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<blockquote data-quote="KidSnide" data-source="post: 4225069" data-attributes="member: 54710">WotC understands that many (if not most) GMs will alter the rules.&nbsp; And, I agree that it is a good idea for the DMG to give advice about how to run non-standard (e.g. low-magic) campaigns.&nbsp; But the &quot;default settings&quot; of rules should not be chosen to be &quot;middle of the road&quot;.&nbsp; The default settings should be chosen to provide the best game possible when run by a new-ish and mediocre GM.&nbsp; Those are the people who need guidance, and that's why the &quot;default&quot; settings for the game is a fast-paced, quick-leveling, high-magic game.&nbsp; If players are seeing their characters get more powerful quickly, they don't care as much if the game is only so-so.&nbsp; However, if you want to run a game where the PCs are weak in the world, don't have many powers or level only once-per-year (real-time), you had better have a good game -- the type of game that you can't learn how to run by just reading a book.Maybe it's cynical to say that the rules are focused on what (in my view) are barely functional campaigns?&nbsp; But I'm not sure that's the wrong choice for WotC.&nbsp; Sure, I have no doubt that they want everyone's campaign to be as good as possible.&nbsp; But, in my experience, the difference between OK and great is mostly in the skills and abilities of the players and GM, not the rules of the game.&nbsp; And, since it takes time to acquire those skills, it makes sense for WotC to focus on pushing as many games as possible from &quot;failures with promise&quot; into &quot;barely successful campaigns&quot;.&nbsp; Lifting campaigns from &quot;barely successful&quot; to &quot;awesome&quot; -- that's our job.One campaign at a time...</blockquote>

[QUOTE="KidSnide, post: 4225069, member: 54710"] WotC understands that many (if not most) GMs will alter the rules. And, I agree that it is a good idea for the DMG to give advice about how to run non-standard (e.g. low-magic) campaigns. But the "default settings" of rules should not be chosen to be "middle of the road". The default settings should be chosen to provide the best game possible when run by a new-ish and mediocre GM. Those are the people who need guidance, and that's why the "default" settings for the game is a fast-paced, quick-leveling, high-magic game. If players are seeing their characters get more powerful quickly, they don't care as much if the game is only so-so. However, if you want to run a game where the PCs are weak in the world, don't have many powers or level only once-per-year (real-time), you had better have a good game -- the type of game that you can't learn how to run by just reading a book. Maybe it's cynical to say that the rules are focused on what (in my view) are barely functional campaigns? But I'm not sure that's the wrong choice for WotC. Sure, I have no doubt that they want everyone's campaign to be as good as possible. But, in my experience, the difference between OK and great is mostly in the skills and abilities of the players and GM, not the rules of the game. And, since it takes time to acquire those skills, it makes sense for WotC to focus on pushing as many games as possible from "failures with promise" into "barely successful campaigns". Lifting campaigns from "barely successful" to "awesome" -- that's our job. One campaign at a time... [/QUOTE]

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