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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Majoru Oakheart" data-source="post: 3884437" data-attributes="member: 5143">There ARE boundaries on imagination though.  Some people are not willing to accept certain things.Plus, the problem is one of a balancing act between game rule balance and imagination.  For instance, if what the characters can do is limited ONLY by imagination then you will end up having a group eventually with a no armed no legged human who is deaf and mute and the overlord of all gods in the same group.  Neither of which are desirable characters in terms of plot, being able to handle their powers, and making both players feel important in the game.So instead, you want to establish a base power level for characters in your game.  Doing this makes it easier to design encounters blind(even if you have no idea what characters are playing your adventure, you can be assured the encounter won't be too weak or two overpowering), planning non-combat encounters based on the abilities the PCs will have blind(once again, no matter what classes the group has, they should be able to pass the non-combat encounters), player balance and importance, DM expectations, and many other advantages.The advantages go away as the gap between player power level increases.  When one player's special ability at a level is "I get +3 to hit and damage with my weapon" and another's is "I get to do whatever I want as long as the DM allows it", it takes away the advantage almost entirely.Any spell or ability with too many broad uses unbalances the game.  This has been shown by spells like polymorph, shapechange, wish, and to a lesser extent summoning spells and animate dead.  Each time the player casts the spell they make a choice, which, when maximized creates an overpowered effect.</blockquote>

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