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Message: <blockquote data-quote="hawkeyefan" data-source="post: 8997339" data-attributes="member: 6785785">In which version of D&D? I think that the DM is constrained much more in some editions of the game than others. Or at least, is meant to be with the game as written. If you mean 5e, then it's difficult to answer because the authority of the DM is never explicitly stated... but there are a lot of statements that indicate that they have total authority over the world, the rules, and the adventures. If we take those to be accurate, then the answer is no, any constraints on the DM removes some amount of their authority. It may not always be given to players... sometimes it may be given to the dice or may just be removed... but it's always a reduction in DM authority. Take a look at what you just said here. "The DM is not giving up anything, he's just giving an area, region, or organization..."Right, but you're always talking about voluntary or optional things. All of this depends on what the DM chooses to do or allow. Those aren't constraints, those are options. Constraints are binding. Think of rules that we normally accept... the goblin has an AC of 15, and I've rolled a 19 to hit... I hit. The DM is constrained to acknowledge this. If I cast magic missile, it works as described in the spell description. If I have the Sentinel feat, and I hit an opponent with my opportunity attack, it loses its remaining movement. These are (barring any rule zero bunk) constraints on the DM's authority. This is where the rules tell us what happens, not the DM. There aren't really any clear constraints on the DM when it comes to authoring the fiction of the game. Yes, many DMs will typically allow a certain amount of leeway during character creation, but that's not always the case. I could say I want to be a member of the Elk Tribe, and you might then say "whoa, whoa there is no Elk Tribe... only the Bear Tribe and the Wolf Tribe exist in my world... pick one of those" and be perfectly within what many consider your authority as DM. It's that "right to edit" you're always mentioning.</blockquote>

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