How much controll do you give your players?

[Aus_Snow]

Do they have free reign on any supplement they wish or do you restrict them?

Restrict them.

Do they chose who gets what treasure items or do you place items spacifically for certain players or do you follow the guidelines of the book or adventure you're using?

Follow guidelines, usually my own. What happens to be there, is there. What the PCs do with it, if they even find it / steal it / win it / tear it off with limb or appendage still attached, is entirely up to the players. When the PCs even know that it's magical or whatever, of course.

I missed the first question, so I'll just 'ditto' this response:

I give them a great deal of control over where they go and what they choose to do. I run a "sandboxish" game where the players drive the "story." There's usually still story, but it's often not what I would have expected, because the PCs drive it in directions that I don't anticipate.

 

[Papa-DRB]

Character creation:

When I was running a V3.5 campagin, I let them use any WotC supplement. All Complete books, Campaign sourcebooks, Spell Compendium, etc.

This got to be too much.

Now that I am running Pathfinder (BETA), I have limited character creation to the base book and the web supplement (OGC Prestige Classes), and I am hapier and even my players are happier!

Too many choices, too many options was too much.

Campaign:

I run Adventure Paths only. Too much other work to run sandboxy or make my own. Currently in Rise of the RuneLords.

Magic items:

Starting next campaign, they can choose their own items based on the "Complete Gear" from Dream Scarred Press. For now, when they hit a big city, it is Magic-Mart time.

 

[Lord Xtheth]

What is a "template for a 4th level magic item"?

What is a "Xth level restriction"?

I give out specific items.

A magic item template in my game is a magic item of level (whatever) or lower. The player opens the PHB and picks whatever they want of level (whatever) or lower. So a 4th level magic item template would be any level 4 or lower magic item the player wants.

Its an amazing time and stress saver. No "I don't need this" or "What are we going to do with that?" they get what they want within restrictions that I set. My game doesn't get broken and the PCs are always "up to par" when it comes to loot.

 

[Mallus]

When you run your games in any edition of D&D how much control of the game do you allow your players to have?

Back in the day, running 2e, I gave little control. Nowadays running 3e (soon to be 4e when I take over as DM) I give a lot.

Do they have free reign on any supplement they wish or do you restrict them?

Players are free to use any supplement they want, with the caveat that if something becomes problematic, we will fix it. I game with a great group of people who like and trust one another. I've had players offer to nerf their own characters because they suspected I was uncomfortable with certain abilities.

Do they chose who gets what treasure items or do you place items specifically for certain players or do you follow the guidelines of the book or adventure you're using?

I place a mix of items. Some reasonably carried by their owners, others specifically intended for certain players. Well, and sometimes I find a nice treasure chart a roll, when I want to kick it old school.

I also try to give players control outside of their characters. I encourage things like adding details to their races, cultures, and background stories. They can invent NPC's and institutions relevant to their characters --though I do get final say.

It's everyone's job to help make an interesting, challenging world to explore (and exploit). IMNSHO it should be solely the DM's responsibility.

 

[Woas]

• When you run your games in any edition of D&D how much control of the game do you allow your players to have?

Well I haven't run a D&D game in maybe year or so. But whatever game I might be running I tend to put some macro-level restrictions on the players. Such as "Don't be jerks. I haven't really planned for psionics so if a character gets one through life events, just reroll please." But otherwise I don't micromanage their choices. I mean if they really want to risk being a feeble old croon and go for that ninth term in the Navy well more power to them.

• Do they have free reign on any supplement they wish or do you restrict them?

As long as it doesn't fall under those macro-level restrictions I mentioned above then they are free to use whatever.

• Do they chose who gets what treasure items or do you place items specifically for certain players or do you follow the guidelines of the book or adventure you're using?

Usually treasure was given to whomever could utilize it best. We don't really have to worry about silly stuff like that anymore though with the games we typically play.

