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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Imaro" data-source="post: 5725027" data-attributes="member: 48965">No, if I as DM have decided that he knows the shortest route... then he does. It becomes a fact present in the scene I have set. Now this doesn't have to be the case and I could decide with a roll... if I felt the NPC wouldn't have taken the time or didn't have the time to scout ahead or isn't familiar enough with the city, or numerous other things. But again, if I have put this in my notes then I have decided it is a relevant fact to the encounter in the same way PC's decide facts about their character before the start of a game and I can't just change them.   Whoah, no one equated the villain knowing the shortest route with him making an auto-escape. Nothing in the fact that the NPC knows and takes the shortest route assures his escape... what it does and does not is set the expectations for what are and aren't viable solutions to capturing him. Finding a shorter route... not valid. Finding a quicker way to traverse the shortest route...perfectly viable. Using magic like an eladrin's teleportation...valid. A rogue using Acrobatics to flip, run up walls and avoid street traffic...again valid.  Uhm, okay... how is this any less true when the GM sets certain parameters within the encounter? How is it more exciting to make one roll to find a shortcut and beat the villain... as opposed to a high speed, skill charged chase along the road?   Well I at least agree with the sentiment that giving or restricting narrative control with players isn't an objectively good or bad thing.  No one is arguing that you remove the ability of players to affect the world in a narrative way (at least I'm not)... what I am arguing is that... 1. It is not objectively better (storywise or gamewise) to give PC's narrative control... iot's a playstyle and like all playstyl;es has it's advantages and drawbacks. 2. In the original situation I don't see how auto-magically creating an "I win" shortcut creates a better experience for everyone at the table (which is what most people are arguing narrartive control in the player's hands should do.). In fact it seems this is being used just to make the situation easier on the players.  Eh, again excruciating detail, at least in my mind, has nothing to do with it. However the notes I do make for an encounter whether vague or detailed are there for a reason and unless I feel the game will be improved by a suggestion (which I clearly don't in the case of the OP) I don't see a reason to change these particular things... anything not noted though is up for grabs, such as the apple cart suggested by an earlier poster.</blockquote>

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