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!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Libramarian" data-source="post: 6328197" data-attributes="member: 6688858">Surely in the basic sense that    the game can be played without one of the players but not without the    GM? I also would say that the quality of the GM influences the  quality   of the game more than any particular player.On a different note, could you say more about how the 4e rules help you put pressure on the players?When I say that the 1e rules help me put pressure on the players, I mean    I like how much pressure they put on players independently of me. I   was  joking with one of my players the other day that my standard DMing    expression is not the stereotypical old school DM maniacally laughing,    but shrugging like "sorry but that's what the rules say". Yes, you do    lose a level just because this monster touched you. Yes, spider venom    really is save or die. Yes, casting Identify will knock you out for  24   hours. Yes, Fireball melts treasure. Yes, Raise Dead doesn't work  on   elves, etc.I agree. I think it's important for 'old  school' DMing to be 51% in favor of the players. It's not quite enough  just to be a neutral referee. When a player comes up with some sort of  plan that seems dubious based on my understanding of the fiction I try  to assume that it makes sense based on theirs and view it in the most  favorable light. I try to reward gumption in itself.A good example of how early editions were more conducive to creative  play, that isn't because of a simple gap in the rules, is the Command  spell. Traditionally, Command lets the player choose any single-word  command they want, with the DM working out the implications. The 4e  Command spell lets the player choose whether their target falls prone or  slides a few squares.In some ways I think I expect less from the players than most DMs, and in some ways more. I expect them to basically give me the gladiator salute: nos morituri te salutamus (we who are about to die salute you!)If they do that (be risk-seeking, roll with the punches, don't pout or   blame me when something bad happens, don't turtle or ask for   meta-game help, wear their emotions on their sleeves), then I don't mind   if they treat their characters as avatars, blow off adventure hooks if   they don't like the sound of them, make use of metagame knowledge, and   generally act like murderhobos. Any role-playing of character history,   ideals or flaws is an unexpected bonus.I definitely agree that the GM shouldn't necessarily be the one to   police conflicts amongst the players. Unless they're literally running   D&D for children they're babysitting, I suppose.</blockquote>

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