 

[fanboy2000]

Supplements

In the early days of 3e, I allowed everything. I got burned, so I stopped that, and by the end of my 3.5 DMing career I was moving toward one of those "three core books only" people. I wasn't entirely successful in that endeavor because my players would give me puppy-dog eyes and say something like "but I really want to play a Scout. I've got a character concept, a back story, and I swear that it's not overpowered." There are few things more pathetic than a pouting power-gamer.

Now? So far I'm allowing any WotC 4e material. No one has asked to use third party material yet. I've bought some third party monster books, but I haven't used them yet. It hasn't bitten me in the bum yet, when it does I'll reconsider.

Treasure

I place specific items for the players. I choose treasure with the PCs in mind. This usually means I choose the treasure items that entertain me the most. Sometimes this equates to what the PCs want. Sometimes, it does not.

However, I like your idea Lord Xtheth and may adapt it for my own uses.

NPCs

Sometimes a player will ask "is there an X in town?" This is somewhat like the PC designing an NPC, but phrased as a question. I haven't gone so far as let them design NPCs without the acknowledgment of my supreme authority yet, probably because I'm a jerk and a narcissist.

 

[kitsune9]

When you run your games in any edition of D&D how much controll of the game do you allow your players to have?

Do they have free reign on any supplement they wish or do you restrict them?

Do they chose who gets what treasure items or do you place items spacifically for certain players or do you follow the guidelines of the book or adventure you're using?

Myself, being an all 4E DM currantly, I run my own adventures and allow my players to use whatever character options they like (So long as they meet the requisites) I also let my players pick and fight over their treasure.
Ie.: "You find a template for a 4th level magic item"
They get to pick which memeber gets it and what the item is with the Xth level restriction.
I also try to keep a good storyline while not making things too linear so if the PCs end up wandering off and doing somthing unexpected I can still deal with it, but theres still a story plot.

At the beginning of every campaign, I write a campaign guide that details the rules for character creation, allowable books, and variant rules so that my players will know exactly what to expect from my gaming style.

I'm fairly open to supplements. My players aren't the type who are into "gotta collect them all" so I don't have to worry about them picking up some obscure broken supplement. Most of them don't even buy the mainstream WotC supplements.

 

[Hereticus]

What is a "template for a 4th level magic item"?

What is a "Xth level restriction"?

I give out specific items.

A magic item template in my game is a magic item of level (whatever) or lower. The player opens the PHB and picks whatever they want of level (whatever) or lower. So a 4th level magic item template would be any level 4 or lower magic item the player wants.

Its an amazing time and stress saver. No "I don't need this" or "What are we going to do with that?" they get what they want within restrictions that I set. My game doesn't get broken and the PCs are always "up to par" when it comes to loot.

Ahhh, I see.

I am mean and sadistic, so I make my players fight the ownr of a magic item if they want this item. This way when they get it, it already has their blood on it.

But that was 3.5E, where player characters never had the time to make their own items.

4.0E is very different... You want a magic item, "presto chango"! Just add gold and an hour later you have whatever item you want.

Now that I think about it, your idea may work out very well for any 4.0E campaigns I run, so I may steal/borrow it.

 

[billd91]

I restrict the supplements to ones that I own and I will restrict some things out of them as well as I feel is necessary. I will allow things outside of those supplements based on individual request (photocopies of material is required) if they seem reasonable. I'm more likely to approve than not. Within those guidelines, they've got a lot of leeway. I won't even mandate non-evil characters.

As far as giving out treasure, I make sure that there are magic weapons that appeal to individual character combat styles. But division of those items and retaining them is up to the party. If they choose to distribute them in ways I didn't predict, no problem. I do the same with items a bit too, particularly when someone has rolled weak stats and could use a booster as remedy. But, again, it's up to them to divide up. I just provide reasonable tools for it.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

For my campaigns I let my players have:

• The choice from any supplement (is quite easy with DDI).
• The choice to refluff race, class, power, weapon, etc.
• I don't run magic-weapon heavy games. But when I do, I don't give specific weapons I give the bonus and they pick the weapon.
• I give them narrative control, so they can say that a town exists, a NPC exists, etc. and that thing now exists in the expanding setting.

So yeah I give them lots of freedom.