if I got all hulk angry! Everything is cool buddy. It's only a discussion over the internet. How upset could I possibly get? lol
Ok first off, the entire EDIT was written literally 20 seconds after I made my post. I could have edited the entire thing.. but I felt at the time it was enough. I did not want to waste my time to rewrite everything. And yes, if someone told me those comments in person I would definitely b~$+! slap him to the floor.
I am sure you don't talk to your players like this Vicon. Hell buddy, I am sure you are a good dude.
Now that we are done bickering like old women.. lets get to the issue.
Are there "reams and reams" of content that says the DM is always right? hell yes there is. Just look at any 1st or 2nd gen book and you can see clearly that the GM is written as the supreme god commander of everything.
I have been playing and DMing DND for 18+ years and have been fortunate to have intelligent, creative, excellent DMs. I have also been in countless games with terrible DMs. You know the difference between the two? Good DMs are consistently sticking to RAW.. the bad DM's make up their own stupid s%$&. There are exceptions, but these exceptions know the rules, the game, and know their players and are excellent DMs in general.
You know why this subject is so damn hard to even approach? There are just to many type of games to consider. If you play DND like the guys I play with now.. its no more than a kiddie game. lol No one cares about their characters.. " I attack the king " type of stuff..
If you like playing these games then the rules don't mean anything to you. you could be using any system and be happy. These people just dont know any better.
But
If you are a serious gamer then playing by raw is your best option. It allows you to know what you can do. It allows you to control your environment. It is consistent.. It allows you to never feel cheated.
You know when you play by raw that if something bad happens its because of bad luck (dice) or because of a bad decision on your part. Oops maybe i should have never let myself get surround by these goblins.. ect
You want to create a story then do it but keep that story within the written rules as much as possible unless your a fantastic DM
Now about the players. can players feel entitled? sure.. can we be assclowns? sure.. but following RAW will carve most of our complaints out.
This is a difficult discussion guys. We all have our opinions but only one option is the best option.
Thank you all for taking the time to share your thoughts. Even if i dont agree with ya :).
Thx guys.