Can I make up random stuff as a DM?

[Tiew]

Hey, just wanted to get peoples opinions. How bad is it to just change the rules in D&D to make interesting (at least to me) monsters and encounters.

For instance I had the idea of an encounter with and ex-crusader paladin who's gone a little bit crazy and been cursed by and evil god. He's running around desperatly detecting evil and slaying it, but the evil diety he crossed has detect evil is actually detecting good and his smite evil is actually smiting good. I would think this would be roughly the same power as a paladin of the same level, so a fair encounter, but the fact it drastically changes the rules of D&D might make it unfair to my players.

What do you guys think? Is it ok to bend/break character creation rules in the quest for interesting situations?

Tiew

 

[Arcane Runes Press]

If you're players are cool with it, and you don't fling yourself off the deep end doing it, more power to you.

It's all about the group, and whether or not they'll consider an anything goes, fly by the seat of your pants, if I think of it then it'll be there philosophy conducive to good fun.

Patrick Y.

 

[Crothian]

Yes, but be careful. First make sure the re is a good and logical reason for the exception to happen. It seems like you do. Don't do it too often (alter rules that is), like most great story ideas less is more.

 

[Jdvn1]

Sounds a lot like a Blackguard. Maybe you want to use that.

 

[hero4hire]

As a DM, do whatever you want to tell a good story...as long as everyone still has fun with it!

 

[ThirdWizard]

General rule: Making things up before the game is great! Making things up during the game is troublesome.

But, of course, only generally.

My players love it when I make something up crazy before a session, even if it doesn't follow the rules, because it is going to be based around some kind of plot hook, adventure, story, whatever. It's generally not a good idea to start throwing around abilities and strange things on the fly during a game, though, because it can lead to inconsistancies without the proper time to think it through.

Example: Once I had my level 5 PCs travel with this woman in armor spikes laden down with weapons and scars all over her body because someone asked them to take her. Turns out she was a level 4 frenzied berserker. Just a level 4 frienzied berserker. Oh the looks on their faces.

They never once complained or said it was impossible.

 

[Mishihari Lord]

Yes, it's okay to create monsters, magic items, encounters, and so on that don't follow the rules. Personaly, I would reccomend it. There's a lot of interesting ideas that don't fit in with the rules as written, and you're pretty limited if you don't allow yourself this flexibility.

My only caution would be to be careful of the things that players will want to do too. If an NPC has a power that your players will want, be prepared for them to try to acquire the class, spell, or magic item to do it too. If you want this to be a unique effect, there should be a good reason that it's unique; I would say that being cursed by an evil god qualifies.

 

[pogre]

What do you guys think? Is it ok to bend/break character creation rules in the quest for interesting situations?

Tiew

Absolutely, and chances are somebody has already published optional rules to cover how you are going to break the rules anyway If things go wrong, just apologize to the players and blame it on some poorly playtested 3rd party source.

 

[Orcus]

Make up anything you want. It is your game. So long as you all are having fun.

Lets not forget what D&D started out as. It is a tool for gaming. I get sad to see that the game has gotten so codified that people are afraid to change things and do what they want.

Rules arent meant to restrict, they are meant to help.

Clark

 

[Treebore]

First rule of DMing, one of many actually, but this one is keep your players on their toes. Nothing HAS to be by the book, so make sure to throw things at them on a semi-regular basis that they can't find in the books. Just make sure it isn't broken/unfair.