How commonly is the GM actually the ultimate arbiter?

[Zhaleskra]

The friend I kicked from the one Planescape game was allowed in other games. The suicidal, or at best, mazeable intention of seducing the Lady hit my "deliberately being disruptive" button.

As a GM, I play the characters enemies to the best of their descriptions, but I also play their friends. It's not me who's actively trying to hurt/kill the PCs, it's their enemies.

 

[Stormonu]

I've only ever kicked one player - for perennial, obsessive cheating. And creeping the rest of the group out. Frankly, the guy was using the game for his own wish fulfillment and would not self-censor his power fantasies. In all other cases, I've simply not invited back those who I had no desire to play with.

I do feel that since 3E, I've lost a lot of control over the game, but with the new group I'm playing with I think that was a combination of rule lawyers and game design that was causing that sort of headache. My current group - which I'm playing Star Wars D6 - is a lot more laid-back and I don't have rules arguments like I used to.