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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Raven Crowking" data-source="post: 2525073" data-attributes="member: 18280">I take it that the corner table in the bar by the fireplace is always open for the PCs?There are all kinds of nifty divination spells in the game for a reason.  Fail to use them at your peril.  You do, indeed, participate in "setting up the situation" you find yourself in, the vast majority of the time.  The remainder includes the party being teleported to some location, falling through the roof unaware that it existed, and so on.Every orc is important to himself; every green dragon would prefer that her hoard be the largest.It is true that the DM has less invested in each individual NPC than the players do.  Ultimately, the best DM has nothing at all invested in the individual NPCs.  However, the DM has put quite a bit of work into the campaign world, and should consider that investment as more important than the investment of any given player to any given PC.  Obviously, ymmv, and some out there are extremely offended by this notion.  Nonetheless, I will always choose to do what makes sense IMC over what would accomodate anyone.  NPCs are not just "storytelling tools" -- they are aspects of the world you are creating.  If you treat them as merely tools, then you shouldn't be surprised when your players treat them the same way.Agreed, but neither is it supposed to be you holding the players' hands and making sure that they wear their bicycle helmets, either.Again, agreed.  But, of course, they won't have really have "earned" anything if you are stacking the deck in their favour.  A good DM sets up challenging situations, including situations where death is a possibility, and allows the players to decide how to deal with those situations.  IMC, if I tell you that there is an ancient dragon atop Mt. Crumpet, and you choose to invade its lair at 3rd level, I won't intervene to save you.IMC ghouls are driven by hunger, and the only reason they don't go rampaging through towns is fear.  My ghouls fear sunlight.  They try to preserve themselves and pick around the edges as much as they can.  Once engaged in a fight, they will often die before giving up on fresh meat....but daylight (or equivilent) can make them break off an attack.  One of  the things that makes undead "undead" is that they are not driven by normal rules of self-preservation.  Run into ghouls IMC, and you'd better be prepared for them to CDG the fallen.  I won't intervene to save you.Fight some orcs or some spider cultists, and they may well be willing to use the "Let us go or he dies!" routine.  Goblins might scatter and let their comrades get slaughtered to cover their escape.  A manticore might try threats against normal villagers to drive adventurers out of the area...but may just as well blunder it.Different creatures behave differently.  Some aren't likely to kill you even if they are the villains of the adventure.  Others are likely to kill you (if they can) even as wandering encounters.  Players (and PCs) are expected to learn about the world.Skills such as Knowledge, Profession, and Gather Information can grant PCs valuable information.  Bardic lore, divination spells, and contacts should be used to learn about the world around you.  That's what they're for.I don't DM to babysit.  I will not intervene to save you.  The campaign world might intervene to save you, if I feel it is appropriate, but I will never admit to having intervened even then.  Because I have gone that route, and the results were ugly.  If that means I shouldn't DM, fine.  If that means I'll never gain another player, well, I've got more than enough already.RC</blockquote>

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