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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cadence" data-source="post: 6197726" data-attributes="member: 6701124">Ok... I feel like this must be overstating things, but I can't pinpoint where:Won't a skilled DM in 4e have designed the encounter so that they will roughly know how weakened a party of experienced players will be after engaging in it and have the danger the party will be in so well predicted that there are rarely surprises?  Thus, no conceptions about how the encounter will work out are needed -- the most crucial conceptions will have been built in. The 1e PHB has things that show the players have some control... but being able to buy equipment outside of the session and plan in advance how to deal with the threats revealed last time doesn't seem to be on the same level as what is given to the DM.  "When you build your campaign you will tailor it to suit your personal tastes.  In the heat of play it will slowly evolve in a compound of your personality and those of better participants".  The players are there to "learn the wonders and face the perils you have devised for them."  "They begin as less than pawns..."  And the DM is warned that players "will attempt to take the game out of your hands and mold it to his or her ends. To satisfy this natural desire is a death warrant to a campaign...".And even in the PHB there are things such as "Details as to your appearance, your body proportions, and your history can be produced by you or the Dungeon Master."  After mentioning that the DM builds the world the players are told they can "help immeasurably by participating, by letting the referee know that you appreciate his or her efforts, and by playing well and in a sportsmanly fashion." "THE REFEREE IS THE FINAL ARBITER OF ALL AFFAIRS OF HIS OR HER CAMPAIGN. ...  the players add color and details..."  When designing their characters "[t]he Dungeon master may have restrictions as to which races are allowed..."   And the player isn't even the final decider in their equipment, for when purchasing them "[a]s in most dealings, the buyer should always beware.  Things may be as they appear or they might be otherwise."/partly tongue-in-cheek/ Given that the DMG also says the players shouldn't read it... aren't the contents of the DMG and PHB also consistent with Gygax only wanting the players to have the illusion of agency? ;-)</blockquote>

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