How much controll do you give your players?

[Lancelot]

Flexible, with a few restrictions.

1) Character choice must be thematic for the campaign. In most campaigns, anything goes. But if they're playing (example) a classic Dragonlance campaign, I'd prefer the player running Tanis to choose an appropriate paragon path (...rather than something that grants teleportation and innate electrical abilities).

2) Anything from released hardback WotC sources is fair game. I'll also allow other WotC sources if I can at least get a look at them (e.g. DDM power cards, online Dragon content).

3) Certain rituals are restricted. I like to keep control over stuff like Enchant Magic Item and Raise Dead. That's not to say that they're never available - but they're more likely to be only found on scrolls.

4) No battlerage vigor fighters. Ever.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I pretty much let people use any 3ED/3.5ED product- WotC or 3PP- to build their PCs, but I reserve the right of a "line item veto." IOW, if you choose something that is clearly broken or not in keeping with the campaign in any way, I reserve the right to say "no" AT ANY TIME.

By and large, though, most of my players don't venture far outside of the Core 3, and those that do rarely try anything more exotic than the Completes.

As for "phat loot", my treasure troves are specifically constructed.

 

[Lanefan]

The rules we use are basic enough that the idea of supplements etc. just isn't in play. Character options and restrictions for each campaign are noted in the intro to said campaign. World design is left up to me as DM for the most part; as long as there's monsters to kill all is well.

As for treasure, they find what they find and can divide it however they like. Other than extremely rare instances, I don't tailor treasure for any specific character; if for no other reason than by the time the treasure actually gets found the character it was designed for could be long since dead and gone. I will on occasion tailor treasure to what I know they're later going to need if they don't take any left turns, e.g. if I know the next adventure has lots of really tough fire-based critters there might be a few fire-resist items in the treasury of the adventure preceding. And if the party sells 'em off, too bad.

Lanefan

 

[TessarrianDM]

3.5 game, three basic restrictions: no psionics; I must own the sourcebook; and it must be simple enough to code into DMGenie, if it is not already in there.

Treasure-wise, I have gotten to the point where the characters get the gp equivalent of all treasure found (including magic items), divided evenly between all participating characters in that session, and can spend it how they wish. No single item may have a value of more than 25% of the Wealth by Level guidelines in the DMG. Standard items are available immediately; custom items can be crafted as per the appropriate Craft skill or feat, either personally or by an NPC.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

Options for player characters have never been a problem in my games, as most players only have the PHB anyway, if at all. In 3.0e one player bought the sourcebook on nature-themed characters himself, but was rather diappointed with the options.

In 3.5e I actually had players asking for optional classes, handing them my Complete books with limited success.

For my current 4e games, CB is the limit. My players are warned that I might decide any element not being fit/wanted in our game, but so far this situation hasn't surfaced.

I have long history of being very stingy with magical items, and making identification way harder than the rulebooks defined it.

In our first 3.0e campaign, there not even existed a spell called Identify. This, admittedly, led to "poor" PCs with a handful of unidentified potions and perhaps a magical weapon.

In 3.5e I changed to handing out more magic stuff and playing identification by the book. I finally realised that magic items are less wondrous things and more necessary tools. As I prefer published adventures, I used the items placed therein as base, changing them to more or less fit the characters' needs.

In 4e I don my Santa Claus hat, handing out lots of items to the characters. I've asked each player to give me a complete rundown of the magical items he wants to have for his character. For each character I have defined a magic item track, giving out one item per character level. This track is written to serve each character mostly equal, with the total level sum of items being equal and each character getting the highest level item once. The players don't know this track or about it, so they still don't know what their characters will get in their career.

Up to now maybe two third of the items had to be won by the characters, i.e. they were used by their enemies.

Right now I'm rather happy with this new system. The players are satisfied with the spoils, they are treated equally and feel so themselves, and I don't have any work to do to fill the hoards.

 

[Sanglorian]

Having read Houses of the Blooded, I think in the next game I run I'll give the players all of the power.

"Are there gnolls in your campaign setting?"
"I dunno - make a History check."

"Are there any magic items in the treasure hoard?"
"I dunno - make a Perception check"
"There's a sword. What does it do?"
"I dunno - make an Arcana check."

 

[wedgeski]

Ie.: "You find a template for a 4th level magic item"

That is a fascinating idea.

 

[Gilladian]

When you run your games in any edition of D&D how much controll of the game do you allow your players to have?

Do they have free reign on any supplement they wish or do you restrict them?

I give them a list of supplements (for example in this game, they get PH, PHII, Ptolus book, DMG prestige classes, MIC and SC). Other materials are on a DM's discretionary basis.

Do they chose who gets what treasure items or do you place items spacifically for certain players or do you follow the guidelines of the book or adventure you're using?

I choose treasure specifically for the situation, tailoring it to the PCs, the villains, and the flavor of the campaign. PCs often suggest items to me outside of game that their characters would LIKE, but they don't always get them. I also listen to what they look for when shopping, and such.

I also try to keep a good storyline while not making things too linear so if the PCs end up wandering off and doing somthing unexpected I can still deal with it, but theres still a story plot.

I find that trying to guess where my players will go is pointless. I just throw things out, let them choose, and go from there... treasure is usually only connected to the storyline when "villain A's longsword is magical". It will rarely play into later plot, though, if ever.

 

[Abraxas]

When you run your games in any edition of D&D how much controll of the game do you allow your players to have?

As much as they want.

Do they have free reign on any supplement they wish or do you restrict them?

I inherited these players from the previous DM when he switched to 4E and none of them went along. No campaign with the previous DM had ever gotten higher than 14th level (and usually ended in a TPK much earlier). I haven't put any restriction on any source book the players may use so they can just go wild. I know the books better than they do and can still give them a run for their money. The players are having fun and so am I. It neat seeing 9th level spells being thrown around and its letting me stress test things to see what I want to limit in the next campaign to speed things up and tone down the gonzo factor.

Do they chose who gets what treasure items or do you place items spacifically for certain players or do you follow the guidelines of the book or adventure you're using?

When I inherited the game the PCs had something like 70K gp each that they hadn't been able to do anything with. I handed them the MIC, told them they could buy anything of a certain gp value or less and let them pick what they want. As the game has progressed, as long as they have down time and the cash I continue to allow them to buy and sell as they choose. They have an NPC fence who takes care of the transactions. If they are time strapped it may require gather information, knowledge history, knowledge local and/or diplomacy checks to find items. Or they continue adventuring and the fence takes care of the buying and selling.

In addition, I maintain wish lists and drop in items from those lists as I see fit.

I also try to keep a good storyline while not making things too linear so if the PCs end up wandering off and doing somthing unexpected I can still deal with it, but theres still a story plot.

I am finishing up the Age of Worms adventure Path, so its a bit linear. However, I take notes of things the players say while gaming and when its a nifty idea or twist I work it into the game. Gives the appearance of more options than may actually exist.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

I've said for my 4e game that anything published by Wizards is fair game, no questions asked. Hasn't been a problem so far.

We're playing the Keep on the Shadowfell Adventure Path, and everyone is aware of that and is prepared to go along with the plot hooks presented to them.

In terms of treasure, I'm looking at what's in the modules and checking it over to make sure the players can use it. I don't want to waste time dealing with them trading magical items. I'm also going to give out a ritual that allows them to move enchantments around to make this process easier.