Ahnehnois
First Post
In what paradigm does any player have 100% control of their character's actions over his entire lifespan? Typically, all the things before the campaign (and after it, if it reaches an end and the character survives) are already outside of the player's immediate control. Having a similar period during the game is not fundamentally different. The DM also inherently controls a wide variety of things that affect the character, regardless of his temperament. Certainly the passage of time is inherently under the DM's control. This whole "DM fiat" thing is really ridiculous.Well, there is a certain player type who balks at anything resembling DM fiat, particularly when they perceive their control over their character is being taken away. Most of my players don't fall into this category, but I've gamed with several who do.
I mean, I get that players don't want to show up for a session and hear the DM say "your fighter suddenly and inexplicably gave up adventuring and started up life as a pipeweed farmer until being called back into action five years later", but surely any reasonable DM will work with the player and take the character's nature into account to determine what the player did (within his control) during the intervening time.
I don't know, D&D travel is pretty eventful by default. Taking away from the players' ability to react to things during that travel can be significant. That being said, I'll get back to you on things other than travel (hopefully).I wasn't thinking so much travel, which is easy to explain, but more along the lines of "the PCs overwinter at the lord's keep during the harshest snow months and resume adventuring when spring returns."