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Color text v rule details in spell descriptions
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<blockquote data-quote="Man in the Funny Hat" data-source="post: 7291903" data-attributes="member: 32740"><p>I stand with EGG:</p><p></p><p>Should be clear enough, but to put it in non-Gygaxian terms: It doesn't matter what the rules say if you, as DM, decide they need to be changed. The rules do not run the game - the DM does - up to and including CHANGING the rules as the DM sees fit.</p><p></p><p>If you want it to be unimportant color text - so it shall be. If you want the game to live and die by written text alone, warts and all, then I think you're crazy. But it's not MY game. It's YOURS. As you desire it: So be it. If the game's original author intended that the DM have the authority to interpret, arbitrate, add/delete/modify written rules and authors of later editions deliberately omitted that monumentally important advice or failed to spell it out clearly, you have every right and responsibility to re-assert it and to brook no contradiction of it thereafter. Any issues that arose from failing to explain that DM's right and responsibility is squarely upon those authors. However, if you understand and accept that as DM you have that right and <em>responsibility</em> to simply DECLARE how things will work one way or another, but nonetheless willingly relenquish that right, then it's on you if gameplay consternation results from it.</p><p></p><p>Just discuss each problem spell description with your players (if desired or necessary), but then <em>perform</em> the job of being DM and simply decide <em>for yourself</em> how you prefer that it should work<em> in <strong>your </strong>game</em>. Write it down if necessary. Tell the players. Move on. The fun of the game is in the PLAYING of it, not the endless debates and twistings of its rules by game-rule-lawyers. Always has been. Always will be. Certainly leave extended debates of the finer points to take place <em>outside </em>the game - but still you'll need to rule AS DM, and move on.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Man in the Funny Hat, post: 7291903, member: 32740"] I stand with EGG: Should be clear enough, but to put it in non-Gygaxian terms: It doesn't matter what the rules say if you, as DM, decide they need to be changed. The rules do not run the game - the DM does - up to and including CHANGING the rules as the DM sees fit. If you want it to be unimportant color text - so it shall be. If you want the game to live and die by written text alone, warts and all, then I think you're crazy. But it's not MY game. It's YOURS. As you desire it: So be it. If the game's original author intended that the DM have the authority to interpret, arbitrate, add/delete/modify written rules and authors of later editions deliberately omitted that monumentally important advice or failed to spell it out clearly, you have every right and responsibility to re-assert it and to brook no contradiction of it thereafter. Any issues that arose from failing to explain that DM's right and responsibility is squarely upon those authors. However, if you understand and accept that as DM you have that right and [I]responsibility[/I] to simply DECLARE how things will work one way or another, but nonetheless willingly relenquish that right, then it's on you if gameplay consternation results from it. Just discuss each problem spell description with your players (if desired or necessary), but then [I]perform[/I] the job of being DM and simply decide [I]for yourself[/I] how you prefer that it should work[I] in [B]your [/B]game[/I]. Write it down if necessary. Tell the players. Move on. The fun of the game is in the PLAYING of it, not the endless debates and twistings of its rules by game-rule-lawyers. Always has been. Always will be. Certainly leave extended debates of the finer points to take place [I]outside [/I]the game - but still you'll need to rule AS DM, and move on. [/QUOTE]
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