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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Brother MacLaren" data-source="post: 4060745" data-attributes="member: 15999">Since the poster who objected to my "attitude" seems to have moved on, I'll pop back in. My earlier editions were BECMI and 2E.  Both of which started off explicitly saying there were no magic shops.  BECMI had no prices for magic items until the Companion Set, which talked about private sales in limited cases IF the DM deemed something to be available (rather than shops in which anything was presumed to be for sale).  IIRC the minimum price for potions was about 1,000 gp -- more than plate mail.  2E had no magic items prices at all.Indeed.  This was one of my biggest gripes about 3E: the move away from language such as "ask your DM to see what may be available."  The way the system was written, it took away a good deal of DM discretion.  Taking number-crunching away from the DM isn't a bad thing, but reducing the emphasis on DM'ing skills is. Anybody recall the thread about dinosaurs as animal companions?  One point of view is "It's there in the PH, so players should expect that it's allowed."  Whereas I, coming from earlier editions, will always read "Check with your DM about what animal companions are permissible" whether or not it is there in the text.On magic items:The text at the beginning of the thread suggested to me that magic items of all levels were included in the PH so that players could choose which items their PCs would have.  That optimization aspect was my least favorite thing about 3E.  Treating magic items as mundane was also annoying, and crafting items was way too easy.  Inclusion in the PH also creates an assumption that all listed items exist.  Yes, item creation feats do that too, whereas "Ask your DM what items your Magic-User can create" does not.  Of course it makes sense for players to have the information they need to use the items, but what I don't like is the optimization aspect and the idea that players basically know the full spectrum of magic items that can exist in the world.  I agree that there is some need for balance, because 3E casters are presumed to have free reign to choose from all the PHB spells; so there I'd also gravitate to the mentality of earlier editions in limiting access to spells.Specifically as to potions and scrolls, I doubt they'll be prevalent in 4E; they're expendable resources that you can use to nova your way through tough encounters and then have to go back and replenish.  I thought 4E was opposed to that idea.Summoning and wildshape:My problem was specifically with the choice of the word "adjudicate."  Words matter, and that one was extremely poorly chosen.  The DM is responsible for adjudication, not the players.  If there is a question as to what a summoned creature will do in a given situation, final authority rests with the DM.  If there is doubt as to what abilities you gain in wildshape, or what spells affect you, final authority rests with the DM.  If the DM wants to say that certain creatures do not exist in his world and so are not available for summoning or polymorph (no war trolls!), that is his perogative.  That's adjudication.</blockquote>

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