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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nagol" data-source="post: 6312760" data-attributes="member: 23935">Since that's a good précis of how I GM, I believe you are incorrect.I prefer to split the role of DM into designer -- one who creates situations and referee one who arbitrates between player input and a prepared situation.  When I am acting as a referee, I prefer not to try to alter the situations on-the-fly other than basic extrapolation of consequence.  The whole independence thing correlates to the whole published adventure eco-system; could a different DM plausibly run the same scenario?  I view as more the "situation exists independently from the PCs (or in some cases, interdependently with the PCs).  Could I as a GM plausibly run this same scenario with a different group of players?Even if skill is not reduced, such interference obscures the game workings from the player.  This obfuscation gets worse if the interference is itself hidden through illusionism, fudging, etc.This part I partly disagree with.  If the DM is scheming to remove a magic item because it is causing him annoyance then I get the reference.  I've had that happen to me a few times when I have had the pleasure of playing.  The most egregious example I can think of is we gained a very fast flying item.  The DM started adding inconveniences to it (such as it slowly consuming spell books and scrolls) then having NPCs offer book value for it.  But we as a group felt its value to us (strategic movement, mainly -- it was a large world) outweighed the offers and eventually it was taken from us at sword point by the local monarch -- who paid us book value for the privilege.  The DM didn't seem to understand why we didn't want to accept further commissions from that king or even stay within his lands.If on the other hand, other groups inside the game are scheming to acquire an item known to be in the PCs hands that is fair game.Yeah and I make the distinction clear to the players; more frequently than not with some.  I as referee will convey what you perceive is going on as accurately as I can  What I won't do is offer advice/extra detail/vague assurances to try to entice a PC into a situation I think is interesting.  I speaking as a NPC will be trying to convey what the NPC wants to convey as accurately as I can.  So if the NPC wants you to believe a lie then I will try to accurately project that.</blockquote>

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