If a DM says, "Anything goes in my campaign" (Pure RAW) What is your initial opinion?

[Greg K]

I would go with number six. I would even chose number six if the choice was limited to everything from WOTC.

 

[was]

I've played in games like that. Therefore, I'd have to pass.

 

[Crothian]

Depends on the DM and the players. If I had people playing that think like Caliban, I'd do my best to get them out of the game or I'd myself leave. But with a good group of people that are not trying to ruins other people's fun it can be a great thing.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

I've run campaigns that many people would consider "anything goes" campaigns. That doesn't, however, mean that I don't look at things for balance or that I don't change things to better suit the campaign or that I let the players do anything that they want with no repercussions... It just means that I'm very open to the players' 'vision' of what they want out of the campaign, and I'm willing to work with them to help them see that vision.

I don't usually run into characters that overshadow other characters, and everyone at my table seems to have a good time...

Later
silver

 

[Caliban]

Depends on the DM and the players. If I had people playing that think like Caliban, I'd do my best to get them out of the game or I'd myself leave. But with a good group of people that are not trying to ruins other people's fun it can be a great thing.

I love you too man.

 

[Crothian]

I love you too man.

Any player that does his best to destroy the DM's coherent storyline is not going to get along with my play style. Otherwise, you'd be most welcome.

 

[Dog Moon]

Option 6.

This is either going to be a very fun game, or a very unfun game, and I won't know which until after I know the habits of the DM/other players.

Yep, I agree with this. So basically, I don't think it would go well with people who choose Option No. 3 because I wouldn't want everyone playing lots of broken things, although I certainly do like having tons of options, like in my current group [although we still tend to try to keep things balanced, if possible].

 

[Bad Paper]

This DM is cool...

...because that DM is I.

I run an "anything WotC" campaign from levels 1 to 20 (currently at 14) just so I can see what breaks and what doesn't. The players have learned "what's good for the goose is good for the gander" and are about to learn that rule specifically in relation to their abuse of another damnable Spell Compendium spell that I hate. Note that I hate it for its flavor, not its mechanics.

Anyway, yeah, I *do* have a few limits:
1) Dragon magazine is not core; it's stupid. Nothing Dragon.
2) Books of Vile Darkness and Exalted Deeds are reserved for shockingly evil or good characters, so unless they want me making their moral judgments for them, they will stay away from these. PCs have learned to stay away from those books.

um, there are a few tiny houserules here and there, like no Massive Damage, etc, but really I try to be quite inclusive. One of the PCs has that Divine Metamagic (maximize spell) and Extra Turning nightmare, and I resent it, but only because it's not good flavor, not necessarily because it's totally broken. After all, what's good for the goose...

 

[Nyeshet]

I chose "Does this guy realize how MANY d20 supplements are out there?" because any RAW - regardless of source - can quickly become broken, as not all suppliments are balanced. If he was serious I would try not to take advantage of the situation, although if I happened to have wondered in the past about a race from this setting with a class from that setting and later on a PrC from yet another setting (or a non-setting suppliment) - and if I did not think the combination was over the top or broken - then I would likely make use of the situation to play the combination.

Rather like defusing a bomb, this type of situation can easily get out of hand unless the players act responsibly and the DM has the skill to deal with the many potential issues that could result. Otherwise the quest / campaign will blow up in our collective faces (DM and PCs alike). It can be fun and exciting, but potentially hazardous (to realism and game fun) as well.

 

[beaver1024]

There should be an option: "Let the reign of CodZilla begin!!"