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<blockquote data-quote="FourthBear" data-source="post: 4015791" data-attributes="member: 55846">The rules in D&amp;D (all editions) have no control over what the DM selects as a monster.&nbsp; Therefore, in all editions, the DM has most of the narrative control, under this argument.&nbsp; With the exception of random encounter tables, can you tell me where the rules control what the DM selects as a monster?&nbsp; There are tools as to what would represent a challenging encounter, but the DM is under no restriction to use them.&nbsp; There is an assumption that a DM will keep his encounters within a range, but I cannot find any rule in any D&amp;D edition to enforce it.&nbsp; As a DM, I can plan trivial, easy, challenging, hard or overwhelming challenges.&nbsp; With a good system for predicting the likely outcomes of a given description of challenges, I can manage this reliably.&nbsp; This clearly grants me narrative control.&nbsp; I can choose an entire campaign filled with nothing but easy encounters, if so choose.&nbsp; A good system allows me to do this reliably.&nbsp; Let us take an extreme example: a game system where the challenge system is utterly predictive.&nbsp; If a DM chooses a easy encounter, the PCs will always succeed with minimal resources expended.&nbsp; If a DM chooses an encounter that will kill one PC, that is also true.&nbsp; If a DM chooses an encounter that kills all party members, this will come true as well.&nbsp; The DM then chooses all of the encounters and how they interact with the party.&nbsp; How in the world can you argue that this does not give narrative control to the DM?&nbsp; Everything he chooses to happen comes true!&nbsp; I would judge it a crappy game, because DMs and players like an actual game rather than a predetermined set of encounters, but that's the result.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="FourthBear, post: 4015791, member: 55846"] The rules in D&D (all editions) have no control over what the DM selects as a monster. Therefore, in all editions, the DM has most of the narrative control, under this argument. With the exception of random encounter tables, can you tell me where the rules control what the DM selects as a monster? There are tools as to what would represent a challenging encounter, but the DM is under no restriction to use them. There is an assumption that a DM will keep his encounters within a range, but I cannot find any rule in any D&D edition to enforce it. As a DM, I can plan trivial, easy, challenging, hard or overwhelming challenges. With a good system for predicting the likely outcomes of a given description of challenges, I can manage this reliably. This clearly grants me narrative control. I can choose an entire campaign filled with nothing but easy encounters, if so choose. A good system allows me to do this reliably. Let us take an extreme example: a game system where the challenge system is utterly predictive. If a DM chooses a easy encounter, the PCs will always succeed with minimal resources expended. If a DM chooses an encounter that will kill one PC, that is also true. If a DM chooses an encounter that kills all party members, this will come true as well. The DM then chooses all of the encounters and how they interact with the party. How in the world can you argue that this does not give narrative control to the DM? Everything he chooses to happen comes true! I would judge it a crappy game, because DMs and players like an actual game rather than a predetermined set of encounters, but that's the result. [/QUOTE]

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