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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Herremann the Wise" data-source="post: 2737880" data-attributes="member: 11300">How rigid are you when applying the rules of the game as well as "helping" the players out?There are effectively two questions here, related but how I'm not exactly sure.1) In terms of DMing, are you a referee or a guide?2) Do you play hardball with the players when it comes to adjudication.Question 1)At one end of the spectrum you have what I suppose is best defined as the "referee" while at the other end, is the "guide". [I'm sure I've read this in an article somewhere, where though?] The referee treats their role purely as an adjudicator of the rules, describing what happens in response to actions taken within the game. A guide DM is more a storyteller, shifting things around behind the scenes to cater to their idea of the story as well as what they perceive their players will enjoy.I have not done this as a poll partly due to the fact that I'm not that good at designing polls but also because I'm actually not too sure that there is that much of a spectrum here. If you try to have a foot in both camps, do you end up with too many inconsistencies?Question 2)The following example looks more at the hardline aspect of DMing (sharing partially the ethos of the above). How would you DM the following situation:- the PC is nauseated (can only take a single move action, can't cast spells, attack or do anything requiring concentration) by a swarm that they share a space with at the start of their turn.- Do you:a) Tell the player that their PC feels really sick from the dozen beetles that just crawled into their open mouth) then ask them what they are doing.b) Say to the Player that their PC is nauseated and all they can do for the round is a single move action.c) Other - please explain (colorfully if you wish).Example b) is fairly self explanatory but a) maybe needs a quick explanation.In example a) you explain how their character feels and then you ask them what they want to do. They might say they wish to cast a burning hands (to which you tell them that they can't even begin the spell as they barf up lunch with sprinkled beetles). They might say they try to do something else like douse the swarm in oil (which again you explain they can't even find the oil jar in their pack because they are too busy being sick). If they manage to say they do the one thing they can (single move action) and move, you tell them they successfully move out of the swarm, barfing all the way.In this way, you are playing hardball, you're not telling them their options, you are just reacting to their actions and if they use up or waste their options, then that is too bad.In answering these two questions myself:Referee or Guide?- I would say I'm more a guide DM (although I know that sometimes I wish I was more a referee).Hardball or Forgiving?- I definitely prefer the hardball option a). For me it allows a little more opportunity for genuine and realistic mistakes. I suppose it also puts back the veneer that the 3rd edition ethos has stripped away (with players/rules lawyers conditioned into doing more DMing in a game than PCing).Your thoughts?Best RegardsHerremann the Wise</blockquote>

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