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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 6438545" data-attributes="member: 22779">Sure.  I do the same thing quite often.  One DM I knew used a 6d6 random encounter roll.  The more sixes, the more friendly the encounter.  The more ones, the more dangerous.  No sixes or ones, and no encounter./edit to addJust to make a point here though, no one is saying that there aren't a multitude of ways of dealing with this.  There certainly are and most of them work.  You could rule by fiat, you could go with [MENTION=6775031]Saelorn[/MENTION]'s point and everything must originate from the DM, you can use a resource system, or you can free form it.  They all work, for a given value of work.  My point has always been though, that every way of dealing with this has been part of RPG's since very close to Day 1.  The only one that kinda comes later is a resource system, at least for D&D.  Although, resource systems for changing the game world have been around since at least 1983 (James Bond RPG) and I'm pretty sure you could find earlier examples.  As I've said before, I see the Paladin's mount system as a resource system for changing the game world.  At least, a very early form.  Things like the spell system in D&D have long been used as a resource system for changing the game world.  This is why they are so strongly limited.Imagine, just for a second, we change the AD&D magic system and strip out all utility spells.  They only have attack and defense spells.  If you lower down the power a bit on some of those spells, you no longer really need a Vancian system.  That's why all the at-will powers in 5e are attack or defense.  They're just another way of dealing damage, which is something everyone at the table can do.  It's the world changing spells - the create food and water, water breathing, invisibility, and the like that need to be limited.  Because now, with limited choices and limited number per day, it becomes a mini-game for casters - do you deal damage, or do you take stuff that will let you change the world?  The more damage you deal, the less you can alter challenges that the DM sets in front of you.Sorry to bring up this bugaboo, but, I think that's the primary problem with the 3e caster system.  It's fairly trivial, particularly at higher levels, to get around those daily limits and selection limits.  Buy a scroll to get a new spell.  Buy lots of scrolls and you no longer need to memorize some of those game altering spells.  At high levels, you have so many slots that you don't even really need to fill them up with spells - just leave a few open and 15 minutes later, poof, you have the magic key to whatever problem is in front of you.  Yes, it's tied to class, but, it's still pretty much direct player authorship.  The DM puts a magic item in a lake.  The PC's could try to swim down, possibly drowning, or wait a few minutes and water breathe to the bottom and not worry at all.  Problem goes away with the wave of the holy symbol.  Who needs boxes in the alley, Unseen Servant in 5e can fly (possibly, not sure I agree with that interpretation) and tie a rope up there for you so you can climb up.  Never mind spells like Rope Trick or Levitate.  How often have people complained that problems get solved by the casters throwing magic at it?  Why do you think they are having problems?  IMO, it's because a lot of DM's fail to realise that casting spells is functionally the same as player authorship.  The DM throws the challenge at the party, the caster (whichever flavour), wiggles his fingers and rewrites the challenge.  The limitations on it are virtually the same as you'd see for any player authorship system.  The only issue, in my mind, is that it's limited to a small number of players at the table.  But, even then, that's not necessarily a problem.  Lots of story style games trade in game direct power with player authorship power.  The Scoobies in Buffy The Vampire Slayer have far less direct power than the Slayer, but, the Slayer will kill vampires a heck of a lot more easily.  Lots of games do this.  It's really just based on the D&D model.</blockquote>

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