D&D 5E What is the appeal of the weird fantasy races?

[Maxperson]

No. In ALL social constructs (including D&D), it is people that give a person authority. Should potential players all say no, they have expressly denied giving any authority to the DM, who then has no game and no players to have authority over.

I see where the confusion is. The authority isn't over the people. I'm not the players' dad. The authority is over the game. Period. And the players have no ability to give or remove that authority from the DM. They can leave him alone with his game, but they cannot remove his authority over it.

Edit: When I was much younger, I played D&D solo a few times. It wasn't very fun, but it's doable. So yes, there is still a game for the DM to have authority over if all the players leave.

 

[Minigiant]

I disagree. If the DM doesn't care about the players, they go play Basketball or have fun another way. They don't need to play D&D to have fun, and in my experience players would rather have fun doing something else than playing D&D miserably.

That's my point.
The players by default can only stay or leave. Players often sacrifice some of their desires to play. If I want to play Epic Greek but the DM is running Mythic Greek, I am sacrificing Epic to get Mythic.

The DM has full control of the world and has deciding power whether he or she add in player desires or collaboration.

 

[Azzy]

Yes.
The key thing is in D&D, the Players have to care about what the DM likes but the DM doesn't have to care about what the Players like.

The DM can care about Player desires if they choose to. However it is not required. And a DM can get away with not care due to DM scarcity and workload.

When a DM is using DM scarcity as a tool to ignore what the players want, then that DM has become everything that the "Bad DM" aspersions of this thread state. A DM that doesn't care what their players like is emphatically a bad DM.

 

[Maxperson]

That's my point.
The players by default can only stay or leave. Players often sacrifice some of their desires to play. If I want to play Epic Greek but the DM is running Mythic Greek, I am sacrificing Epic to get Mythic.

The DM has full control of the world and has deciding power whether he or she add in player desires or collaboration.

If you'll have fun with Mythic Greek, that's fine. I'm talking about the players who don' t like Mythic Greek. Those players will generally not play mythic. They'll go have fun with something else.

 

[Minigiant]

When a DM is using DM scarcity as a tool to ignore what the players want, then that DM has become everything that the "Bad DM" aspersions of this thread state. A DM that doesn't care what their players like is emphatically a bad DM.

Many DMs do this however.

Many DMs are very strict and not compromising because they know players don't like going through the trouble of finding another DM. Some DM never learn to compromise as their players never walk as the DM stays under the threshold of abandonment.

 

[Azzy]

I see where the confusion is. The authority isn't over the people. I'm not the players' dad. The authority is over the game. Period. And the players have no ability to give or remove that authority from the DM. They can leave him alone with his game, but they cannot remove his authority over it.

Uh. As someone that decides what can be played (?), arbitrates rules, and such, a DM does have de facto authority over the players (who are people). Your line of argument is weird.

Edit: When I was much younger, I played D&D solo a few times. It wasn't very fun, but it's doable. So yes, there is still a game for the DM to have authority over if all the players leave.

Well, let the DM eat cake.

 

[Minigiant]

If you'll have fun with Mythic Greek, that's fine. I'm talking about the players who don' t like Mythic Greek. Those players will generally not play mythic. They'll go have fun with something else.

A sacrifice is a sacrifice.

Many Players rarely get to play the type of game they really really want to play.
Almost every DMs gets to play the type of game they really really want to run.

 

[Azzy]

Many DMs do this however.

Many DMs are very strict and not compromising because they know players don't like going through the trouble of finding another DM. Some DM never learn to compromise as their players never walk as the DM stays under the threshold of abandonment.

Well, my opinion of such DMs is that they are an insult to the game. Hopefully their players can finally stand up and find (or become) a DM that has more consideration for others.

 

[Oofta]

Good to know we've gotten past the "the DM must do whatever a player wants" or they're a bad DM discussion.

Oh...wait.

 

[Minigiant]

Good to know we've gotten past the "the DM must do whatever a player wants" or they're a bad DM discussion.

Oh...wait.

No one said that Oofta.

Caring about your players' desires is not the same as giving them exactly what they want.