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Message: <blockquote data-quote="FourthBear" data-source="post: 4017498" data-attributes="member: 55846">In 4e, I predict that many DMs will continue to forbid evil PCs in their games.  I haven't used alignment for decades and I almost always forbid them.  I also do so in many other game systems, such as HERO.  How, oh, how will the DMs manage this without mechanical alignment?  Easily.  By telling the PCs at the start of the game what kind of play is expected and encouraged.  The DM can ask any player at his table to leave.I will also note that I almost exclusively DM and I loathe the alignment system.  I feel it limits the DM and his ability to worldbuild to a far, far greater extent than loss of my mighty DM power to change a two letter code on a character sheet.  I'll also note that I have been party to many alignment discussions.  In every one, I have been assured, at length and in tedious detail that No! No! No!, the alignment system is not for DMs to apply punitively.  Now I find I could have been using it to punish my players all along!Yes, they are designing this to eliminate the 15-minute day.  This makes the rules *different*.  I asked you what made them "tighter", as you claimed.  Remember, in D&D the DM creates and triggers all encounters, so it can't be due to pacing issues.  Also remember that most of the complaints on the 15 minute adventuring day came from *DMs* who didn't like what it did to their adventure pacing, not players.At this point, you seemed to have backed completely down from your original point that the section in W+M constrained DMs.  This and the rest of your text on this  is merely musings as to the designers possible preferences, not rules issues.First, note that the new opponent creation rules will likely allow the DM to assign whatever abilties the DM wants.  So, yes, the DM will be able to give the villains full use of Action Points and as many Second Winds as heart desires.  That players can do more does not somehow constrain the DM.  This isn't some kind of zero sum game you seem to be treating it as.  Is this the way you treat all player's choices?  Whenever a DM creates a new PC abilitiy or allows a new spells into his campaign, this somehow weakens his control because the player can do more?You're quite right that now you are making conclusions about the game prematurely.  However, even if your prediction is true, that does not prevent an contrived A3 to A4 style capture.  The DM can continue to throw enemies at the party until they run out of all resources, including action points.  Or, he can create a leveled opponent or power far greater than they can handle and disable them all that way.  Or, he can create a ritual or artifact that does not obey the typical rules and simply knock them all unconscious.  Unfair?  Sure, but we *are* trying the simulate the completely unfair transition of A3 to A4, right?</blockquote>

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