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<blockquote data-quote="DMZ2112" data-source="post: 6256560" data-attributes="member: 78752">This is apt.&nbsp; People joke about the Gygaxian dungeon master, but it is very true that in early D&amp;D the dungeon master was encouraged to be far more objective than he is today, and players came to the table with less of a sense that they were in starring roles.I don't mean to pass judgment -- I am intentionally and very carefully avoiding the use of the word &quot;entitlement&quot; -- but campaigns from late AD&amp;D2 on have been &quot;about&quot; the PCs, where as previously they were &quot;about&quot; a crisis, which the PCs then resolved.Character death is a great example of the changing state of play -- today it's a huge bogeyman, but back in the day death was just part of the job.&nbsp; I don't think players were less attached to their characters; there was just a better sense of perspective.&nbsp; The party's success was your success.I don't think the rules will ever again omit the &quot;balanced encounter&quot; or its companion concepts -- admittedly, they are a valuable guideline for the new dungeon master.&nbsp; It is up to those of us with more experience to remember that these numbers nothing /more/ than guidelines, and not let them command the logic of our scenarios and settings.&nbsp; I've known this for a long time, but it just doesn't seem to help.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="DMZ2112, post: 6256560, member: 78752"] This is apt. People joke about the Gygaxian dungeon master, but it is very true that in early D&D the dungeon master was encouraged to be far more objective than he is today, and players came to the table with less of a sense that they were in starring roles. I don't mean to pass judgment -- I am intentionally and very carefully avoiding the use of the word "entitlement" -- but campaigns from late AD&D2 on have been "about" the PCs, where as previously they were "about" a crisis, which the PCs then resolved. Character death is a great example of the changing state of play -- today it's a huge bogeyman, but back in the day death was just part of the job. I don't think players were less attached to their characters; there was just a better sense of perspective. The party's success was your success. I don't think the rules will ever again omit the "balanced encounter" or its companion concepts -- admittedly, they are a valuable guideline for the new dungeon master. It is up to those of us with more experience to remember that these numbers nothing /more/ than guidelines, and not let them command the logic of our scenarios and settings. I've known this for a long time, but it just doesn't seem to help. [/QUOTE]

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