NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="steeldragons" data-source="post: 6229684" data-attributes="member: 92511">I don't really know/remember a "decision" by anyone. It was some time ago. As I recall, it was just the way we played...one of the DMs must have decided it at some point, which was more likely a "I don't like this [and/or know how to use it] so I'm just going to ignore it." and everyone shrugged and said "ok." Then when we traded off DMing (including myself) we just did the same.Yes, yes. Everyone is out to attack your style preferences. Play D&D however you want! Noone's stopping you or saying it is "wrong" [or in the bottom line, care if you are, really].The point is, that does not somehow translate to telling us all how D&D has it (and apparently, as in many of your discussions, always has had it) wrong and should do/include/change xyz.Perish the thought!Yes. All of these things are part of the DM's responsibilities and areas of influence.Again, the players play their characters.Through that role-playing, they interact with the world, create and shape the plots...that actually get played, at least. If I had a nickel for all of the unused plot hooks *longing sigh* but I digress...and, in general "control" the story through their character's actions. The DM controls everything else. That's the game we call D&D. That's not edition warring or anything...that is the construct...the framework...the paradigm of how the game we call D&D is played. Players play their characters. GM controls the rest. I wouldn't, but suppose some could. Given the GM's knowledge of the areas, politics, regions, etc...I would say they can offer guidelines or suggestions that would be accurate and in the spirit of the setting/game. That is, I am not inclined to reqrite backstories for people...but that does not equal "I'm not going to tell you to change anything" when you write whatever you want.If, for example, a player comes to me and says, "I want to be the crown prince of the wealthiest kingdom. All of my equipment is magical and paid for/inheritance of my ancient family line...and I have a loyal gryphon named Harvey as my mount that I grew up with." 9 times out of 10, they're getting a big fat, "Try again."That 10th time, maybe we're playing a "high level/high powered" game. So, sure you're rich and have magical stuff. Why not?...Maybe the game setting is particularly "high magic/fantasy" and gryphon mounts are as common as stray cats...Maybe we want some courtly intrigue kind of story, so all of the PCs are nobility or royalty of some [social] level and backstabbin' begins in game 1. Sure, you can be crown prince...good luck makin' it to game session #2 mwahaha.As with many things DM-related (and this would be a whole nuther ball o' waxy thread) it's a case-by-case basis.Why would anyone want to rewrite someone else's character sheet? Of course not. Suggest/offer guides to an inexperienced player looking for assistance/direction, sure. But as a matter of course, no.I wouldn't do this, no. For me the natural 20 is sacrosanct. I imagine, in other games/other gms might not find it so impenetrable, and be ok with letting outside things (or extremely rare/powerful situations) influence the natural 20. Then I suppose the only reasonable thing to suggest is go back and re-read all editions. There are, I suspect, some variations/levels of variation...suggestions for inserting variations?It should be obvious to everyone here that no amount of discourse, no matter how civilized and informed, can make it "clear" for you.Yeh. So? Moldvay Basic and AD&D are fairly crystalline on this (unless I'm thinking Mentzer, but some Basic for sure). The GM supplies the MU pc with their starting spells...those spells learned during their apprenticeship (as there were no such things as cantrips until UA) from their mentor (or however that was fluffed/storied).Because, as the default D&D world (for those editions) supposes, magic spells aren't growing on trees. A tutor/mentor is only going ot have certain spells in their repetoire...and/or only be willing to teach certain ones to their pupil...Wizard guilds/communal towers are similarly going to be limited in their options and what options they will permit low level wizards...going the "Harry Potter motif", a 1st level MU coming out of a "wizarding academy" is only going to have access to those spells they have been taught/classes they've taken.If you want to throw out all of the asusmptions of the game world, that is more than fine...even encouraged sometimes...but you can't simultaneously throw out all of the assumptions and then say "but it's not working right." ...<img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/ponder.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":hmm:" title="Hmmm    :hmm:" data-shortname=":hmm:" /> think I unintentionally cast Tangential Tirade (an at will cantrip for interwebists, of course). In 5e we will have to see. As far as "adjudicating it", like everything else in the book...Do what it says or change it if you don't like it/it doesn't fit your expectations of the world/cuz Johnny blesses you whenever you say "svirfneblin"...whatever. In this nonsensical case, either let the players choose their own  starting spells - a fairly common, if not universal, houserule, I think -  or dictate the fighter wpn prof's if that's what you and/or your players want.Most of this doesn't even read like english to me...but the gist is there...pemerton likes 4e. News to us all, I'm sure. How did we ever survive, and in only one dimension apparently, before that breath [or raging hurricane?] of fresh air? Exceeeeeeept...<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f615.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":confused:" title="Confused    :confused:"  data-smilie="5"data-shortname=":confused:" /> That's exactly what it they do/it means.(emphasis mine)<img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/erm.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":erm:" title="Erm    :erm:" data-shortname=":erm:" /> I just don't know how else...without...<img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/ponder.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":hmm:" title="Hmmm    :hmm:" data-shortname=":hmm:" /> No further comment.Good luck all.</blockquote>

Verification